You’ve scoured the internet, read countless reviews, and asked fellow parents for their recommendations, all in the pursuit to find the perfect tutor for your child. You take the plunge, sign them up and they’re off and running! 

Slowly but surely, you begin to notice an increase in your child’s confidence, less nervousness when it comes to approaching exams, improved academic results, and a growing interest in what they’re learning at school. Winner! But wading through the complicated selection process isn’t always easy, and often there’s some trial and error. To avoid this, we’ve put together some tried and tested methods for selecting a tutor or tutoring service that suits your child as an individual learner.  

Look beyond academic credentials

Sure, you’d want (and expect) a tutor to know and be able to communicate the subject matter they’re teaching. But interestingly, only 12% of the parents surveyed by online tutoring service, Cluey Learning, mentioned “being a subject matter expert” as a top requirement for a tutor. Whilst academic credentials will always be a main factor, it’s also the interpersonal factors that will shape the relationship between the tutor and child. A relationship built on connection and trust will impact the way your child learns and progresses just as much as the right study materials and practice questions. 

Something else to consider when making your selection is that a tutor who is supported by an organisation has the benefit of a network behind them. This frees them of admin work and leaves them to focus on engaging the learner and working towards their objectives, which are, after all, the most important areas of focus! 

Finding a great listener and communicator is key

Personalisation starts with good listening and observational skills. Active listening will help a tutor better understand your child and their needs, while also sending them the message that they’re being heard. 

Every child is unique in the way they learn and it’s important to seek a tutor who is going to spend the time learning what your child responds to in order to ultimately start understanding and engaging in course content. This really is the difference between the school classroom environment and what the tailored approach of tutoring can offer! For example, perhaps your child responds to humour or maybe they can better grasp a concept when it’s broken down into individual steps?

How a tutor communicates knowledge is also key – can they do it in a way your child can follow easily? Can they unpack complex concepts in accessible ways? Can they ask open-ended questions to get a deeper understanding of your child’s experience? These are all important attributes to look for when making your selection. 

An ability to identify knowledge gaps and needs easily

A great tutor needs to be able to easily figure out where your child needs extra help or practice. This is not always obvious, and it can take some time and skill to uncover, particularly when there is a lot of curriculum to navigate. Experience and good communication skills can really help here.

You also want the tutor to be able to identify how your child best acquires information. Every child learns differently. A good tutor should be able to draw on different tutoring methods to match your child’s abilities and maximise their learning potential. 

Patient and understanding

There’s a good reason why interpersonal skills are deemed to be more important than ever! They can make all the difference in a tutoring partnership too. 

Patience is one of the most important characteristics you want in a tutor. It is even more important if your child is already struggling with confidence. Can the tutor demonstrate patience when your child doesn’t know something or have a basic question? Does your child feel comfortable and confident around them? Interpersonal skills like these will shape the relationship between your child and their tutor, so don’t underestimate their importance.

Motivating and encouraging

Tutoring is not solely about ensuring children are caught up and comfortable with the curriculum. When they start to connect their learning to the world around them, they are more likely to feel motivated. If this is taking place with the service you select, you will start to notice your child bringing what they’re learning up at home and feeling more motivated to reach their learning goals. 

Consider the needs of your family 

Have you considered the logistics of getting your child to and from their session, or finding one of the few tutors who will come to you? Tutoring can be undermined by time constraints and logistical stresses. Your child might feel that they’re inconveniencing the family. Their siblings might become annoyed or resentful about being dragged to a tutor’s house or learning centre. 

An online tutor circumvents many of these challenges by being available to your child wherever they have an internet-enabled device. This eliminates extra commuting and is especially convenient for separated or blended families which see children moving between multiple households. 

At Cluey, we match every student with a tutor based on the student’s learning needs, their personality, and individual requirements. We have over 790 tutors who go through a thorough vetting process to ensure we recruit the best people to tutor your child.