We all want the best for our children. We want them to be happy, to feel confident, to thrive. And in wanting that, we will literally go to any lengths. This summer, Bart and I decided to hire a tutor to get our son Roman ready for the upcoming school year. (I wrote about how to get ready for the school year in this post because I think we all go into full summer mode and need a reboot.) Working one-on-one with a tutor has allowed Roman to practice everything he learned last school year while simultaneously to get back into the swing of things for school to restart. It’s good to make sure our kids’ minds are firing on all cylinders again after summer! We’ve only had 3 sessions (from when writing this post) but I already see incredible change, and therefore want to share my thoughts about the value in hiring a tutor for your children.
This has been a very educational experience not only for Roman but also for me! I’ve learned so much just watching the tutor do her thing. She brings a bag of goodies, which includes shaving cream (so Roman can practice writing his name is a fun way) and a magnetic alphabet game (to practice his spelling). They even have gone outside to play hopscotch with the stones we collected from our family trip up north in Petoskey to practice his numbers.
The tutor makes learning fun and age-appropriate.
While at first I assumed parents should be at the table and involved during lessons, I soon realized tutors prefer to be alone with students. In doing so, behavior isn’t adjusted just to satisfy parents. Students are more focused. And tutors also feel more comfortable bringing fun and creativity to the sessions without worrying about parental approval. (No one wants to feel like someone is looking over his/her shoulder.) And I’m totally fine with that! I love giving Roman as much freedom to grow on his own.
Tutoring is a 1-on-1 teaching and learning experience different than what happens at school. Because in school, it’s an environment of many. With a tutor, it’s entirely focused on the student.
Our tutor gave me a list of lessons and objections for Roman. This included recognizing numerals 10-20 and recognizing family names. She leaves an alphabet dry erase board and an alphabet letter book at our house for when she’s not there, which makes me feel empowered to do the extra work with Roman. We all have the opportunity to continue teaching and demonstrating things to our kids outside of the “learning hours.”
We’re using Academic Success Partners that work with any age from preschool through high school. Their sessions are typically 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or 60 minutes.
To Bart and I, education is an investment. And so hiring a tutor for our son is a no brainer and at the very least worth trying. The more we can support our kids’ development, the more they are able to grow and mature into the people they’re meant to be!
What’re your thoughts about the value in hiring a tutor for your children? I’d love to hear from you! Share your comments below.
Mention this post when you reach out to Academic Success Partners and let them know you know me. They’ll take care of you!