Finding Affordable Tutoring for Your Child

Parents generally know by the end of the first quarter of the school year if something is wrong. They may have been called in by their child's teacher for a conference, or have begun to see their child's papers being returned with less than acceptable grades on them. Unfortunately, sometimes a parents first clue that their child is struggling in school is the first report card of the year. If you are a parent who has experienced any of these indicators in your son or daughter, you shouldn't wait around hoping that things will get better. The best course of action is to get your child the additional help they need to get their grades back on track.

Tutoring in one or more subjects is usually the single best method for helping a struggling student. However, professional tutoring services such as Sylvan and Kumon can be very expensive, especially if your child needs help in several areas of study. In fact, according to one website:

"Kumon offers math and reading at a monthly cost ranging from $80 to $100 for a single subject, with a beginning registration fee of $50, and material fees of $15. Again, the fees associated are set at the determination of each franchise owner, as are the hours of operation, and will vary."

So what can parents without an endless supply of money do to help?

The first thing they should do is to contact the teacher of the subject in which the child is doing poorly. Often, teachers will provide additional help outside of class time for struggling students at a parent's request. Even if they can't, they may be able to recommend another child in the class or an older student who excels in the subject to be a student tutor. Some schools even offer low or no-cost tutoring by parent volunteers after school or on weekends.

If an in-school tutor is not an option, you may want to check with your local high school. Guidance counselors sometimes keep a list of students who are qualified and willing to tutor younger children at a reasonable rate. Local community colleges are another good source of contacts for finding student tutors.