ONE TUTORING SESSION PEr WEEK, OR MORE?
I am often asked this question, and while every student is different, I do have general feedback which may assist you with this decision. Few students “enjoy” adding tutoring time, so if yours is not begging for more, consider it to be normal. I’ve generally seen that it is harder to begin the year with one session per week and bump it to two or more, yet most students will happily go from two to one. In addition, remember to consider scheduling. Once the school year is underway, you may likely have to wait for an additional tutoring time to open.
WHAT TO DO OR CONSIDER?
Gather feedback from the school. Are grades generally improving over time? What are teachers saying in their comments? Ask teachers/staff about their thoughts on this matter.
How much time are you (parents) putting toward homework completion? Would one day of relief (vs. two or more) be sufficient?
What are the goals for tutoring? Consider what brought your student to require a tutor in the first place. Has your student demonstrated sufficient growth in accomplishing these skills?
If your student is moving from elementary school to middle school or from middle to high school, remember that the workload and requirements will definitely increase.
Imagine November: the honeymoon of a new year is over, it’s getting dark and rainy, and the demands of teachers are in full swing. Is your student in a good place to “take it on”?
ONeE DAY PER WEEK:
Generally, enough as a supplement to school content. For example:
Your student is getting B’s or higher but would like to improve specific skills in writing or reading.
Your student is fine in managing her/his homework, but a weekly check-in for big projects or tests seems beneficial.
The skills needed are less critical. Therefore, a slower pace is acceptable.
Good for basic check-in regarding organization of homework.
Appropriate for supplementing the education of higher-functioning students.
If tutoring is needed, one day is better than none!
Significant progress will be slower.
TWO OR MORE DAYS:
Highly recommended for struggling students.
Good for students with consistently low grades and/or negative teacher comments.
Recommended for families of struggling students where parents cannot or will not spend time monitoring homework.
Appropriate for students with significant difficulties tracking assignments and/or dealing with persistent procrastination.
Necessary for students who have deficits in reading comprehension and/or writing skills which require immediate and consistent attention.