We all learn differently. What makes sense to you might not be the explanation I need. It’s no wonder students of all ages can hit roadblocks in school. I certainly have. When students feel stuck, a tutor can really help them find their breakthrough.
As a tutor who has worked with elementary students, teens, college students, and adults—across subjects like math, reading, writing, science, foreign languages, and English for non-native speakers—I’ve seen how tutoring can give students the personalized support they need to find their confidence and move forward.
Breakthroughs happen in different ways:
- Looking from a different angle that makes sense to the student.
- Feeling comfortable to ask as many questions as it takes.
- Finding creative ways to practice a concept until it sticks.
- Reviewing material in a personalized setting.
- Getting extra encouragement when catching up or trying to advance.
Let’s take a look at why personalized learning brings breakthrough, the variety of situations tutoring can help with, how tutoring works together with classroom learning, and what to keep in mind if you’re considering a tutor.
Why Personalized Learning Brings Breakthrough
Tutoring allows students to take a realistic pace, ask questions, clarify. Maybe they need to back up a step and review a foundational skill before moving ahead. Their practice exercises become much more effective, now that they better understand that skill they had to rush through in school.
Tutoring may include reviewing and practicing skills. But it’s not just rote practice. It’s personalized. Which areas does the student need the most help with? Which types of review will be most beneficial for their learning style?
Sometimes, tutoring involves catching up on assignments. If a student has been out sick or away for a family emergency, the catchup process can feel daunting, especially as the class continues to move ahead. Tutoring can provide a safe, encouraging space for the student to catch up, ask questions they didn’t get to ask at school, and figure out how to navigate the balance between new learning and makeup work.
Often, tutoring is about finding a different perspective. Every student learns in a unique way. Sometimes, the explanation given in the classroom doesn’t make sense to a student. A tutor can help the student find a different approach. Suddenly, everything becomes clear.
Through my years of tutoring, I’ve seen how coming at a concept from a different angle can make all the difference. I first learned about finding the right approach as an elementary school student.
I was out sick when my class learned about parts of a sentence. When I returned, I struggled to recognize the “subject” of a sentence. My teacher explained the subject was “the most important part of the sentence,” but that didn’t help me understand. “The bear ate the food” or “I saw the bear cubs”—how could I decide which was the most important part of those sentences? I kept getting it wrong.
One afternoon, I was swimming at the house of a neighbor, who was a school principal. I told her about my struggle. She said, “The subject of the sentence is what does the action of the verb.”
Suddenly, it was clear! I did my homework that night, circling all the subjects in the practice sentences. I got them all right. I finally understood, and I could move forward. Today, I’m a book editor, quite familiar with parts of a sentence, thanks to my neighbor—a tutor, if you will—helping me see things in a way I could understand.
As a tutor, that’s one of the things I watch for. We may have certain standard goals, like memorizing multiplication tables, being able to test well on science concepts, or being able to make basic business introductions in a foreign language. But the path to those goals will look different, depending on how each student learns.
I pay close attention to how a student responds during sessions, adjusting my approach and examples until we find what helps them grasp the concept.
The personalized approach is one of the biggest benefits of tutoring. It’s incredible to watch a student’s confidence grow when they find a new key to understanding. A subject they were ready to give up on becomes doable, perhaps even enjoyable.
Breakthrough moments are possible. Suddenly, fractions, verb conjugations, and scientific concepts make sense. The student becomes comfortable in those skills and is able to move on to more advanced concepts.
Tutors Can Help in a Variety of Situations
You might be surprised at the variety of situations where tutors can make a big difference. Tutoring isn’t just for a student who is struggling to pass a class, although tutoring is a big help in that situation.
Let’s look at other areas where tutoring is helpful:
- Catching up: Some subjects are hard to keep up with, especially classes with lots of formulas like math or science. When a student feels like they’re falling behind because the material moves so fast, tutoring can help them regain confidence and stay on top of assignments.
- Extra practice in a safe space: Students sometimes need to spend extra time with class material. They need to ask questions they didn’t get to ask during a busy school day. Or maybe they were too afraid to ask for a concept to be repeated. Tutoring can help students spend more time with the material and ask all the questions they need.
- Gaining confidence in the only class where a student struggles: It happens. The straight-A grade report with one D thrown in. There’s just that one subject a student can’t get hold of. Tutoring can help the student identify and remove roadblocks for a better way to approach that subject.
- Consistent support during life challenges: A student whose parents are dealing with extra challenges—like caring for an elderly family member or a child with special needs—may find that tutoring provides homework support or material review when family life is hectic.
- Summer skill review: Students can benefit from extra review and practice during the summer to prepare for the next year. This can apply to any subject, but is especially common with math, reading, and languages. A summer tutor can help with reading comprehension, memorizing multiplication tables, or verb conjugations in a foreign language.
- Advancing in an area of interest: When a student falls in love with writing, or language study, or trigonometry and wants to learn beyond their school curriculum, tutoring is a great option to fuel that excitement and gain experience.
- Learning for personal or career goals: College students or adults may find tutoring helpful for becoming proficient in a new language or becoming an expert at a valuable job skill.
These are some common situations in which tutors provide personalized learning, guidance, and encouragement, so students can gain confidence and move forward—without having to navigate everything by themselves.
How Tutoring Works Together with Classroom Learning
Classroom teaching is foundational for learning, especially for younger students but even for adult continuing education. The classroom is where concepts are taught, questions are answered, encouragement is offered, activities and exercises are assigned, understanding is assessed, and feedback is given. The foundation of a student’s learning will be in the classroom.
However, classrooms may be crowded, busy, and paced for reaching certain group targets within a school teaching term. One teacher and one assistant may be the only ones available to impart daily lessons and give feedback on assignments and exams. That’s where tutoring becomes helpful by devoting extra time and personalized attention to the material.
Effective tutoring works alongside classroom teaching. The tutor’s goal is to help the student do well in the classroom. Tutoring mirrors classroom topics, gives attention to class assignments, and prepares for class exams. Tutoring supports classroom instruction.
Considering a Tutor? Here Are Guidelines to Keep in Mind
A helpful tutor will be able to support classroom learning while honoring the student’s unique needs and learning style. Here are some guidelines to help you choose the right tutor to partner with your student—or with you, if you are the student:
Start with alignment: The tutor needs to understand what is being taught in the classroom and how to best reinforce that material.
Focus on personalization: The tutor should be willing to take a creative approach to match your student’s learning style and focus on your student’s individual areas of need.
Prioritize communication: Learning is a team effort among student, teacher, parent, tutor. The right tutor will communicate with parents and teacher, to be sure the tutor is taking the most effective approach.
Aim for consistency: It takes time and consistent effort to build a foundation of learning. Regular tutoring sessions will be more effective than hit-or-miss efforts.
Look to build confidence: Tutoring is more than just learning how to solve certain problems or apply certain techniques. A successful tutor will also work to encourage and build confidence in the student’s approach to learning as well as to the subject area. Tutoring should also help students feel confident navigating the daily classroom environment.
Prepare to outgrow tutoring: While tutoring may last longer than a semester, depending on a student’s needs, the ideal is to help the student become independent in their learning. A successful tutor will help the student acquire study skills that will last throughout a student’s education.
Tutoring is a great help for students who need something extra beyond the classroom. Through working with a tutor, students can find the perspective and path that unlocks learning for them. Tutoring is an encouraging and effective way to help students discover those breakthroughs that may be just around the corner.
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I write clear, parent-friendly articles like this for education centers and tutoring services that want to connect with their audience—contact me if you need content that supports your mission.
Janet Eriksson 