My Child Needs Tutoring. What Should I Look For?

First, talk to your child’s teacher about what’s going on. Some school districts have made tutoring available during, before or after school. If you’re not sure what kind of additional support your child’s school offers, start with a conversation with their teacher before you look for outside-of-school options.

Consider partnering up with a buddy. Tutoring in small groups (less than four students) is more effective than larger groups. And while your child may benefit the most from one-on-one tutoring, two-on-one tutoring can still be very effective—and cut the cost. Consider teaming up with another family whose child has similar academic needs to make tutoring more affordable. (You might even find your child is more motivated by teaming up with a peer.)

Frequency matters. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, “high-dosage tutoring” was found to be one of the most successful ways of addressing learning loss for students. This type of tutoring is defined as small group tutoring at least three times a week, for at least 30 minutes per session. That frequency and intensity of support has been shown to have a big impact on student learning. Even if your child’s school doesn’t offer high-dosage tutoring, this is worth keeping in mind when you schedule tutoring sessions: you might get more bang for your buck by having your child meet frequently with a tutor over a shorter timespan, rather than spreading sessions out throughout the school year.

Look for an expert educator in the area your child needs support. For younger students, look for tutors with training that is specific to your child’s learning needs; for example, Orton-Gillingham training is often effective for children who need support with learning to read. If your older child needs help with a specialized academic subject, like biology or calculus, you’ll want to find a subject matter expert. Local colleges or universities can often be good places to find tutors with advanced content knowledge. Teachers or paraprofessionals from your child’s school may also offer tutoring services outside school hours.

High schoolers can be a good resource, too. Local high school students who have recently taken advanced academic courses can often make great tutors, at a lower cost than professionals. As a bonus, your younger kid will almost certainly think they’re cool.

Ask about financial support. Before you rule out a tutoring option based on cost, find out if they offer support for families that need it. Community-based programs like your local YMCA, public library, faith-based institutions, and community centers may offer low-cost or sliding scale rates for academic support. Some organizations may even offer free tutoring support to eligible students. In Massachusetts, for example, the Scottish Rite Masons offer free, Orton-Gillingham-trained reading tutors for children with dyslexia at three centers across the state.

Check out free online tutoring platforms. Schoolhouse.world, founded by the people behind Khan Academy, is a great resource for free, online tutoring. Online learning platforms can be especially effective if your child just needs a little boost, rather than intensive support.

Finally, keep an eye on how it’s going. Whatever tutoring plan you land on, you should see evidence that it’s helping your child improve in the areas where they’ve been struggling. Observe their tutoring sessions when you can to see what kinds of skills they’re practicing, and keep an eye on grades, test scores, and teacher reports. If you’re not seeing evidence that tutoring is giving your child a meaningful boost, it may be time to revisit the plan with their tutor, or talk to their teacher about other options for support.