Over the years, professional tutors proved to be invaluable assets in an otherwise imperfect educational system. They support the established system by imparting the love of learning through various teaching strategies. In-home tutors serve as a support for schoolchildren, and even those in high school. Tutors have taught royalties, politicians, artists and other famous personalities. There is no doubt that tutoring is effective.

However, not all tutorials turn out well due to many reasons. Many factors affect a child’s learning; thus, parents and tutors need to consider them. These factors include inexperienced tutors. Their lack of knowledge and experience make them ineffective in developing a child’s learning skills.

Although hiring the right in-house tutors is important, keeping the parents involved is also a key factor in in-home tutoring. To ensure effective tutoring, parents should get involved every step of the way. The first thing they need to do is to diagnose the problem and get the right person to fix the problem.

If you are considering in-house tutoring as a solution, then the next thing you should do is ask for a potential tutor’s referrals and credentials. Aside from that, parents should look into the tutor’s personality and personal values. He or she should possess the qualities of a good tutor.

Upon hiring a tutor, the goals and expectations should be laid out to the tutor and the child. These goals should be realistic. Parents have to make sure that the child can attain these goals. Having realistic goals would avoid frustrating the child. It also helps to set a time frame in achieving these goals. With this, parents can help tutors prepare lesson plans and modules to help the child.

Along the way, parents need to be supportive of the endeavor. They need to keep encouraging the child by giving rewards and doling out appropriate punishments. They should also maintain a positive attitude, which their child can imitate. They need to cooperate with the tutor. Improving a child’s performance is not the work of one person alone.

Education plays an important role in building your child’s dreams. As a parent, you want your child to get a quality education as well as perform well in school. Their academic performance reflects on the kind of parent you are and your personal concern for your child’s future.

However, not every child loves school. In fact, many children have developed a strong dislike towards attending school and studying in general. This negative attitude did not spring up suddenly; many factors have contributed to its growth.

Most children who suddenly lose interest in school may have some fears, such as rejection, failure and shame. Your child may have been in an incident where he or she felt rejected or embarrassed. Some children do not like to go to school when they fear bullying or when they see themselves as failures.

Because of this incident, your child’s confidence cracked under pressure. Self-surface through the crack, and if this is not fixed, the self-doubt will turn into a self-defeating attitude, which your child will carry to adulthood. For example, let us say the teacher asked your child to solve a Math problem on the board. However, he did not know how. This would surely embarrass your child, especially when the rest of the class laughed or hooted at him for his inability to do what the teacher asked.

Some children may find the school’s pace too slow, while others may find it hard to catch up. There are children who would need more time to absorb and understand new information. If the rest of the class learns fast, then those children who learn slowly will surely be left behind. As a result, they develop negative feelings towards school.

Sometimes, children hate studying because schoolwork is overwhelming. Schools today demand more time and effort from their students than what school age children and high school students normally can do. If the level of work and concentration required equals that of a college curriculum, then the young student will surely be overwhelmed.

Because of these factors, children develop an aversion of going to school, but not necessarily of learning. Parents may see their children unable to learn because they prefer not to go to school. However, there are other ways of learning, which the school is not the sole provider. One of the options is in-home tutoring.

In-home tutoring offers a great deal of help to win back a child’s love for school. Whatever the cause is, professional tutors can work with it. If the child felt embarrassed because he did not know the lesson, then in-home tutoring could build the child’s confidence and encourage him to learn more. The same is true for children who lag behind their classes. They would need the guidance of an in-home tutor to supplement the lessons from school. In-home tutors could also help manage the child’s time for projects and home work.

We all use Math in every aspect of our daily lives. From the measurements we make every time we prepare food to the number of coins we had in our pockets, Math inevitably proves itself a very useful tool. If we do not study Math well, then we will find it difficult to manage even our personal finances.

However, few people truly appreciate Math. The general dislike for numbers probably lies in the complexity of equations and formulas we had to study in school. In time, we learned to dread the subject of Math, and the exams we had to take just to pass through grade school, and then through high school and college.

When high school seniors decide what their major in college will be, most of them would look for a course that requires less Math subjects. If they had to take Math subjects, then they prefer the basic courses. To some extent, most people suffer from math anxiety at different levels and with varying degrees of severity.

Most students normally experience anxiety during a Math exam. However, other students experience strong anxiety attacks when asked to solve a Math problem on the board. The combination of Math anxiety and the fear of public disgrace proved too much for some students that they would rather miss class and risk their grades than face another hour of calculating x and y.

Students used to perceive Math teachers as strict disciplinarians, which stems from the fact that Mathematics is a very exact discipline. The probability of getting the wrong answer is very high. This may embarrass the students and make them lose self-confidence. Thus, math anxiety inevitably develops.

There are many ways to overcome math anxiety. As a first step, the student must regain confidence in solving a simple Math problem. To strengthen this, the tutor or teacher should give rewards and hold back on the punishment. This method of reward and punishment comes from Educational Psychology principles.

Through in-home tutoring, the student avoids facing embarrassment and ridicule from fellow classmates. At the same time, positive feedback from an in-home tutor appear more personal and sincere because the relationship between the tutor and tutee is closer than between a teacher and student in a classroom setting.

In-home tutoring provides a less stressful atmosphere, which makes learning Math easy and fun. Professional tutors can give their tutees tips, such as shortcut methods and less known techniques to solve Math problems. An article by Peter Gray in Psychology Today, posted April 15, 2010, supports this, saying, “Math outside of school is fun, useful, and joyfully learned.”

Tutoring generally implies a one-on-one interaction between the student (called the tutee) and the teacher (referred to as a tutor). Unlike classroom teaching, tutoring focuses on individualization of learning, which many educators claim as the best way to learn.

Experts say optimal learning happens when teachers handle less than 15 students at the same time. The teachers allocate more time on each of the students, thereby, increasing academic achievement. However, advocates of educational reform say individualization of learning is better than decreased class size.

In-home tutoring best exemplifies individualization of learning. Unlike center-based tutoring, an in-house tutor can spend a few hours each day on each student. The in-house tutor discovers each tutee’s learning style and applies the appropriate methods of instruction.

Comparatively, center-based tutoring leaves little time for individualized instruction or help. Without this one-on-one interaction, center-based tutoring turns into a burden to a child that is already behind.

Furthermore, center-based tutoring limits the place and time of tutoring sessions. The company that runs the tutoring center dictates the time for the sessions. The center’s location may not also be ideal for some parents, who may have limited transportation options.

Other parents turn towards online tutoring as an alternative, but the lack of direct human interaction may not be good for children with learning problems. Online instruction coupled with interactive quizzes is ideal for independent learning, a method unfit for students who need help.

At first, the Internet was just a novelty, something to look over and experiment with, but since then, its use has pervaded every aspect our modern lives, specifically in education. The Internet plays a vital role in education. Its power to bring together people for learning in what we call online tutoring best exemplifies this role.

Online tutoring usually brings together tutors and tutees in a virtual setting. They meet in a chat room, a website or a forum and arrange specific times to hold tutoring sessions. These times often factor in the differences in time zones between the two parties.

Although commonly associated with language teaching, online tutoring also has other uses. Online tutoring facilitates learning in Math and Science subjects, especially when immediate feedback is given and interactive quizzes and educational games are available for downloads.
However, the popularity of online tutoring does not necessarily mean it can now replace in-home tutoring. Differences between these two types of tutoring present their respective advantages and disadvantages over each other.

Online tutoring requires the use of the computer with a web cam, and a headset with microphone. The student and tutor should have good Internet speed rates that can handle VoIP connections. In-home tutoring, on the other hand, requires less equipment for both tutors and students to hold tutoring sessions.

Online tutoring sessions, especially when pre-recorded material is available, allows flexibility in scheduling. However, it does not allow tutors to work alongside the student’s teachers because of disparity in location. To get over this hurdle, the tutors can provide feedback to the teachers and the parents through email.

Yet, in-home tutoring remains a very effective supplement to institutional learning. The structures of our education system do not permit freedom in learning. An in-home tutor fills in the gaps while fulfilling the role of learning facilitator. A learning facilitator makes learning desirable and easy, especially when the student has difficulties with the subject.

In-home tutoring is also appropriate for helping students with learning disabilities. The tutor functions as a learning facilitator as well as a therapist. Conversely, online tutoring often lacks the human interaction, which plays an important role in therapy and learning.

When considering the kind of tutoring their child needs, parents should factor in each tutoring type’s advantages and disadvantages, as well as the equipment requirements and the tutor’s qualifications.

For a limited time Stepping Stone Tutors is offering reduced pricing for in home tutoring services.  As always, there are never any contracts or sign-up fees. Our tutors are college graduates and can help with most K-12 subjects.

In home tutoring service is available for San Diego, Irvine, Sacramento, San Jose, San Francisco, Bend, Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Denver, Colorado Springs, Dallas, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio.

Stepping Stone Tutors, a company specializing in home tutoring for K-12 subjects, announces that it now has more than 18 locations nationwide.

Bend, OR September 22, 2009 — Stepping Stone Tutors, an in-home tutoring service specializing in matching students with local tutors, announces that it now offers in-home tutoring in more than 18 cities nationwide. With so many tutors to choose from, students can be confident they will be able to find one just right for their needs, no matter what the subject.

Students are able to request a tutor for their location and within 24 hours start working on current assignments in the comfort of their own home. Each tutor is required to meet a list of requirements including education level, number of years experience, and a 50 state criminal and sex offender background search.

“Because we have been doing this since 2004, we can be pretty selective about who we hire to work for us.  I would say that probably only the top 5% of applicants are selected to become Stepping Stone Tutors.  We literally receive 100-200 applications a day for people wanted to work for us.  The problem is that just having a college degree and doing some tutoring her and there with your little brother or sister doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be a good tutor.  We look for tutors who have a genuine passion for helping students understand the material not just someone who wants to make money.  Most of our tutors have graduate degrees and are experts in the subjects they tutor and most importantly, love what they do.” said Andrew Cogen, CEO of Stepping Stone Tutors.

Stepping Stone Tutors offers tutors for nearly every grade level and subject matter. Students are able to meet with our tutors face-to-face as frequently or infrequently as needed and are able to develop long-term relationships that can pay dividends when test time comes around.

Stepping Stone Tutors began in 2004 in San Diego, CA and originally focused its efforts on the San Diego County area. Since then, the company has matched thousands of students with private tutoring service in more than 18 cities.

“We’re excited to have added over 200 tutors since we started Stepping Stone Tutors. Our tutors range from college graduates to young professionals to retirees who want to keep busy. We know that whether our students are looking for an algebra, Spanish, or English tutors we’ll be able to provide a great one. Our students’ success is very important to us and we want to make sure both our students and tutors have the tools they need to be successful,” said Cogen.

About Stepping Stone Tutors: In-home tutoring service, Stepping Stone Tutors, (http://www.steppingstonetutors.com) helps parents and students locate qualified, certified in-home tutors at an affordable price. In addition to one-on-one tutoring with math tutors, physics tutors, calculus tutors and more.

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A lot of blogs talk about traditional learning centers like Huntington or Sylvan or about the relatively new industry of online tutoring; however, few blogs talk about in-home tutoring or what I like to call the “other” option for tutoring.

Traditional learning centers are great for students who are doing well in school and just want to focus on specific skills. It also helps if the parents have a lot of disposable income to invest in one of the programs they offer that tend to start around $800 per class. They do offer their own assessment tests which can help to identify problem areas; however, these areas of need are only in relation to the programs being offered at the learning center and do not necessarily address current school work and low grades which for many families are a larger concern.

What typically happens at Sylvan Learning Center for example is that a student is given an assessment test when they first come to the center. They are subsequently enrolled in a course which would typically be several weeks long. The student would be in a classroom type setting usually with 3 or more other students. The “teacher’s” role is more or less to provide handouts and worksheets for the students to use throughout the course. The worksheets are specifically geared towards helping each student pass the test at the end of the course created by Sylvan.

While this approach may be successful in teaching set skills, it does not typically help most students in real time, students who are failing their classes and not understanding the material and are continuing to fall further behind in school.

The learning center model can be self serving because a student is only “guaranteed” to pass the learning center class which logic would tell us should be an easily attainable goal when the entire course is geared around helping students pass the test at the end. The “guarantee” is that if a student does not pass the class then then can keep taking it until they do. The problem again, is that even if the student passes the class, they are still falling behind in school and not understanding their homework.

In addition to falling behind, the student is using their free time after school to attend the learning center classes and their parents (unless the student can drive) are having to drive them to and from classes at the learning center often several times per week.

One of the other options for tutoring which has become more or less a recent phenomenon with the advent of widespread broadband internet access, is online tutoring. Online tutoring usually takes a totally different approach to learning centers which is to work on current assignments only. Students are able to login and connect with a tutor 24 hours a day and get help in real time.

Online tutoring can be great for families on a budget because it is the cheapest option for getting help with school work. The timing is also quite flexible because a student can get help at anytime throughout the day.

The downside to online tutoring is that the tutor is in another city, often another country altogether which presents some issues for the student, mainly they are not in the same room together or they have a hard time understanding the tutor especially when the tutor lives in India.

This brings me to what I call the “other” option for tutoring which are private in-home tutoring services. In-home tutoring brings the best of both worlds and bridges the gap between the traditional learning center approach and the new resource which is online tutoring.

With in-home tutoring, students can get help in real time on current assignments. The tutor works with them one-on-one at home usually after school. The benefit of the tutor coming to a student’s home is that the parent does not need to drop them off and pick them up again later in the day. In addition, working one-on-one is hugely beneficial to the student being able to ask questions and get the tutor’s full and undivided attention.

An in-home tutor can work on only the subject areas that the parent or student wants help with. Often times a student needs help preparing for a specific standardized test like the ASVAB, THEA, or SAT and more often than not, the student only needs help with certain content areas of that particular test.

What in-home tutoring allows a student to do in this case, is instead of enrolling in an entire course to prepare for their test at a learning center, usually at a premium cost and spending hours at a time working on subject areas the student has already mastered, the student can focus their time on the areas they need the most help with.

Working with an in-home tutor, students only pay for the time they spend with the tutor and can get help right away. In-home tutoring costs less than a learning center course and slightly more than online tutoring, but is often the best option for families who need help in real time for current assignments and tests and who need flexible scheduling.