How To Find The Right Spelling Tutor

If you are struggling to help your child pass spelling tests or are concerned that they will fall too far behind in school because they just aren't getting spelling words at the rate other children are picking them up, it is time to seek the help of a spelling tutor. This isn't admitting defeat as a parent or surrendering your job to someone else. It is merely admitting that your child needs help beyond the scope of what you can provide and doing your job to ensure they get that help.

Reach Out for Help

The worst part of needing help is that initial phase when you aren't sure where to get the help. When it comes to finding the right spelling tutor you get beyond this by reaching out to others and letting them know that you need a tutor. Teachers may know your child is struggling, but many will not voluntarily offer recommendations for tutors for a variety of reasons.

You should approach the teacher with your concerns and ask if there are tutoring programs offered through the school or if they can recommend someone privately.

Also let other parents know that you are searching for a tutor because someone may have been through this before and may be able to give advice and names of good tutors to consider.

Search for Local Facilities

If you are not able to find a good tutor right away through private recommendation, it's time to search for facilities and programs offered in your local area. You can look for learning centers by searching yellowpages.com or just searching with Google, but be prepared for high fees with many of these services.

You can also call your local library or other community organizations to see if there are any programs being offered free or at lower cost. Also check with after school care facilities as they will often have staff on hand to help older children with homework. You may not need the afterschool care, but the homework help from someone else could pay off.

Determine Your Budget

The driving force of selecting a tutor should not be focussed entirely on finances if your child really needs the help, but you have to know what your budget limits are. Some private tutoring businesses can be quite affordable while some private tutors can be quite expensive if they are in high demand, so know what you can afford to pay for the service and then see what is out there.

Ask About Teaching Techniques

When you do find a tutor that you like, ask lots of questions about their teaching techniques, experience, and training. You can get a feel for their personality and determine how they may interact with your child's personality just by asking questions and getting them to talk for awhile.

If your child’s spelling problems are severe it may be advisable to search for someone with a specialist dyslexia qualification. They will teach in a structured and cumulative way which is essential for a child needing to make improvements in this complicated area.

Back Up with Home Study Online

Finally, once your child is taking spelling lessons from a tutor back up those lessons at home with computer time. There are some great software programs that turn spelling into a game and you can use free game sites and printout activities as well.

By: Hilary Burt

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Hilary Burt is a tutor who has more tips for helping children with the correct spelling of words on her site at Spelling-Help-Online.com