School trouble can crop up out of nowhere. Take action before it becomes a problem—know the 13 most common signs your child needs a tutor.
Take this checklist with you wherever you go—download our printable PDF version!
1. Your child is taking a subject that no one in the house is knowledgeable in.
School is challenging, especially when you’ve been out of it for a few years! As parents/guardians, sometimes we don’t have the knowledge to help support our kids. This is often the case with Math, Science, and French. If your child is asking you questions you can’t answer, a tutor would help them immensely.
2. Your child’s teacher has mentioned their grades are slipping.
This is one of the best indicators! Slipping grades can have a number of causes, so don’t be too quick to judge. Ask the teacher what they think might help, and include your child in the conversation. If you can’t find a solution, there might be a deeper issue which is difficult to communicate. At any rate, the one-on-one approach of a tutor will be a blessing to your child’s learning journey. They’ll thank you later!
3. Your child has a learning disability.
If your child has a learning disability, even if they receive help at school, a private tutor will make a world of difference. The personal connection they forge will unlock your child’s true potential, and they’ll feel more confident and capable as a result. A tutor is a wonderful thing!
4. You’ve recently moved.
This one is easy to overlook, but children can suffer gaps in education due to moving. Maybe their new teacher is at a different point in the curriculum than their previous teacher. Maybe their mind is too heavily focused on fitting into their new environment. Whatever the case may be, hiring a tutor after a move will ensure that your child stays caught up and content with their schoolwork.
5. Your child spends too much time doing homework.
Approach this one delicately, and bear in mind the things kids wish you knew about homework—it isn’t as simple as ‘just doing it’! If you feel like your child is spending too much time doing homework, talk to their teacher. If they are spending more time than the teacher thinks is necessary, it’s time for a tutor! Make sure the tutor isn’t giving them more work, but is giving them strategies to handle the work they already have.
6. You have to fight to get your child to go to school.
If this is the case, it probably means your child is struggling and is embarrassed about attending class. In our experience, ‘feeling dumb’ is one of the most common reasons children resist going to school. Have a chat with your child to see what makes them want to avoid school. Even if they can’t articulate exactly what the trouble is, hiring a tutor will help. A tutor’s job is to empower students—your child won’t feel dumb with a tutor!
7. Your child has a specific project coming up (exam, essay, thesis, etc).
When students are faced with a large project to complete, they might feel the effects of analysis paralysis. This means they are overwhelmed by what is expected of them, and this can cause even the most knowledgeable students to perform poorly. If your child struggles with test anxiety, a tutor can help them develop strategies to pass with flying colours. If they just need help completing a large project, a tutor can help with that too!
8. You are doing your child’s homework for them.
Be honest here… Believe it or not, a lot of parents do homework for their kids! It seems like you’re helping in the moment, but doing your child’s homework only sets them up for a rude awakening later on. Instead, hire a tutor who can help your child build strong, effective homework habits. Then you can relax while your child does their homework on their own.
9. Your child has asked for a tutor.
If your child has shown interest in working with a tutor, that’s fantastic! Self-identification skills are rare in kids, so be sure to congratulate your child on theirs, and then reward their request. Even if your child doesn’t seem like they need a tutor, they have recognized that they would perform better with a tutor, and the tutor will be able to see that and bring them to new heights.
10. Your child complains about their teacher.
We’re all human, and sometimes humans don’t get along. Not every student/teacher pairing will work out, and if your child is making it into a big deal, take them seriously. Disliking a teacher can lead to disliking school, and you don’t want to associate learning with negative thoughts. If you can’t resolve the issue at the school level, hiring a tutor will ensure that your child enjoys a positive learning experience on their own terms, and that can make all the difference.
11. Your child has missed a significant chunk of school.
If, in one stretch, your child has missed a week or more of school, they have likely fallen behind. This sort of gap in education can be especially harmful in subjects like math where each skill is a stepping stone to the next. If your child misses a stepping stone, they’ll quickly find themselves drowning. A tutor can help your child fill in any gaps and even take them beyond grade level.
12. Your child is getting in trouble at school.
In children, there is often a link between behavioural issues and a lack of understanding or boredom in the classroom. Talk to your child’s teacher to see if they have any insights, and talk to your child to hear their side of the story. If they need a little extra stimulation, a tutor is a great solution. A tutor will work with your child in a one-on-one scenario catered directly to their interests, instilling them with feelings of being heard and valued. From there, the behavioural issues should smooth out.
13. Your family has recently experienced loss.
Think of loss as a loss to your child’s world. This could be something like your child witnesses a stressful situation that causes them to lose some of their innocence. It could mean your child losing time with a parent during a separation or divorce. Or it could mean that your child has lost someone they care about due to sickness or death. Loss can cause stress that may change your child’s outlook and attitude, which in turn affects how they approach school. Working with a tutor in the wake of loss can help kids maintain or rebuild their motivation to succeed, both in school and in life.
HOW MANY BOXES DID YOU CHECK? If you have concerns but aren’t sure what your next step is, call us at: 1-866-977-4433 or fill out our detailed form online.