Lauren's Tutoring Blog

It’s true that tutors often don’t get paid very much for their services, so they try to pinch as many nickels and dimes out of their students as possible. I don’t believe that this should be the way. To start, a tutor should never be so desperate that they take on any client without knowing what they are in for. It’s a tutor’s job to make an assessment on each situation they are going into. This means they not only have tot talk to the parent, but also the student to figure out what areas of weakness need to be covered. What’s ridiculous is that I’ve seen some tutors charge more just for...

“Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.” Plato (BC 427-BC 347)

When I was growing up, my mother was strict and if I didn’t answer something correctly there would be consequences. Parents often utilize a system of punishments and rewards with their child, which is fine, so long as each justify the means – so to speak. Many parents are too harsh with their children and have expectations that are too high for them. I do agree that...

Parents, can you really put a price tag on your child’s education? Well, believe it or not, most parents do think that money is an important factor when choosing a tutor. I have some advice for you parents.

I fully recognize the fact that times are tough and the economy is not what it used to be. But if you hire a tutor that asks for under $20 per hour do you really think that’s going to be the best tutor for your child just because they come at an economically appealing price? I’m sorry, but no. You do, however, want to find a tutor who may have posted a higher price and then find a way to...

When working with a students’ reading levels and progress towards their comprehension, I am learning that you can’t do the same type of activities over and over again with them. They get bored and even though they may be struggling, they still want a challenge. You need to have them involved in engaging activities all the time.

One of the second graders I work with on reading doesn’t mind reading different books as the main activity of her tutoring sessions – in fact, I think her parents prefer it. Well, that’s just not good enough; she needs more of a challenge with her reading so that...

I’ve been working with a second grader on her reading skills. In NY we have levels to which we judge the reading skills of each student. These can be found in the book. The Continuum of Literacy of Learning Grades PreK-8 A Guide To Teaching By Pinnel and Fountas. Now I’m not all for categorizing students this way but I do believe each level tells us about a student’s ability and their progress/ problem areas.

The challenge I have had with this student is not the students’ progress, but the parents’ negative attitude about what their child can do. They asked me to bring her from a level...