The ABC's of Hiring a Tutor for Your Child

Now that school has started, its up top parents to check for signs that a child is falling behind. When a student starts to avoid homework, claims to hate their teacher and thinks up excuses for skipping school it may be time to invest in outside help. But parents shouldn't worry, there are plenty of great options for giving kids the helping hand they need to shine at school.

The first option should be working within the school system. Set up a teacher conference and assess the student's strengths and weaknesses. Many schools offer free after school tutoring to augment the daily class work.

Next parents can look into free options such as the Local Library. In New York City there is a special web site, homeworkNYC.org, help kids struggling with their assignments. The popular site receives more than 1300 visits a day.

Washington DC and Boston also have mentoring and tutoring programs available at local library branches. Parents need to stop by or do a quick online search to scout out opportunities in their city.

From there it may be wise to check out fee-based tutoring options.

1. Founded by Eileen and Ray Huntington in 1977, Huntington Learning Center is a franchise operation that offers on-site tutoring. The program can work for kids preparing for kindergarten all the way up to 12th grade.

There are now more than 300 Huntington Learning Centers in over 40 states. According to founder Eileen Huntington, all of the centers strive to build self-esteem. "The positive encouragement of our staff and certified teachers combined with individualized instruction based on our diagnostic testing, is what we believe sets us apart and continues to make our program a success," says Huntington.

To get started at Huntington, call or walk in for a testing appointment. Expect testing to last 1 ½-3 ½ hours depending on the child's age and skills. "Most of the time there are gaps in what the child knows," says Huntington, "Testing helps us identify these gaps."

From there, the tests are analyzed and an individualized program is developed. The student comes to the center to work on their individual curriculum.