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Every parent wants their child to succeed in life and it can be heartbreaking to see them falling behind at school, struggling to understand concepts or becoming disengaged. More and more parents are turning to one-on-one or small group tutoring to help their child get ahead, or indeed, catch up. There are several signs  which may indicate that your child could benefit from additional tutoring.

They’re slipping behind

You’ve just got your child’s report card and you notice that they are behind the ‘average’ in some of their subjects. In some cases, a child may be performing at or above average in several subject areas, but is falling behind in one particular area. But in many cases, there will be a general trend where the child will fall below the average across many subjects.

They’re disengaged

Kids are really smart. They know when they’re struggling with something and guess what? They don’t like it! Just like adults, kids get frustrated when they struggle to understand a topic and this can often lead to disengagement during class.

Unwilling to complete homework

If completing homework is like pulling teeth, then this could be a sign that your child is struggling to understand what they need to do. A reluctance to complete homework is generally not due to laziness or disobedience, but rather an avoidance of something they are finding difficult.

Lacking Confidence

Your child’s confidence can take a big hit when they’re performing below their classmates. Whether they scored lower on a spelling test, are reading books at a lower level, or can’t get past the first maths challenge round, kids beat themselves up about it, and as a result, their confidence can dip dramatically.

They have poor time management skills

Part of being able to succeed at school is having the ability to manage time. Kids need to be able to work out how long a task will take, get to work quickly and stay on track. If your child is unable to do this, it’s a great idea to employ a tutor who can teach them these skills.

They’re not being challenged enough

It’s not just children who are struggling at school who need tutors, it’s also those who need further challenging and extension. If children are not being challenged enough, they can become very quickly disengaged. It’s very important to support and extend children who are gifted in particular areas.

So where can you find a tutor? The first point of call is our child’s school. Generally, schools will have a list of tutors that they recommend. Often these are university students who are studying teaching, or qualified teachers who are on maternity leave. You can also find private tutoring companies in the Yellow Pages or on local community noticeboards. It’s also important to remember that tutoring can be as long or short term as you need – some children will benefit from 1-2 sessions, while others will require ongoing support.

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