The Value of One-on-One Tutoring

Everyone knows how important one-on-one tutoring is for a child having troubles with schoolwork. It gives him new learning "luxuries" that, understandably, are unavailable in the classroom:

1. Freedom to ask "dumb" questions

Many children are afraid to ask questions in the classroom that might help them with their work. They think that everyone else is understanding the material so their question will appear "dumb." One-on-one tutoring eliminates the risk of embarrassment.



2. Instant feedback on his performance

A child who is having trouble understanding his work needs to have moment by moment assurance that he is doing his work correctly. He feels encouraged and is more willing to continue working if he knows that he is doing well.
3. Freedom to work as his own speed

One-on-one tutoring gives a certain freedom from the time constraints of the classroom that can frustrate some students.
4. Close attention to his individual learning needs

A perceptive tutor will know how to break down a schoolwork assignment into manageable portions so that the child is successful at each step. A child can also be shown how to use his particular learning styles to his advantage. His learning weaknesses can be developed.
5. Undivided attention for the impromptu questions that feed his intellectual needs

A child is constantly pondering and puzzling about the world around him. He needs to have answers to questions that he himself has asked. An answer means much more when the child has asked the questions himself. Individual questions of this nature can rarely be answered at the time the child is thinking about them in a large classroom.
6. Avoidance of the inevitable conflict that arises when parents have to help with homework at the end of a hectic day

Need we say more on this point?!

There is another equally important, yet often overlooked, use for one-on-one tutoring:

7. Assessment and attention to a child's learning needs before problems arise

Wise parents do not leave the initial development of their child's reading, writing, and math skills to chance. It is not unusual for a child to require one-on-one help to get off to a good start in these skills. And it is certainly not a reflection of the level of their intelligence or that of their parents if they do need help.

Until a child enters school, almost all learning occurs in a one-on-one setting. Why should that type of interaction suddenly stop when he begins his formal education?

While it may not be realistic to expect that a child can have a teacher to himself for a whole day, every day, it is conceivable that s/he might have one for an hour or so per week. An hour with a personal tutor can help prevent many potential problems from forming.

We all know that the most well-prepared children, emotionally and educationally, are usually the ones who have received lots of one-on-one attention from their parents before the age of five. It only makes sense that this mode of teaching should continue into their school years. Even educationally handicapped children have been known to develop far beyond expectations from wise one-on-one tutoring.

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