How to Find a Good Tutor: Features and Characteristics to Look For

Finding a tutor to help your child sounds simple enough, but there is a lot that should go into the decision. Parents looking for a good tutor should put the right criteria at the top of their list. Convenience is certainly important for busy families when considering tutoring programs, but because this is an investment in your child, results should be top of mind. When doing their research, parents should seek out these tutor characteristics and program features:  

• Professionally trained tutors – The smart high school student down the street might seem like an easy option to help your middle school student catch up in math. However, they lack the training to pinpoint where your child is struggling and teach them the specific skills they need. If your goal is to help your child raise their grades and get back to grade level in school, make sure you evaluate the qualifications of any tutor you consider. State certification, training in research-based tutoring practices, and experience working with children of all ages are  
• Customized programs – Every student learns at their own pace and in different ways. The problem with a one-size-fits-all approach to tutoring is that it does not take this into account. A customized program of instruction is best because it is designed around your child’s unique strengths, weaknesses, goals and needs. 
• One-to-one approach – Truly customized learning programs have another excellent feature: individualized attention. The obvious benefit of a one-to-one tutoring format is that your child is the sole focus. Every tutoring session is personalized for them. There’s no chance that your child will be inadvertently left behind as they might be in a group Most importantly, one-to-one tutoring achieves faster results. 
• A history of success – Speaking of results, make sure to select a tutor/learning program with a solid track record of helping children like yours achieve academic success, proof of those results and excellent references. Whether your child needs to improve their reading comprehension skills, raise one or more grades, has ambitious goals to get ahead in school or something else, you need confidence that the tutor you select is capable. 
• Caring and committed tutors – The best tutors understand that often, the children they work with have struggled for a while. Their self-esteem might be low and their frustration level high. Look for a tutor who is skilled at teaching as well as building rapport with students quickly. A pragmatic tutoring approach to tackling any weak areas and building missing skills combined with positive encouragement will put your child at ease. 

Huntington’s four-step approach is what sets its tutoring programs apart and has earned the company a reputation as the nation’s tutoring and test prep leader.  

We start with a comprehensive academic evaluation of a child’s current abilities, strengths and weaknesses, then design a personalized program that targets their needs. Our certified tutors provide individualized instruction at the student’s pace, focusing on building their skills as well as their confidence. Lastly, we keep parents informed about their child’s progress. Everyone here is passionate about helping our students reach their potential.

Call 1-800 CAN LEARN today to explore our tutoring programs for elementary, middle and high school students and find out how we can make a lasting difference in your child’s life.