What is tutoring? A guide for parents of school-aged children

Kip Insights Team • February 9, 2023 • NZ

Tutoring is becoming more and more popular here in New Zealand. In fact, did you know that 70 per cent of school children will receive tutoring at some point in their academic journey?

Not surprisingly, demand for tutoring spikes around key times in the educational year - ahead of tests, before admission exams and in the final years of school.

But what exactly is tutoring? What are the different types of tutoring available? And how do you know if tutoring is a good option for your child?

What is tutoring?

In its simplest terms, tutoring is academic support offered by a tutor to a student. It’s designed to supplement and complement rather than replace traditional class-based school learning.

There are three main reasons why a student might need tutoring support:

· Catch up – Because they’re behind where they should be at school
· Keep up – They need to stay on track, so they don’t fall behind
· Advance – They're bright, or getting bored in class and need pushing

Difference between tutoring and teaching

Tutoring is different to teaching on a few levels.

Tutoring involves teaching individual students or very small groups (>5) based on the individual subject needs of that child. Teaching, on the other hand, is delivered to larger groups of students and takes a one-size-fits-all approach to learning.

Because tutors teach an individual or small group, this allows them to spend more time with their students, walking them through each task. This is compared to school where a lot of learning is independent.

The benefits of tutoring

Because of these differences, tutoring has a lot of educational benefits, including:

• A unique, personalised learning experience
• Flexibility in what is taught and how it is taught
• A faster more effective way to learn
• Improved academic performance and growth
• Building important learning and study skills
• Students feel more in control of the learning process

Tutoring also has benefits beyond academic improvement, including boosting confidence and improving self-esteem – important skills not only for a happy, successful time at school but also for a happy, successful future.

What types of tutoring are available?

While the basics of tutoring are the same, there are many different types of tutoring out there for school-aged children, including:

In-person tutoring
One-on-one in-person tutoring
This is where a single student is taught by a single tutor face to face. It can take place in a student’s home, the tutor’s home, or somewhere else.

BENEFITS: Individual attention; builds a strong student-tutor relationship; no distractions from other kids; suitable for very shy children

LIMITATIONS: Finding a good tutor nearby; difficult to continue in lockdown situations
Small group one-on-one in-person tutoring
This is where a single student is taught by a single tutor face to face. It can take place in a student’s home, the tutor’s home, or somewhere else.

BENEFITS: Individual attention; builds a strong student-tutor relationship; no distractions from other kids; suitable for very shy children

LIMITATIONS: Finding a good tutor nearby; difficult to continue in lockdown situations.
Online tutoring
One-on-one online tutoring
This involves a single tutor overseeing a very small group of students, typically in a learning centre, but they spend time individually tutoring each child.

BENEFITS: Includes individual tutoring and time for independent learning boosting engagement; improves learning and confidence; kids make friends
LIMITATIONS: No centres nearby; distractions from other kids.
Small group one-on-one online tutoring
Again, this involves a single tutor overseeing a small group of fewer than five students, spending time tutoring each individually, but it takes place online.

BENEFITS: Includes individual tutoring and time for independent learning boosting engagement; improves learning and confidence; convenient; flexible

LIMITATIONS: Distractions from other kids; video fatigue; WIFI issues

Another difference in online tutoring is that it can take place with both the student and teacher present (synchronous tutoring) or with the student and teacher online at different times (asynchronous tutoring). In asynchronous tutoring, the tutor sets the work and the student submits it at a later time, or the student can reach out and ask a question.

How do I know tutoring will suit my child?

As with anything in life, you don’t know until you try! So, if you’re concerned that your child is struggling or think they could be pushed harder, it’s definitely worth exploring tutoring as a way forward.

Start with an assessment

The first step in the process is understanding your child’s current ability and where their strengths and weaknesses lie. While you may believe your child needs support, you’ll want this clarified before committing to a tutoring fee.

Speak to your child’s school teacher, but also look out for free learning assessments often offered by larger tutoring providers like us. This assessment can help you gain a clearer picture of the type of tutoring your child needs, and allow the tutor to create a personalised program that's tailored to your child's specific abilities and skill level.

Pick the best tutoring type for your child

If your child could benefit from support, choose a type of tutoring that suits you and your child - you know them best, and you know what will work for your family.

One-on-one may work best for very shy children, but equally, the interaction and dynamic of small group tutoring might spur them on and bring them out of their shell.

Students who are excelling at school may be keen to get a tutor. But, if your child is struggling, they may be more reluctant. While it may be a struggle to get them to the first session, if you find the right tutor for your child, you might even find they enjoy going.

What is tutoring? A gift to your child

If tutoring is something you’re investigating for your child, hopefully, this article has made things a little clearer. Ultimately, tutoring is about supporting your child so that they can reach their potential – it’s a gift to your child. While they might not see it like that right now, they will in the future.

Explore related articles or book your free learning assessment today to see if tutoring is right for your child.

Published in NZ