Is Online Tutoring For Kids Effective?

If you are a parent who has noticed your child’s grades and confidence trending downward, you might be considering online tutoring. In this article, we will discuss whether online tutoring for kids is effective and how you can find the best tutor for your child.

How to Tutor Online

Online tutoring can take many different forms, but its overall premise remains the same. With tutoring, skilled instructors use their knowledge to provide guidance to a student. Some services may use pre-recorded lessons while others are live, interactive lessons. There may be some tutors or services who work with multiple students at a time while others will be a one-on-one experience. However, the only real requirement to tutor online is that both the student and the tutor have a reliable internet connection.

Key Benefits of Tutoring For Kids Online

There are many reasons why online tutoring for kids is effective. Parents may be surprised by some of these benefits.

Improve Academic Performance

Online tutoring is one of the most effective ways to help a child perform better in school. In fact, many studies have proven this. They have shown that the combination of personalized support and targeted development of online tutoring for kids can greatly improve academic performance.

Affordable Compared to Tutoring Centers

One of the biggest drawbacks of traditional tutoring centers or services is their cost. On average, online tutoring is 30-40% cheaper than a visit to a tutoring center or a home visit from a tutor.

Save Time

As a parent, your time is already stretched thin. With online tutoring, you never have to worry about commuting with your child to the tutoring center. Many people have a commute of around 25 minutes, which can get even longer at peak after-school times. This means you can save nearly an hour with every lesson by completing it online.

Boost Confidence

When children struggle at school, it can cause them to lose confidence. This can even further negatively impact their performance at school and even their relationships with other students. Being able to stay on top of their curriculum with the help of a tutor can decrease their stress and improve their confidence at school. It can be especially helpful for middle school students who face a lot of stress from not only school but the social pressures of adolescence. 

Better Engagement and Interaction

Being able to receive one-on-one attention in a relaxed environment is the most ideal environment for children. Many students now feel at home in a virtual setting and some may even be more comfortable in engaging in discussions and asking questions in an online environment. 

Many Options

You might have a hard time finding a single tutor who specializes in a variety of subjects. And you could have an even harder time finding them in your local area. In addition, the best in-person tutors often have very tight schedules since they have such high demand. Tutoring for kids online can eliminate these complications while still providing the same level of quality. You can also choose between generalized tutoring programs, virtual summer camps, and more! You and your student will have countless options when it comes to their tutor and the format in which they want to learn.

Self-Paced Learning

One of the most difficult parts of classroom clearing is that all students are expected to learn at the same pace. But every child learns in different ways and has different weak areas. Teachers will often move on from a topic even though some students are still lacking understanding. Plus, there is sometimes limited time for review as teachers try to get through all of the course material. Online tutoring gives children the opportunity to focus on the topics that they are struggling with the most. They can continue working on one subject or one topic until they have fully mastered it.

How to Find the Best Online Tutoring

Since the pandemic, online tutoring has been more in-demand than ever as students struggled to stay engaged when the classroom became their home. That means there are more options than ever before. Since finding the best online tutoring can be overwhelming, here are some things you should look for in order to make the right choice.

Expertise

What degrees do these tutors hold and how long have they been in the teaching or tutoring profession? If your child is struggling with math, it goes without saying that you should look for someone with a math degree or experience teaching that subject.

Besides degrees, experience is also vital to a good tutor. One reason tutoring is so effective is that the tutors are often well-versed in things like common misconceptions, common weak areas, understanding how to identify barriers to learning, and knowing effective strategies to address those barriers. The longer someone has been tutoring, the more they have seen and the more strategies they can try. Finally, online tutoring is clearly different from in-person tutoring or teaching. It’s often beneficial to find a tutor that knows how to tutor online from experience. 

Collaboration

Tutoring is best when a tutor does more than simply show a student how to do something. When tutors instead support the students in solving problems themselves, it creates a more active and stimulating environment. Whether your tutor knows how to let students solve problems themselves is really one of the hallmarks of a good tutor. 

Engagement

Tutors are most effective when they’re able to spot disengagement or low motivation in students. Children who lack engagement typically see it manifested as low-effort responses, diminished communication, and signs of frustration. The best online tutors will know of strategies that help re-engage these frustrated students.

Should You Get Your Child an Online Tutor?

It’s ultimately up to you and your student whether getting an online tutor will be worth it for them. However, it’s important to note that online tutoring for kids is most effective if the parent, child, and tutor are clear on what the academic needs and expectations are. Some goals could be to improve overall grades and prepare for the next grade level. Others might be improving study skills or improving test-taking abilities. If everyone is clear on these expectations, you will be able to gauge the success of the tutoring program.

At Acadomia, we strive to make the biggest impact for students and parents alike. Whether your child is aiming to learn a language, prepare for standardized testing, or get personalized tutoring to better their grades, Acadomia is here for you. Contact us today and learn about how we can help your student grow.