How to choose an elementary school English tutor

As parents, you know your kid best. If you suspect that your child needs extra help with reading and writing, exploring tutoring options is a great place to start. Finding a tutor may feel overwhelming, but you’ve come to the right place. It takes a village. A tutor is a great resource to add to your village. 

Let’s break down how to know if your child could benefit from an elementary school English tutor, resources for finding one, and different types of tutoring you can explore.

How do I know if my child needs an elementary school English tutor?

Parents think about hiring a tutor for many reasons. Whether you suspect a learning deficit or just want extra support, a tutor can help your child succeed. Here are a few other reasons to consider enlisting outside help.

Why you might need a tutor if you’re homeschooling

Tutors are a great option for homeschooling families because they provide another pair of eyes and expertise to assess your child’s progress and needs. If you see your child struggling with English, try getting some support from an English tutor. They can help troubleshoot problems, offer tips, and establish goals that work for your kids. 

Outsourcing English with online classes and tutoring is also a great option for homeschooling parents who don’t like teaching English or who don’t consider it an area of strength.

Why you might need a tutor if your kids attend public or private school

For children attending public or private schools, schedule a conference to consult with your child’s teacher. Your child’s teacher can help you determine whether tutoring will be beneficial and should know how to recommend a tutoring focus.

Other reasons you might want to consider a tutor

Is your child struggling with a specific concept, like writing complete sentences or comprehending a text they’ve read? Tutoring focused on a particular learning deficit can be particularly helpful.

On the other hand, if your child is advanced in reading or writing, tutoring could be an excellent option for enrichment to extend learning and challenge your child. Many parents choose to use a Language Arts tutor, so their children have more time to explore personal interests, such as creative writing or public speaking.

Even if your child is meeting all English learning milestones and isn’t struggling, a 1-on-1 English tutor can still reinforce concepts and increase confidence. Homeschool families can utilize a tutor to supplement the core curriculum or build on specific skills like essay writing or grammar.

How an elementary English tutor can help your kids

English tutors can help your children overcome learning deficits and build confidence. They can also challenge your advanced learners. Here’s how.

Tutors provide targeted instruction

A tutor can spend one-on-one time targeting specific skills your child needs help with and making sure your kid understands a concept before tackling the next one. This type of expert, individualized instruction fueled by instant feedback rarely occurs in a regular classroom.

Tutors help build confidence

When it comes to reading and writing, many children struggle with confidence in reading aloud or putting pencil to paper. Both can feel very vulnerable, especially to elementary-aged kids just learning to master these skills. One-on-one or small group tutoring can provide a safe space for your child to practice these skills.

Tutors provide support to advanced learners

Tutoring can challenge your advanced learner to practice skills outside their comfort zone. English tutoring is also a great opportunity to capitalize on a specific interest your child might have. For example, they can explore their passion for creative writing and get feedback on their work.

Tutors are a great way to supplement homeschooling

Sometimes, kids hear a lesson more clearly when it’s reinforced by someone other than mom and dad. An elementary English tutor can help reinforce your homeschool curriculum or take a load off by teaching a specific skill from your curriculum, like spelling. 

How to find a tutor

Thanks to online learning, customized tutoring has become easier to access no matter where you live. This has also led to more in-person options making 1-on-1 learning easier to find than ever before. But knowing which type of tutoring will best help your child depends on their learning style. Let’s look at a couple of options for your child. 

How to find a local, in-person tutor

Ask your child's teacher for recommendations if you’re a public or private school family. Many teachers even offer one-on-one tutoring outside of school hours. If they don’t, they may have a great resource to recommend.

Other options to find a local tutor are through an agency or tutoring company. You can find an independent tutor through recommendations on social media. 

But remember, there are distinct disadvantages to working with an in-person tutor, as you’ll likely pay a lot more, and you’ll also be limited by what’s available in your area. 

No matter how you find an in-person tutor, be sure to work with a highly-qualified professional with trusted recommendations. Consider the tutor’s experience level and certificate qualifications. Don’t be afraid to ask for proof of qualifications and background checks when meeting a tutor in person.

How to find high-quality online tutors

The same disclaimers go for finding an online tutor. You want to feel confident in choosing a reliable, safe instructor with strong qualifications to achieve your academic goals. Anyone online can claim to be a well-qualified tutor or even assume a false identity. Do your due diligence in ensuring the providers you’re considering are a good fit. 

How to find a tutor on Outschool

With hundreds of English tutors available, Outschool provides the tools to help you make an informed decision when finding an online elementary English tutor. Outschool’s teachers are all vetted, and our Trust & Safety team maintains integrity. Each instructor features transparent parent ratings so you can read about others’ experiences before deciding on a provider.

How to get the most out of your tutor

A little planning can help you get the most out of your child’s time in tutoring. Consider these ideas to help guide your child’s tutoring experience:

• Collect all recent standards-based assessments and look for patterns to determine possible learning deficits.

• Consult your child’s report card and ask your child’s teacher if there are any specific reading or writing skills your child could improve.

• Reflect on what English skills your child may lack confidence in.

• Homeschool families should consider any learning topics they would appreciate support and assistance with.

• Make a list of your child's personality traits, learning style, and tried-and-true motivational tools. 

All of these tips can help you determine a topic-based tutoring focus. After finding a tutor, ask for a consultation to share your findings with them. A great tutor will eagerly use additional data to guide their content.

Don’t be afraid to share your child’s personality, interests, and motivation techniques with your tutor. A little background information on your child can go a long way for your tutor to build a relationship with your child and increase learning. Be sure to begin with an open line of communication with your child to explain why they're beginning tutoring. Extra support and assistance are always good things. Making sure your child begins with a positive attitude can go a long way to ensuring success.

Outschool’s elementary English tutoring options

No matter your tutoring goals, Outschool has you covered with high-quality options. Here are just a few of the English tutoring programs Outschool has to offer:

English tutoring

Outschool has hundreds of teachers available for one-on-one English tutoring, including 5-star-rated elementary English tutors. You can even message teachers with questions before you commit to a tutoring session or class. 

Writing tutoring

Many elementary-aged children struggle with crafting sentences and paragraphs, so they could benefit from extra instruction. Outschool’s writing tutoring can give your child that extra help they need.

Reading tutoring

Whether your child needs extra help with phonics and decoding or reading comprehension, a reading tutor can help determine what your child needs most and help your child make tangible gains in reading skills. Outschool’s highly-rated reading tutors can provide the one-on-one assistance your child needs.

Small-group English classes

Your child may benefit from a small-group English tutoring environment. Outschool offers many English classes where small groups work together while learning. For targeted small-group tutoring, choose a topic your child needs extra help with and find a class on Outschool using the search and age filter tools, such as this paragraph-writing class for 7-9-year-olds. 

Homeschool support

Thousands of homeschool families choose Outschool to support learning. Outschool's homeschool support options include semester-long comprehensive classes, social groups, and one-on-one tutoring. 

Find the right elementary English support

• Try Outschool’s online elementary school English classes

• Try a virtual elementary school tutor

• Or check out our online reading classes for elementary-age kids

• Learn more about how online English tutoring works

• Learn how to choose an elementary school reading tutor

If you’re ready to help your kids love English and find practical support, Outschool is here to help. Let’s learn together. 

Catie MacDonaldCatie is a freelance writer with a passion for words and the drive to exceed expectations. As a certified Language Arts educator, she has years of experience teaching children to love reading.