The notion of academic support is very well known nowadays. However, many people use it in the wrong way: parents, the press, students... So what is the real definition of in-home tutoring? Does it correspond to what you have been needing for you and your child?
Tutoring can be helpful for students whether they are high-flying or they are struggling in a particular subject. There are pros and cons to academic tutoring at home but many people find this to make all the difference to their grades.
Understanding the Role of Tutors
Superprof gives you a chance to really explore the heart of the matter and see what its offshoots are: homework help and academic support. In depth review, targeted help for specific problems, long term support: more and more American parents are using tutoring services to help their children overcome challenges at school!
This is the traditional idea we have of in-home tutoring. But what exact definition can we give it?
In-home tutoring is a form of tutoring that occurs in the home. Tutoring is receiving guidance or instruction by a tutor. Most often the tutoring relates to an academic subject or test preparation for somebody who may need some extra help.
Thinking about this definition, we can therefore see two important notions at work in regards to in-home tutoring:
The duration: in-home tutoring demands a strict schedule. A few lessons over a few weeks in order to reach a precise goal. Or otherwise a one over a longer period of time. This one means an even more strict follow-up. The private tutor works with a student over several months, maybe even a whole school year.
The complementary aspect of the in-home tutoring to regular schooling is an important element of the recipe for success. In-home tutoring should be used as needed depending on how the student is getting by with his classwork.
As we've mentioned above, there are pros and cons to undergoing home tutoring:
| Pros of Home Tutoring | Cons of Home Tutoring |
|---|---|
| Personalized learning: Tailored lessons address specific needs, allowing for targeted skill improvement. | Cost: Home tutoring can be expensive, with hourly rates adding up over time. |
| Flexible scheduling: Sessions can be arranged to suit the student’s timetable. | Potential dependency: Students may become reliant on one-on-one help, impacting self-study skills. |
| Reduced distractions: Learning at home provides a familiar, quieter environment. | Limited social interaction: Fewer opportunities for collaborative learning with peers. |
The Origin of In-home Tutoring
It's difficult to speak of the precise origins of the role of in-home tutoring. We can however go through its evolution. For the few generations who have never experience private in-home tutoring, we think you will have recollection of these hours of "studying" during elementary, middle, or high school. These hours are allotted for each child and are for looking over their lessons, revising class material, or finishing homework. These "study" hours were controlled by teachers and supervisors who were in charge of--if they could--helping certain students. Though we are speaking in the past tense it's important to note that this still exists.
But though academic support was once public, it is now almost exclusively private. This is how the profession has developed and parents became more and more reliant on having a tutor come to their homes to tutor their children. The whole thing is reinforced by two phenomena of society.
Mothers are working more and more, contrarily to previous generations,
Parents are coming home later and later, which leaves little time for children to do their homework.
Tutoring in the Home or via Webcam: What Are the Differences Between the Lessons?
The tutoring business is doing very well. Underfunded educational systems, poorly run schools systems, increasingly crowded classrooms, fewer and fewer quality teachers due to the challenges of the professions... these are just some of the reasons students and their parents are turning to supportive measures like private tutors. Here are some numbers that paint a picture of the tutoring market in the United States.
- As of 2016, 39% of parents of K-12 students had hired private tutors for their children.
- The "supplemental education" sector of the American economy has grown from $500 million in 2000 to $5 billion in 2015. There are more than 50 national tutoring companies that alone offering services to almost a half million students annually.
- One of Princeton Review's "premier" tutors costs at least $450 per hour.
If you're looking for a competent tutor, look no further than Superprof, where you'll find thousands of motivated and very qualified tutors in a number of subjects:
Academic Support
Languages
Music / Sports
What's the Best Way to Learn?
With online tutoring, it's more difficult for a student to establish a real connection with the teacher, at least in our experience. Since the teacher isn't by their side, it's also more difficult for students to concentrate on their lesson or homework.
This distance can nevertheless be attractive for shy or reserved students, but face-to-face tutoring can accomplish the same thing with a great teacher! At Superprof, students can find tutors for a variety of different subjects including academic topics, and they can choose between in-person and online tutoring to suit their own needs.
Superprof has connected thousands of students with tutors and successfully helped them to learn more about their desired subjects. Some good things for parents to know about Superprof:
- When purchasing a package of 10 or more hours of tutoring sessions, the hourly price is often discounted by 10%. Look for tutors offering this deal.
- If some of your friends also have children struggling in a particular subject, you might be able to organize group classes in your home, provided that the tutor agrees. This is a good way to share costs and encourage cooperation among your children.
A Private Supplement to Public Schooling
Private in-home tutoring is accruing success because of its convenience, but also because of the growing concern of parents. Math classes, language classes (English, Spanish, German, Italian), history, geography, physics, business, English...It is impossible not to worry about one's child when faced with the very different subjects involved in making your teenager into a young adult! If you are looking to find math tutors near you to help with your public schooling, you can find extra support here on Superprof.
In recent years, there have been many worrisome statistics concerning students dropping out of school and failing grades. Many testimonials, findings, and studies have shown that dropping out could be on the rise, and education at risk. For this reason, something has had to be done on the private side of things to implement a failing public system. This is how in-home private tutoring was born and became the addition to public schooling. If we oppose ourselves to it too easily, even gratuitously, we risk our child falling behind in school to the point of no return.
Let's not forget that the two elements (private and public) are complementary. Thanks to the privatization of academic support, many students are able to get back on track with their schooling and excel in school. This way they can avoid doing a grade over and staying behind.
Giving private lessons means adapting your approach for each student and offering TAILORED solutions! That's how you help each of them overcome their difficulties!
Face-to-face tutoring offers 4 major advantages:
- A physical presence to reassure students.
- More straightforward and more easily understood explanations when you can speak directly.
- Stronger concentration for both student and teacher.
- A chance to really motivate students in person.
No matter what level or education you are at, there are many benefits to in-home tutoring. They complete the curriculum in a way that works for each child as it is always tailored to him or her.
For example, an in-home private tutor, in order to reinforce a certain subject, can go much further than the program has planned. This allows for more freedom with in-home tutoring: transcending in-home tutoring subjects in order to better understand them.
Finally, what's maybe best of all about in-home tutoring is the "tailor-made" aspect of these classes. When it comes to regular math classes (or any other subject, for that matter) in school, teachers feel pressured to deliver "standard" classes. When it comes to in-home academic tutoring, the private tutor has to adapt to whatever student he or she is dealing with. What is the student's level, their degree of comprehension, and most importantly, their struggles and strengths? In sum, private in-home tutoring is there to help you understand your subjects better, complete your homework, and help you achieve higher test scores.
Academic Support: From Basic Homework Help to a Refresher Course
For those parents who don't have a very precise idea of what academic support is, you should know that it covers a wide range of services. This can of course begin by the infamous homework help and a private tutor is there to help!
Homework represents an important part of the school year. Wise students and parents will not let it go unnoticed. A big part of understanding the class material happens because of homework. It is therefore very interesting to call on a professional tutor in order to reinforce knowledge acquired in school. This is true of every subject and each year your child or teenager is in school.
What's the goal here? Avoiding problems in school in order to maximize chances for your child to obtain good grades. Academic support also represents an objective sometimes: a refresher course. In numerous cases, this is why private tutors are employed. The child in question will either be struggling with certain subjects or suffers from psychological blockages that stop them from progressing. When your child is under this kind of stress, it's time for you to make a decision and avoid falling behind in class.
Thanks to a special type of teaching adapted to students such as the ones who struggle in class, the work of the tutor is to disentangle all the learning knots and aim for a quick reboot. This is the aim of the academic support triptych. This service--the refresher course--can happen on the shorter or longer term. You usually need to count a little time before the student manages to get back on track with his classes. You also need to count some time for the student to adapt to new teaching methods in order to study and work.
The Difference Between Academic and Educational Support
Now we've listed some of the best things about in-home tutoring and its wide array of services, there is another kind of academic support that we associate to it wrongfully a lot of the time. Its name is educational support. But how is it different from in-home tutoring classes?
This support arises from the ever-growing needs of students to get into ivy leagues and other top-notch universities and programs (such as business schools, engineer schools, etc.) For a long time now, students are in competition for these prestigious schools. Good SAT/ACT scores are a norm, and have been on the rise for decades. For this reason, students must impress the school by having exceptional grades and pre-requisites.
Educational support is therefore born of this necessity, for students who are already more than capable in school, but need that extra push to reach the top. Thanks to somewhat regular classes, educational support can deliver the following results:
- Raise grades to way above average
- Prepare students for entrance exams
- Prepare students for finals and other important tests
The Difference Between Private Classes and In-Home Tutoring
In the same way, private classes and in-home tutoring are often mistaken for one another. They are however very different and some tutors are not apt for both.
Private classes tend to be classes to teach a subject in full, usually sticking to a curriculum. For example, somebody may choose to go to a private class to learn how to play chess or learn martial arts. This could be in a group class and usually doesn't complement other subjects like the school core subjects.
Superprof provides an option for in-home tutoring (or online tutoring) that concerns homework help, revisions, and refresher courses. People can also learn in a one-to-one environment with a tutor who can focus on their specific subject.
A lot of tutoring, especially in school subjects like Math and English, therefore often applies to students who have great or small difficulties. In-home tutoring applies to students who have a desire to learn before anything. It guides the student--thanks to a personal follow-up--towards new knowledge. It brings reflection, empowerment, and new methods to the student. On top of it, in-home tutoring is flexible and allows a tailor-made approach to academic support. Some might refer to it as academic coaching! Whatever they refer to it as, be aware that it has the potential to change your child's life! To make informed decision, you need to compare tutoring online and in-person.
What Is the cost?
We won't deny that enlisting the services of a private tutor for your child will have an impact on your household budget, and that it'll be even more significant the longer they last and depending on the qualifications of the teacher.
However, lessons that you sign up for on the Superprof platform will cost you much less than competitors.
This is because you go direct to the tutor, eliminating the implied costs of the company (rent, marketing, etc...)
Here are some rough estimates of hourly prices:
- Language classes (Spanish, German) cost about $35.
- Artistic subjects (piano, photography) cost about $45.
- Lastly, athletic coaching costs around $65 an hour. That's cost of chasing a dream physique. Specialty sports like Muay Thai, Krav Maga, or even traditional boxing are the most expensive.
In the end, like always, it's a matter of finances (it's also always to reason we start wars!), so we want you to know that private in-home tutors are often a tax write-off, which can help offset the strain on your budget. And with the easy functioning of the Superprof platform, if ever you you don't find a tutor suitable (it does happen from time to time), you can try another one from our immense database of private tutors.
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