Why to Enroll in Tutoring at a One-to-One School

Tutoring is a natural support service that can be delivered through many resources – private in-home tutors, school-based tutoring, professional tutoring centers, and one-to-one private schools, to name a few. Each offers different benefits and conveniences, and below are reasons to consider enrolling for tutoring at a one-to-one school even when the student initially does not appear to need to earn credits or a private school placement.

Teachers

Teachers in a one-to-one school spend all of their time teaching with this intensive instruction model and become experts in observing the student for signs of comprehension or confusion. They are able to tailor their instruction on the spot and provide instant feedback.

Tutoring can benefit students both in the traditional sense of the service where the instructor assists the student with assignments and serves to fill-in after the primary instruction has already been delivered. Tutoring through a one-to-one school can provide greater depth and deeper service. Because teachers are used to teaching an entire course start to finish, they are familiar with the most essential content and able to pare down so students stay focused on the skills and concepts that will be built upon further.

Team of Experts

In addition to having access to one tutor who knows the student well, the one-to-one schools hire multiple teachers to ensure expertise in all academic disciplines. A student who attends for math tutoring but suddenly finds themselves needing help with a large English paper can schedule additional sessions with an English teacher to get expert instruction in both subject areas.

Variety of Curricular Materials

If the student doesn't understand his own textbook, the school typically has at least one other alternative available. One-to-one schools work with many schools, and tend to stock the same curriculum materials as neighboring schools in order to respond to those students' needs more readily, so they have a greater variety of materials to choose from when tutoring a student who needs to see additional examples or to see concepts presented in a different format. This is also helpful when the student forgets a textbook!

Previewing Content and Proactive Learning

The one-to-one school, by knowing the full scope of the course, can also serve to preview upcoming concepts with students. This strategy helps them focus while in class and retain the same information when it is presented in the classroom, as well as boost confidence that they will be prepared to respond if called upon during class. Using tutoring to pre-teach content can reassure an anxious student, and be used as a means of building confidence for classroom participation.

This strategy also works well in the summer, when a student who needs additional time for processing might begin to learn vocabulary from the first couple units of an upcoming science class, or get a jumpstart on reading the first novel for English class.

Organization Skills, Executive Function Strategies, and Study Habits

Even students who have strong cognitive skills may not need content instruction that is typically associated with tutoring will still benefit from instruction designed to boost all of the executive function skills that impact every subject, such as:

• time management
• note-taking
• ability to connect new learning to known content
• interpreting directions
• ability to break down large assignments into bite-sized pieces
• test prep strategies
• studying vs. completing a homework assignment

Working one-to-one with a tutor to develop these skills increases both efficiency of producing work and the ability to retain and recall content information when needed. The confidence gained through instant feedback and knowing that they have someone to fall back on if they get in a situation that is overwhelming can provide the motivation students need to learn and practice implementing strategies to improve executive function skills.

Consistency

One great benefit of one-to-one tutoring is the undivided attention of a teacher who knows the student well. But what happens when that tutor is ill or on vacation? A one-to-one school is able to schedule a substitute to fill in when a teacher has to be absent, ensuring that instruction and support continues consistently throughout the term.

Low-Impact Back-Up Plan

Sometimes tutoring is exactly the boost a student needs to experience success in their existing school placement. But sometimes, the student continues to struggle and one or more courses may not be the proper fit or the student is at risk of failing, even with outside tutoring. When this happens, the student is in a setting to earn make-up credits, and has the option of working with a teacher already familiar to the student. Dropping the course from a traditional school and earning the credit in the one-to-one school becomes a seamless transition and allows the student to focus on moving forward, rather than dwelling on the placement that didn't work.

There are so many reasons that a student would benefit from tutoring, and from enrolling for tutoring services at a one-to-one school. As students grow and their needs change, the one-to-one school is able to respond to their growth and adjust the amount of support, focus of sessions, and expertise of the assigned teacher to benefit the student.