| You know your child is smart and capable, and quite possibly the teachers know it, too. But perhaps your child's grades are not very good. Hiring a tutor can be a big expense, so it is important to consider beforehand whether it is likely to be a worthwhile investment. Three reasons to consider hiring a private tutor for your child are:
1) your child has a learning disability;
2) your child is intellectually gifted; and
3) you want your child better prepared for college.
People with learning disabilities have a difference in brain function affecting how they receive and process information. It isn't a matter of trying harder, or paying attention. People with learning disorders process sensory information differently from people without learning disorders. But the human brain has amazing capability for change, even in adults, and people with problems learning are capable of making these changes, if they have help doing so.
Hiring a tutor for a child with a learning disability is not going to magically improve the child's grades or make the learning disability go away. However, a properly trained tutor can make a real difference. A tutor that understands a child's learning style will be able to help him or her perform at a higher level. While you shouldn't hire a tutor for a learning disabled child hoping to erase the learning disability, you can go into it knowing that a good tutor with can help tremendously in cutting down on the frustration your child feels in difficult learning situations. Even if grades don't improve much, it should make school a much more pleasant experience.
Students who are intellectually ahead of their classmates may not often seem so. It is surprisingly common for gifted students to receive only mediocre grades. The reason? They aren't challenged enough, or they find classroom settings to be extremely un-stimulating. A tutor who engages a gifted child on a level that the child finds challenging can go far to help your child enjoy learning. A tutor in collaboration with the child's classroom teacher can often set up alternative arrangements for the child's assignments so that they are more stimulating and less like busy work.
One thing parents and tutors must be careful of when hiring a tutor for a gifted child is making the child feel like he or she is being punished for being smart. If lessons with a tutor are just a continuation of the classroom assignments the child finds dull during the school day, a tutor will not make much difference, and could dampen motivation more. It is important to find a tutor who has experience with gifted children.
If your child will be applying to college soon, you might consider hiring a tutor to help with that process. Tutors specializing in college preparation are skilled at helping maximize grades while also preparing the child to take college entrance tests such as the SAT. Since many colleges require an essay as part of the application process, students who are not motivated writers can benefit greatly from tutors who specifically address the essay writing process.
Hiring a tutor is a major decision for both you and your child. It is important that your child is on board with the idea, or the result could be more frustration for both of you. If a child is receptive to the idea of having a tutor, however, the results can be substantial.
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