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Choosing a Tutor for Your Child

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By Bonnie Z. Goldsmith

Child Tutor-Child Tutoring

Your child with learning disabilities may benefit greatly from the one-on-one attention provided by a qualified tutor. Tutors, working closely with parents and teachers, can help children in various ways: reinforcing specific subject matter, helping with homework, suggesting improvements in organization and other study skills, and serving to bolster a child’s self-confidence.

 

A recommendation that your child might profit from working with a tutor often comes from a teacher or a school’s learning specialist or guidance counselor. As a parent, however, you have the deepest insight into your child’s needs and may see the need for tutoring before the school does.

 

Does My Child Need a Tutor? 

Children with learning disabilities (LD) or Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) almost always need extra assistance in school. A tutor can be a valuable source of help. Ask yourself:

 

  • Is there a particular subject or type of assignment that almost always gives my child trouble?

  • Does my child have difficulty studying effectively for tests?

  • Does my child have trouble with “executive skills” such as organizing, planning, or seeing a project through to completion?

  • Is my child unhappy or anxious about schoolwork?

  • Is completing homework a recurring battle in my family?

  • Has my child’s teacher (or guidance counselor or learning specialist) suggested tutoring?

 

If the answer to one or more of these questions is yes, investigate the possibility of getting your child a tutor.


What Kind of Learning Support Does My Child Need?

Tutors may or may not have special experience working with children with learning disabilities. For that, you will probably need to employ a learning specialist or educational therapist. These professionals address specific learning disabilities with specialized teaching techniques. Some — but not all — specialists may work within the context of a particular school subject.

 

Whether or not you turn to a specialist, however, a tutor can be helpful with specific subject matter, particular assignments, and underlying skills such as time management and organization.



 

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