If parents choose to hire an in-home tutor for their children, then the in-home tutor should incorporate those methods used in academic coaching and mentoring. Instead of directing the child to the right answers, the in-home tutor teaches your child how to look for answers. For example, the in-home tutor teaches your child how to use a library or the Internet for research.

In addition to hiring an in-home tutor, the parents themselves should learn to apply mentoring and academic coaching to their children. These techniques make use of emotional support as motivation for the child to achieve his or her goals. Emotional support comes in many forms, such as understanding, patience, soft encouragement, and positive reinforcement.

An in-home tutor can act either as a parent or as an older sibling to build an emotional bond with the child, but this kind of relationship is often discouraged because it may become a liability in the future for both the in-home tutor and the child. The participation of the parents, therefore, is crucial in building a child’s confidence, interest in learning and motivation for excellence in every endeavor.