Introduction To Tutoring

A tutor is an individual who provides assistance, help, guidance, expertise and encouragement to a student. Their role is typically to augment or support formal classroom instruction provided by schools and help students to master specific topics or subject matter. Tutors do not typically provide primary, or lecture style instruction.

Of course, no two tutoring relationships are exactly the same. Tutoring varies depending on the subject matter covered, the style of the tutor, the needs of the student, and the learning style of the student. Because of this, there are no concrete rules of what is right and wrong, or specific things to always look for in a tutor.

It is important to understand that most tutors are not professional academic or guidance counselors, psychologists, doctors, or psychiatrists. Because of this, it is not appropriate to expect tutors to be able to diagnose learning disabilities. Because of their experience they may "suspect" a learning disability, but appropriate and competent professionals should be consulted to assess potential learning problems.

Reasons for Tutoring

Tutoring is nothing to be ashamed of. There are many reasons why an individual may require some tutoring at some point in their academic career. The need for tutoring can be driven by something as simple as a student missing classes because of an illness, which may require some additional help to catch back up. Other students may be performing at the appropriate level for a class or subject and simply require additional "challenge" beyond what they are receiving in a traditional classroom. Others may simply need a little additional help to grasp a concept or topic. Tutoring can also be an excellent means of providing one-on-one assistance that typically is not common in a traditional classroom setting. Tutoring should be viewed as a normal part of the academic learning process to be used when needed and appropriate.

When to Tutor

Typically, age is not an important factor in determining whether tutoring is necessary. It is generally accepted that tutoring before the first or second grade is not necessary. Academic performance is usually the driving factor in determining whether tutoring is needed. Either poor or lagging performance, or the need to provide additional challenge to an excelling or gifted student will signal the need for tutoring. It is also important to note that tutoring is something that some students may never need, that others may need only once, and that others will require many times throughout their academic career.

How Much Tutoring is Appropriate

As with everything in tutoring, how much tutoring is appropriate is driven by the needs of a particular situation. If the need is urgent, such as the need for quick review and test strategies before a standardized test, then tutoring several times a week may be appropriate. Subject can also dictate how often tutoring is necessary. Topics or subjects that use rote memorization, which may be required when learning mathematical skills such as times tables, benefit from frequent, short tutoring sessions. Other subjects, such as reading and writing, are learned more slowly and may require less frequent tutoring sessions but for longer amounts of time. Tutoring sessions for younger children tend to be shorter in duration because of their attention span. Some trial and error may be necessary to arrive at an appropriate tutoring schedule for a particular individual.

Where Should Tutoring Be Done

Tutoring sessions are most typically done at a school, at a tutoring center, in a student's home, or in a neutral public place such as a public library. Common sense is the driver here and parents should be cautious of tutors who provide individual tutoring out of their own homes. Such a situation may require more investigation for a parent to feel comfortable.