If you live in Hillsborough County, Florida, you likely have a school-age child, since roughly 21.4% of Hillsborough County residents are under age 18. While some children may excel in school without any support, others may have academic challenges and benefit from private tutoring. What should you look for in a Hillsborough County tutor for your child?
Skill area expertise
If your child is struggling with a specific academic skill, it’s important that you find a tutor who specializes in that area. If they have difficulty with math computation or word problem solving, for example, you should find a math specialist for them. If they have difficulty decoding words, reading fluently, or comprehending material they read, you should find a tutor who specializes in reading. If your child has a learning disability, such as dyslexia, dysgraphia or dyscalculia; ADHD; autism; or another special education challenge, find a tutor or tutoring center that works with students who meets your child’s profile. There are specific methods of instruction that work best for special education students. For example, a child with dyslexia will likely respond best to Orton Gillingham tutoring, and students with writing or math challenges often respond well to a multi-sensory tutoring approach.
Personality match
The right chemistry is key when it comes to a tutoring match. It’s important that your child connects well with their tutor in Hillsborough County and enjoys working with them. Some kids respond best to a bubbly, energetic personality, while others prefer quieter, more introverted personalities. You know your child best; try to find a tutor who you think they will have good chemistry with. If you choose to go with a tutoring company, ask if you can switch to a different tutor if your child isn’t connecting well with the first tutor they are matched with. A good connection is key!
Structured plan
In addition to finding a tutor with skill-area expertise and someone who is a good personality match for your child in Hillsborough County, it’s important to find out what the tutoring plan will be. Make sure your child’s tutor isn’t doing sessions with your child that have no plan, or is using random worksheets that lack a scope and sequence. An individualized tutoring plan should be in place, starting with the levels your child is at initially and building upwards from there as they develop mastery of new concepts. If you’d prefer that your child’s tutoring sessions integrate schoolwork, let the tutor or tutoring service know so they can build that into the plan.
Good communication
When you look for a tutor in Hillsborough County, try to find someone who is open to communicating with you about what they are covering with your child and any progress they are making. If you are open to working with your child in between sessions, ask the tutor for work you can do at home to reinforce what they cover during the sessions. The more practice as repetition you can do at home, the more progress you will likely see. You may also want the tutor to communicate with your child’s teacher to find out how they are doing at school and if there are certain skills the teacher feels your child needs more help with.
Tutoring can make a tremendous difference in your child’s academic performance. Use these tips to help find an ideal tutor in Hillsborough County for your child and help them excel in school.
