How to Find a Tutor (and other resources) to Boost Academic Success

Tue. 02/26/2019

If your child is struggling in school, you might consider tutoring. Whether it’s improving grades or strengthening learning skills, many students can benefit from a tutoring program. However, tutors are not “one size fits all”. What works best for one child may not work for another. The right tutor can make all the difference in your child’s academic success so it’s important to do your research and find the tutor that works best for your child.

When choosing a tutor, consider the following:

1. Before the search begins, discuss the tutoring with your child. Keep the conversation positive. “You know how reading (or maybe its spelling, math or studying) can be tough sometimes? We are going to find someone who can help you.”
2. As you begin the search, ask for recommendations. Ask teachers, other parents, friends, and members of your network. Parenting resources, specialists, and the internet can also be helpful in the search.
3. When evaluating your options, check credentials. Make sure the tutor has experience teaching the subject(s) with which your child needs help. If your child has a learning difference, including dyslexia, dysgraphia or dyscalculia, look for a tutoring program that takes these differences into account and a tutor who is trained and experienced in working with these students.
4. Don’t forget to check references. Does the tutor/tutoring program have a successful track record? Review testimonials from previous students and parents. Find out what these students have been able to achieve.
5. Formulate goals and request periodic progress reports. The ideal situation is a “whole child” approach: one in which parents, tutor, child, and teachers are all collaborating to ensure your child’s success.

The Summit Resource Center

The Summit School, through The Summit Resource Center (SRC), offers individual tutoring for students in grades 1-12, who need remediation in the following academic areas: reading, spelling, written expression, mathematics, study skills, homework, and time management and organizational skills (Executive Function Coaching). The SRC offers a multi-sensory tutoring approach for those students with learning differences, including dyslexia. SRC tutors are trained in research-based teaching methodologies. Instruction is diagnostic and individualized. Students strengthen their skills and gain the confidence they need to be successful in school. Sessions are offered at your convenience – in your home, at your child’s school, at a local library – the locations most convenient for your family.

Summer at Summit

In addition to tutoring, The Summit Resource Center offers Summer at Summit, academic enrichment camps that help your child avoid summer slide. Research confirms that:

• Elementary students’ school performance falls by about a month during the summer.
• Most students lose approximately two months of math skills every summer.
• Summer slide is noticed as early as the summer between Kindergarten and Grade 1.

If your child is already struggling in school and you’re looking for a tutor, consider how important it is for your child to continue learning over the summer. At Camp Summit students avoid summer learning loss while having fun and making new friends! Summer at Summit offers a nurturing environment where students build self-confidence and get the academic boost they need for back-to-school success.

Community Talks

The Summit Resource Center also offers a series of Community Talks. Community Talks provide useful information about learning differences and the resources available to your child. The Summit School Community Talks are free of charge and open to the public. For a complete list of Community Talks – topics, dates and locations – click here. If you plan to attend, we ask that you RSVP at .

For more information about The Summit School and/or the professional services offered by The Summit Resource Center including tutoring, summer camp and Community Talks, visit: www.thesummitschool.org.

The Summit School was founded to serve children, grades 1-8, with dyslexia and other learning differences. Now in its 30th year, Summit has an incredible record of helping children become successful learners. The core of Summit’s program incorporates: highly trained teachers, researched-based instruction, hands-on, multi-sensory learning environments and low teacher-student ratios. For more information about The Summit School and Summit Resource Center please visit www.thesummitschool.org.