What Questions Should You Ask Before Hiring a Tutor in NYC?
You know your child needs a tutor. You’ve seen them struggle with their reading, writing, math, or executive functioning skills – or perhaps a combination of these skills. Individualized tutoring in NYC can help your child excel academically. What kinds of questions should you ask before hiring a tutor in NYC?
Does the tutor have expertise in your child’s academic needs?
When seeking a tutor for your child, make sure the tutor in NYC has extensive experience working on the skills your child needs help with. For example, if your child is in early elementary school and needs reading help, ask the potential tutor or tutoring company about their experience tutoring reading to students your child’s age. If your child is older and needs help with high level math, ask about their experience tutoring algebra or geometry if that’s what your child needs help with. Tutors tend to have expertise in specific skill areas, so make sure your child works with someone who can help them with the skills they are struggling with, and has ample expertise doing so.
Does the tutor have experience working with neurodivergent students?
If your child is neurodivergent and has specific learning needs, it’s important that they work with a tutor in NYC who specializes in working with students who have similar diagnoses to your child. For example, if your child has ADHD and struggles with executive functioning skills, including planning, organization, time management, and task initiation, ask the tutor about their experience working with ADHD students and the approach they typically take. If your child has dyslexia, ask if they have experience using specific methods, like the Orton Gillingham approach, to help your child build their reading skills. Students with dysgraphia may need to work with a tutor in NYC who uses a multi-sensory approach to teaching students how to express their thoughts on paper in an organized manner. Likewise, if your child has autism, dyscalculia, language challenges, or other related difficulties, ask the tutor about their experience tutoring students in NYC who have similar neurodiverse needs.
Does the tutor give an assessment and use a structured learning plan?
When your child works with a tutor in NYC, it’s important that a structured plan is in place. Ask the tutor if they typically start with an evaluation to gauge the student’s needs. If your child has an IEP or another evaluation, see if the tutor would be willing to read it before the tutoring begins and incorporate the relevant information into the tutoring. Ideally, your child’s tutor should begin with an assessment to determine their specific needs, including what aspects of a skill they struggle with, before beginning the tutoring. If your child has difficulty with reading, the assessment should gauge whether the challenge is with decoding words, reading fluency, comprehension, or a combination of these skills. If the challenge is with decoding, the assessment should determine the type of word patterns they struggle with. At a basic level, your child may struggle with blending consonant-vowel-consonant sounds together to form words. If that’s the case, the NYC tutor may use a multi-sensory approach like Orton Gillingham to teach your child how to read these types of words, then move onto words containing blends, consonant digraphs, vowel digraphs, silent e patterns, multi-syllabic words, and so on. The tutor should also keep you posted about any progress noted as the tutoring progresses.
Hiring a tutor for your child in NYC can be a great step towards helping them succeed in school. Asking the right questions and choosing the ideal tutor or tutoring company can impact your child’s academic performance immensely.
If your child is struggling in school, contact us today at www.eblcoaching.com to see how we can help them with one-on-one in person and virtual tutoring.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my child needs a tutor?
If you notice your child struggling academically with reading, writing, math, executive functioning, or a combination of these skills, they will likely benefit from a tutor. A tutor in NYC can help your child develop stronger academic skills and build their self-confidence.
Should I hire a tutor with special education experience?
If your child has ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, autism, or another learning challenge, you should hire a tutor or use a tutoring company that has expertise in working with students who have special education needs.
Is online tutoring effective for helping students build their academic skills?
Online tutoring can be incredibly effective for many students in building their academic skills. It offers flexibility and access to more tutors who may specialize in the areas your child needs help with.