How to choose a middle school reading tutor

Falling in love with books is magical. They open up a whole new world of wonder. But for some kids, the journey is longer. Reading feels boring or frustrating. Reading can be a challenge for a number of reasons, whether it’s dyslexia, or the summer slide.

But a middle school reading tutor can help bring kids back up to their grade level while offering other surprising benefits. 

Here’s a quick guide to why reading tutoring is crucial, the skills it helps develop, and how to choose the right tutor for your child. 

How one-on-one reading tutors help kids level up their reading

Not everyone has the same level of reading skills, and that’s totally normal. Kids develop at different speeds, so one year, your child may be ahead of their peers, and another they might fall behind.

Their school might use Lexile measures to assess reading ability or another method. Ask your child’s teacher for an assessment of their current skill. Or try an Outschool reading assessment. 

Tutoring helps keep your child at the standard their school expects. Plus, reading tutors work with your child to nurture their own passions and interests. They won’t force books on them that will bore them, instead making reading fun and engaging.

Research shows that tutoring combined with at least 10 minutes of reading every day leads to highly boosted reading skills, particularly for kids who may have fallen behind.

It can be particularly challenging to keep active kids engaged with reading during the summer vacation or other breaks from school. Studies agree that during school years, maintaining reading during school vacation time helps increase a child’s overall skill level and could nurture a passion for reading that lasts a lifetime.

The core skills your child’s reading tutor can develop

Reading tutoring can include complete language arts—reading, writing, and speaking—or solely reading. What skills will a middle school reading tutor provide your child with?

Confidence

We don’t just mean confidence with reading! Although the ability to read confidently is very important, reading has a surprising secondary effect in that it can boost confidence in all aspects of life.

This is because reading regularly increases a child’s perspectives on life, allowing them to have greater empathy and understand other people’s points of view. Reading also increases a learner’s knowledge. Reading books on diverse topics helps a child understand the world around them better and could even help them process their emotions.

Studies show that finishing a good book (one you enjoy) increases the processing power of the brain for up to five days. An excellent motivator to read more!

Increased vocabulary

As learners move into middle school, teachers will expect their vocabulary to go beyond what they learned at the elementary level. A reading tutor can assess a child’s current level and recommend books that will expand their vocabulary while keeping their interest.

Reading with expression

Rather than sounding out each individual word, kids of 11 and over will be expected to read out loud in a way that sounds more like natural speaking. Tutors can give a child the confidence to find their own voice and express themselves while reading.

Imagination and Creativity

Books are a doorway to anywhere! Kids can widen their world by engaging with more books. The more they read, the higher the chance is they’ll start to express their own creativity and share their imaginings with you.

The World Literacy Foundation states that reading is “…one of the best ways to foster imagination.”

Middle-school age-specific reading skills

The above skills are important at any age, through school life and beyond. What skills should your middle school reading tutor help your young ones develop?

Scan-reading

The ability to scan-read is a milestone for middle-school students. This is actually a really useful skill as learners grow and have to quickly pick out key facts. This might apply when learning about science or technology or when revising for exams later in their education.

Faster reading

By middle school, teachers will expect kids to read with an increased fluency—in other words, noticeably faster than at elementary level. A reading tutor can help nurture your child’s fluency and speed so they’re at the same level as their classmates.

Transferring reading skills into writing talent

Kids are expected to write in all sorts of situations, from essays to exams. Regular reading improves the ability to string sentences together, build paragraphs, and create writing that’s easily understandable.

Choosing the right tutor for you and your child

Choosing a tutor for a middle school-aged child is a little different from picking an elementary-level reading tutor. You need to know that they have experience with that age range of children and if they understand the importance of the skills highlighted above. Here are a few other points to consider.

How long is each session? Will your child cope with an hour of reading, or would a shorter class be better?

Does your child need test preparation classes or tutoring? Check if the online tutor provides these types of services.

Would you need to meet the tutor beforehand? Many online tutors can offer an in-person or virtual meeting.

Will the tutor allow your child to choose their own books to study? Alternatively, are the books on the curriculum of interest to your child? Nurturing a passion for reading is easier when kids are allowed to be involved in their choice of book.

Tutoring and classes kids can take online

Outschool offers a number of English classes as well as one-on-one middle school reading tutors. All sessions are taken over a video call, allowing kids to interact with learning in ways that are familiar to them.

If group reading and writing classes feel a little intimidating for your child, a tutor is an easy way to overcome this hurdle. Kids can learn at their own pace with support, encouragement, and the time to celebrate each of their achievements.

Adults who read for even just half an hour each week are a fifth more likely to report high satisfaction with their lives than those who don’t. Give your child the gift of a life-long love of learning by investing in this skill from an early age.

Start with a reading assessment to see how they’re doing. If they’re struggling, try a reading tutor or online book club to boost their confidence. You can also help them find the perfect book. 

Even if it’s a struggle at first, it changes quickly when they see the new worlds and adventures that books can give them. 

Outschool Staff