Tutoring and academic coaching can help students learn new study skills, develop new competencies, and improve classroom performance—plus there are a wide range of other benefits both for students and for their families. Here are a few to consider:
Student Confidence
When students work one-on-one with a tutor or academic coach, their confidence levels soar. Confident students are happy students, and happy students—just like happy employees—tend to be more productive and engaged both at home and at school. That’s good for grades, that’s good for socialization, that’s good for family dynamics, and that’s good for developing a long-term, positive, “can-do” attitude about taking on new challenges, a skill that can help your child throughout his or her lifetime.
Independent Learners
Let’s face it, studying is not at the top of anyone’s list of favorite things to do. It's difficult, it doesn't feel good, and that's because our brains don't like forging those new neural pathways. That said, the goal for students who engage in regular tutoring with us is for them to become independent learners, and know how to study. Regular tutoring provides students with the extra structure and reinforcement they need to overcome the stress and anxiety that studying can cause. Just as with boosting confidence, it’s a skill that can serve students well during their academic years and beyond.
Long-Term Educational Mentors
Teachers come and go as grade levels change, and teachers need to be present for dozens and dozens of students, no just one or a chosen few. Thus, quality, enduring, one-on-one student/teacher relationships are hard to come by. Sure, there are some exceptions, but is it reasonable to expect the teacher who helped your child excel in grade 8 to be available to your child during his or her high school years? Tutors and coaches, on the other hand, tend to develop long-term relationships with students that span multiple years and grade levels. As a result, the tutor/coach takes on more of a mentoring role for a significant portion of a student’s schooling.
A Deeper Dive
Tutoring isn’t only for children with academic challenges or who need to improve their study skills. Tutoring and academic coaching can also allow your child to explore a subject that’s either not covered in school or that’s given short shrift. Some elements of mathematics are particularly prone to being missing or undertaught, such as calculus and trigonometry. Working with a tutor/coach, though, can help your math, engineering, and/or scientifically inclined student get the extra work he or she needs to shine with college admitters.
Peace at Home
Struggles with academics is one of the top sources of friction between parents and their children, often spilling over from the school year into the summer months and beyond. Employing a tutor or academic coach not only can boost student performance, it also introduces a third party to the academic equation—another adult who can help students work through their learning experiences and challenges, but without the emotional connection of having to be the “Mom” or the “Dad.” The result is less parental and student anxiety over test taking, homework, and study habits, which leads to reduced frustration, greater peace of mind, and a healthier household environment.
Find the Right Tutor/Academic Coach
At Spark Tutors, part of our intake with you and your student is to identify his or her academic challenges, strengths, learning style, and overall goals. We know the needs of every student are unique, so we work hard to match students with the right tutors/coaches. Our goal is to provide what each child needs most to succeed. If you child is struggling with his or her studies, organizational skills, of motivation to do well in school, contact Spark Tutors today. We can help your child create the best learning experience for him or her, as well as help lower stress levels in the home.