Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Every parent or guardian worries about his or her child’s education on some level or another. Some worry too much, some not enough, and some have just the right amount of worry.
But regardless of the category a parent falls into there is one thing that all parents or guardians should be concerned about: Is their child falling behind in school and needs a tutor.
Determining if your child needs a tutor is easier than it seems. All it takes is a little attentiveness on your part and the following list of questions to ask yourself:
- Does your child have continual bad grades that do not seem to improve?
- Does your child have behavior problems at school? Behavior problems at school do not always indicate a need for a tutor. Some students have behavior problems because they do not seem to understand what is being taught and some have behavior problems because they are simply bored with the subject material.
- Does your child regularly say they hate school?
- When working on homework assignments, does it seem to take your child longer to finish them than you would expect?
- When confronted about unfinished schoolwork, does your child makes excuses as to why it is not finished?
If you answered “yes” to some or all of the questions, it is more than likely that your child could benefit from a tutor. If you want to be absolutely certain that a tutor is what your child needs before making the commitment, get in contact with your child’s teacher and see if he or she shares your concerns.
Finding a tutor
Once you make the decision to hire a tutor, your next step would be to locate a good one. There are several ways you can go about locating a tutor.
The state of Utah is dotted with colleges and universities, most of which have some sort of job board. College students are always looking for part-time jobs that can earn them a little money, and most have the knowledge necessary to tutor subjects through at least the ninth grade. Place a want ad on your local college’s job board asking for a tutor. Make sure you specify what subject material you expect them to tutor and ask for a resume and applicable references. This should give you a good pool from which to choose.
You can also seek a referral from any local teacher. Most teachers should be able to come up with a list of competent individuals that they would trust tutoring students.
Since tutors found in these two ways will most likely be strangers, make sure you meet the tutor candidates in person before you make your choice. It is a good idea to have your child present during these meeting in order to better gauge compatibility. Always have tutoring sessions conducted in your own home or in a public place such as a library.
Another way to locate a tutor is to use the services of local tutoring facilities, such as the Sylvan Learning Center, which has a location in both the northern and southern Wasatch Front. These types of centers can be easily located by doing an Internet search or through the phone book, and can provide a more formal tutoring environment if that is what you are seeking.
Your child’s education is perhaps one of the most important parts of their life and should not be taken lightly. If you suspect your child is struggling in school, now is the time to act. It is easier to remedy academic problems sooner than later.
A native of Washington state, LeAnn Udy Mills currently resides in Harrisville, Utah. She is a mother of two and a graduate of Utah State University with a degree in elementary education.
