How to Prepare for a Tutoring Session

Getting your child tutoring help if they’ve been struggling in school for a while is a wise decision. The more your child approaches tutoring with a positive, productive mindset, the better it will go. Here are a few tips on how you and your child can prepare for each tutoring session:  

Identify goals. In a perfect world, your child would go into all tutor sessions with an idea of what they want to achieve or improve. However, don’t expect your child to drive this if their frustration level is high. They might not know what their goals are or how to define them. In the first tutoring session, your child’s tutor will identify the areas where your child needs improvement. That can spark conversations in future tutoring sessions about what the tutor and your child can accomplish together during their sessions, like:  

• Raising one or more grades 
• Rebuilding confidence in a subject that has been difficult in the past (and this year) 
• Catching up in a class that has been challenging and confusing 
• Learning a skill that they have struggled with since a prior grade (which is holding them back in a subject now) 

Review the material for that tutor session. If your child knows ahead of time what their tutor plans to work on, or sometimes brings difficult homework to their tutor to get help, it would be beneficial for them to look it over beforehand. That way your child can come up with a list of questions or at least mark the areas where they are confused. This gives the tutoring sessions direction and helps your child directly apply the skills they are learning with their tutor to the work they do in school. which helps the tutor either teach your child a new skill or help them master and apply the ones they know.  

Be open to new approaches and feedback. Your child must remember that their tutor is there to help, so their suggestions and ideas are intended to do just that. The tutor might have different approaches to tackling problems or doing homework that will take your child a little bit to learn. Encourage your child to be patient and keep in mind that their tutor’s goal is to help them make progress. Whether your child is struggling through a subject or needs to strengthen foundational skills that have been holding them back, trust their process.  

What to Expect from a Tutoring Session at Huntington Learning Center  

When the signs that your child needs help in school are obvious, it’s important to find a tutor you can trust. Huntington has the longest track record in the country of helping students achieve academic success—46 years, to be exact. Here’s what to expect from a tutoring session with Huntington:  

• An initial evaluation – Before instruction begins, we need to know exactly what your child needs. We start with an academic evaluation that identifies your child’s weaknesses and areas of strength. With that, we create a personalized learning plan that lays out a detailed tutoring schedule that will achieve desired goals (e.g., raising a grade, boosting confidence, etc.).  
• Individualized tutoring – Individualized tutoring is proven to achieve the best outcomes for students, so this is what your child will receive at Huntington during their first tutoring session and all others thereafter. Each student’s personalized learning plan is updated with the child’s progress as instruction continues from session to session.  
• Highly trained tutors – Huntington tutors all have degrees from four-year colleges and universities and hold state or Huntington certifications. This is not the norm for private tutors! With Huntington, your child is in good hands, learning from a caring and experienced teacher who knows how to help your child become a better student. In addition, Huntington is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.  
• Collaboration with school teachers if requested – We are happy to discuss your child’s academic needs and progress with teachers and school professionals and will do so with your permission. This helps us learn more about your child’s academic history and better monitor their progress. Teachers can provide updates on how tutoring sessions with Huntington are improving their skills, confidence, and motivation in the classroom.  

If your elementary school, middle school or high school student needs help overcoming academic challenges, strengthening study skills or achieving their college goals (including preparing for the SAT or ACT), call Huntington. We have a wide range of tutoring programs to meet your child’s specific needs, no matter their age, goals or abilities. Call 1-800 CAN LEARN to find out how we can help your child achieve academic success that lasts a lifetime.