In a previous article, I covered how you can know if your child needs executive functioning coaching. But how about knowing whether your child needs tutoring in other academic areas? Read on to find what clues you should look for!

Classroom Clues:

• Their teacher says they aren’t progressing or keeping up at the same rate as their peers

• They need help in the classroom more frequently than they did in the past

• Sudden decline in grades

• Need help with underlying concepts: tutoring helps with review and providing explanations and extra practice on concepts student didn’t understand

Homework Clues:

• Seems to avoid homework

• Homework is taking longer than it should or than it used to

• Study and study but performance stays below expectations or is getting worse on tests

• Do well on homework but not on tests

• Needs help with editing papers

• Hiding or denying homework, tests, projects, etc.

Parental/Guardian Clues:

• Reduced availability

• Beyond your knowledge/skill level

• Methods have changed: material is now taught in a different way than parents were taught and recall

• Working together is causing relationship conflict

• Need specialized support

• Need someone more patient or with a different skill set

• Find yourself completing more of the homework/projects/papers than they are

Emotional and Behavioral Clues:

• Student gets frustrated easily

• Meltdowns, shuts down, or procrastinates

• Have missed a lot of school: tutoring can help with organizing and planning schedule for make-up work; tutoring can provide concept instruction

• Expresses “I hate school” 

• Loss of interest in studies in general

• Student doesn’t feel comfortable asking about concepts in class

• Low self-esteem in academics

• Lack confidence in assignments

• Dislike specific subject

• Want to expand learning tools and techniques

In addition to these clues, remember that tutoring doesn’t just have to be because a student is “behind” in academics or because their grades have fallen. Tutoring can also be used as enrichment! 

Maybe they want to study for something specific, such as college testing or high school placement testing.

Maybe they want to explore a subject more in depth than the teacher has time for in the classroom, or they’re interested in an independent study. Early in my career working privately with children, one of my first clients was a student that had tested into a gifted school program, but the family chose not to transition her until the end of the school year. They hired me to continue to engage her academically without burdening the teacher or having her work independently out of an upper-grade level textbook in the classroom. Together we worked on STEAM projects that were at the just-right challenge level for her and allowed her to demonstrate her creativity in real-life questions. 

Do any of these clues sound like your child? If so, we are your local tutors in Chicago! Drop us a line, and we can help you find a tutor match.

About the author:

Tulin S. Akin is a certified school psychologist who has been working as a tutor and Executive Function coach with Chicago Home Tutor since 2015. Prior to CHT, she worked in public schools (elementary and high school) for eight years, after getting her specialist degree in school psychology for Illinois State University. Her articles are based on reviews of current research literature, texts for practitioners, and hands-on supports for students through college age.