There are several reasons why you may think about hiring a private tutor for your kids. Your children may need additional support with their homework or exams, or it can also be that they need a one-to-one mentoring to have a good grasp of the subject. There are also instances wherein your schedule is rather fixed and hiring a private tutor just seems to be more convenient.
Before you delve into getting a private tutor for your kids, consider the points below.
Identify the needs of your child
The first thing that you need to consider before hiring a private tutor for your kids is to identify their needs. Evaluate the areas where they need help. Think about getting a maths tutor if your child is finding it difficult to deal with numbers, or consider a reading and comprehension tutor if your child wants to enhance his or her ability with words and language. Look into the learning difficulties of your children, as well as their strengths and weaknesses because this will be your basis in finding the best person that they will be able to work with.
Set realistic goals
Before you hire a private tutor, you need to clearly define what you and your child wish to achieve from the mentoring. It can be that your child is trying to pass an exam, or that he is having difficulty in learning a certain subject. In terms of the former, you need to set a performance goal which is rather short-term. In terms of the latter, you need to set a learning goal, which can be attained over a longer duration. The type of tutor that you will hire greatly depends on the targets that you set together with your child.
Examine the tutor’s teaching ability
Another important thing that you need to consider is the teaching ability of the tutor, along with his or her knowledge on the subject matter that they are teaching. For instance, you can hire someone who has a master’s degree, but if they are not equipped with the soft skills in teaching, then they will not be able to interact positively with your child. On the other hand, you may be reluctant to hire a college student without ample qualifications to their name, but their fresh minds and subject knowledge can be of great help to your child.
Consider the overall cost
Finally, consider your finances because hiring a private tutor may cost you. Keep in mind that more experienced tutors may charge more for their services. In this case, you may need to find a balance between the quality of mentoring and the value of the service.
Make sure to identify the needs of your child to have a good idea on which aspect he or she may need help. Together with your kids, set an objective on what you want to achieve after the mentoring. Examine also the capabilities of the tutor in terms of their teaching ability, as well as their expertise on the subject they are handling. Finally, think about the overall cost that you may incur from hiring a private tutor and gauge whether there are avenues where you will be able to leverage free services.
