A tutor can help your child with a difficult class , to prepare for a test, or to develop better study habits.

There are many different types of tutoring services to choose from:

There are tutors who work as part of corporate tutoring centers found all over the country.
There are tutors you can find through your child’s school who work on school grounds or come to your house.
There are even students who may be identified by teachers as a good resource.

Your budget will help determine which type of tutor you choose.

When talking to possible tutors, one thing to consider is where they will work with your child.

Are they at an independent tutoring center?
Do they work at the school?
Will they come to your home?
Are they available for online tutoring?

You should also ask the tutors about their credentials. Find out their educational background and their teaching experience. You want to be sure they have worked with students similar to your child.

Make sure you are on the same page as far as evaluating your child’s progress – how will you know that your child is improving?

If your child needs help in more than one subject, decide if you want one tutor to cover all topics or are willing to work with multiple tutors.

A good place to start your search is with your child’s teachers.

Talk to them about your child’s needs and where they can use help.
See if the teacher thinks your child needs help for a short time with specific subjects or for longer term, ongoing help.

In addition to your child’s teachers, other parents can be a good resource for tutor referrals. Talk to parents in your network to see if their children have had tutors and what their experience has been.

Have your child participate in at least part of your interviews with potential tutors. This will help you determine if they are a good fit for your child. While you want your child to view the tutor as an authority, you also want them to be able to get along and work well together.

If you are working with a service where you may deal with multiple tutors, find out how much control you have over which tutors work with your child. Also be sure you’re clear on the policy if you or your child don’t like a tutor who is assigned to them.

Check with BBB.org to see reviews or complaints about the tutoring services you are considering. You can also ask the potential tutor for referrals and speak to students who have worked with them as well as the students’ parents.

Before you sign on the dotted line, make sure you are clear on payment policies and see if there are benefits to signing up for a longer period of time. Also make sure you understand the cancellation policies.

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