9 Reasons Why You Need To Hire A Home Tutor for Your Child

The decision to hire a home tutor comes with a lot of consideration! Of course, there’s always the question of “is this the right home tutor for my child?”

However, there are a few more essential questions you need to answer. These questions are often always seen in your reasons for wanting to hire a home tutor.

As a home tutor myself, I think it’s important that parents get a pen and note, and highlight all of their expectations/reasons/goals for the private tutoring.

This helps to avoid conflicting goals or disappointments which stems from the private tutor and the parent having different goals they’re working towards.

Now, let’s see some of the reasons why a home tutor is essential (not a requirement) for your child’s academic performance.

Take a quick peek at the reasons:

1. Why hire a home tutor? It’s a customized learning session

Having a Calvin Klein shirt with your name on it is totally different from having the same shirt, but without your name on it. It’s the same thing here!

On average, a classroom has about 20 kids with different learning abilities and strengths. These kids all get the same quality education, and special attention only goes to a few kids. From which some, are already doing quite well.

Using Calvin’s example above, they all have the same medium-sized shirt, regardless of if they’re small-sized or large-sized.

But it’s not the school’s fault or the teacher’s, they are doing so much but with limited resources, not enough time, and a lot of kids, there’s only so much they can do.

This customized learning session is one-on-one learning that pays attention to just your child. The “curriculum” here is designed to go at your child’s pace, not the school board (he-he-he).

And the tutor can also come up with a learning approach that suits the learning requirements of your child. It’s all about your child.

2. There’s a study schedule involved

You’ve probably heard that kids love routines/schedules and having them stick to one, is worth it.

It helps kids somewhat prepare themselves for the task ahead. A child who doesn’t like school knows that on Monday, they’re going to be in school – regardless of how they feel about it, hence, they won’t go about playing video games, neither will they be so upset when you turn it off.

But without a schedule, they’re left feeling disorganized, and don’t be surprised if they set every moment as playtime.

3. It’s flexible and adjustable (when you hire a home tutor)

Your child can’t make school (or a tutorial centre) today because they’re sick? Sounds quite familiar but what are the chances of the teacher revisiting that same topic or having a video recording of the class?

However, if you hire a home tutor and your child is sick, you can always reschedule for that day.

The time and place for private tutoring are dependent on you. You get to choose, although the tutor has to agree if they’re comfortable with the arrangement. But if they aren’t, you just need to find someone else who can work with your arrangement, no matter how unique it is. You’re the employer.

4. Wawu! Who else is tired of the parent-child homework wars?

It’s generally easier for kids to “co-operate” in formal or semi-formal settings than in informal settings.

This is exactly why helping my sister with her homework never truly went well – it was as though she had sworn to never co-operate with me. We did have good sessions as well, but when she finally got a home tutor, mhen, she had tons of smoother sessions.

I felt I treated her “better” and when I asked her why she was more “obedient” to the home tutor, she said something that sounded like “because I know you na.”

This is why it’s important that home tutors set reasonable boundaries early on and stick to them – kids always want to test boundaries.

You might want to check this out as well…

5. You can monitor the tuition

When your child is being taught in school or a tutorial centre, the only way you can assess the quality of education they get is by interacting with your child, their curriculum, and their books.

But if the teaching is going on right in your home, then you can grab a chair and sit close by if you wish – this is low-key creepy though, and might serve as a distraction to your child.

The point is, you can observe when you want to.

6. It creates a safe academic space for your child

For starters, there’s no performance anxiety. For the main course, there’s no booing or shaming. And for dessert, it creates a safe academic space that boosts your child’s self-esteem and confidence.

When there’s no one around them to judge them, they are more relaxed and willing to make an effort. There’s no “what if I get it wrong and the whole class mocks me?”

It’s a safe environment that’s free of bullies, mockeries, and hurtful teases.

7. Private tutoring helps your child cover their syllabus

Sometimes, when a school term is short, school teachers might either rush their syllabus or skip some topics they consider “not too important” – not their fault though.

But when you hire a home tutor for your child, the home tutor doesn’t have to rush the syllabus (unless you want them to).

And even if they do, they’ll always take a step back if a particular concept isn’t well understood by the child. In school, the teacher will most likely only go back if the majority of the class doesn’t get it.

Also, when your child is preparing for an important exam and needs help covering the syllabus, a home tutor is helpful as well.

However, it doesn’t even have to be an exam, it could be for a debate, quiz, or any other competition that requires tutoring assistance.

8. Hiring a home tutor creates a serene and conducive learning environment

No distractions. No noise. This is only possible if the tutoring room is designed to serve as an appropriate learning space.

Having a TV or toys around might be distracting to the child. Also, while the teaching is being done at home, you as a parent should endeavour to not create distractions for your child. Don’t put on the TV if the child can clearly overhear the TV.

9. Your child’s grades will surely improve

First of all, avoid the lofty expectation that your child’s grades will improve significantly in just a few weeks. If your goal for your child is learning, then remember that learning is a gradual process.

It’s going to take a while but it will be worth it.

However, let’s not forget that though grades are important, they aren’t everything. Don’t get too carried away with the grades.

The main focus or concern should be the child’s learning progress.

A few things to take note of before you hire a home tutor

There are a few other benefits of having a home tutor for your child, and there are also some things you should know before hiring one.

1. Don’t make private tutoring a last-ditch effort. Don’t wait till your child is way behind in their studies before you hire a tutor for your child. Get one earlier on!
2. Pick the right person, especially if your child doesn’t enjoy studying (yet). You can go with a professional home tutor or with a university student.
3. Have a conducive space ready for the tutoring session
4. Define the goal of the private tutoring with your child. Is your child preparing to ace an exam? Or does your child just want to learn and probably catch up with their peers?
5. Don’t hire a home tutor if your child’s schedule is already filled to the brim. Sometimes, play is what a child needs – not more books!

Final note

There are so many reasons why you should hire a home tutor for your child. However, wanting your child to have no playtime should never be the reason.

Young children need time to play and rest, not just study. Yes, all work and no play might also affect their academic performance.

Play is how a child learns and hiring a home tutor to replace playtime is not the way it should work.