Connecting face-to -face, gives not only your child the opportunity to advocate for themselves, but can also allow them to ask their potential tutor questions. This opportunity is also wonderful for the parents of the student to see how knowledgeable the tutor is in the educational background. For myself, a Meet and Greet is schedule in the evening times—lasting anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, allowing myself, the child and the family to connect on needs, wants and resources.

When thinking of tutoring, think of your child’s needs. Especially entering the busy summer seasons and school-related activities. Will you need weekly services, check-ins via Facetimes and messages for homework support or simply a resource of tools and worksheets to enhance their “free time” and understanding of concepts they will be introduced to? For your wants, are you going to want a tutor who is energetic, amplifies your student’s strengths to highlight their struggles, and even works directly with their teacher to incorporate material inside the classroom through their sessions?

Starting at your own pace can be stressful if you have not yet learned your pace. Tutoring sessions can be from 30 minutes up to 2 hours. On average, I encourage 1-hour sessions with students from 5-13, allowing them 5-minute breaks every 20 minutes as a “reset” to get up, move around and relax. This is such a crucial part of making their experience enjoyable. Our goal is to make work and school fun—and it starts with learning your student. Once we have met, set our wants and needs, we can schedule. Your expectations matter as a parent, but so does your child’s!