The Insiders Guide to Education 

A RITES blog by Learning Specialist and Education Advocate Saskia Nilsen, MSE

Your Summer Action Plan Part 5: One-to-One Tutoring

When to consider a One-to-One Tutor
Suppose you are the kind of parent who has to dig the skill books out of the old backpack in mid-August because you were as focused on having fun as your kids (don’t be ashamed to admit it – summer is a great time to catch up on family bonding, too), or maybe you just have a hard time motivating your child to do any type of work over the summer. In that case, I recommend a one-to-one tutor at least once a week.   One key benefit of tutors is that they take the accountability out of your hands and can monitor the work that needs to be done for you throughout the summer by assigning the homework that needs to be accomplished each week.  They can work with you to establish at-home summer routines and tailor resources to the needs and interests of your child.  Tutors are also great if there are one or two challenge areas for which your child needs a little extra one-to-one support.   Locally, RITES offers tutors for all age groups and many of their tutors have specialized training or expertise in proven intervention methods.

If you opt to work with a tutor, it is really useful to share as much information as possible about your child’s school year with the tutor, such as report cards, work samples, teacher comments, or emails, so the tutor can hit the ground running. Also, consider having a conversation with your child’s teacher to fill him or her in on the details directly.

Some tutors will come to your home and will need a distraction-free room to work with your child, while others prefer neutral locations like libraries or an office space.  Be sure to set regular days and times that will last the summer and notify your tutor when you might be out of town for vacation in advance.  Some tutors will assign homework to be completed by the next session, and it is also a good idea to work this into a routine.  Getting the summer work done in the morning before heading to the beach or the fun activity of the day provides motivation.   An effective tutor will give you a quick summary of what they worked on at the end of each session and, at the end of the summer, some details to share with next year’s teacher.

Read the rest of our “Your Summer Action Plan” blog series:

Your Summer Action Plan Part 1: Questions to Ask

Your Summer Action Plan Part 2: What to Do at Home