WSVN — No parent wants to see their child struggle in school. However when is it time to get a tutor, and how do you find one? 7’s Lynn Martinez shows us in today’s Parent to Parent.
Aramis Santos is top notch at soccer, but when it came to math the 13-year-old’s grades were not meeting his goals.
Aramis Santos: “They were complete opposite of what I wanted them to be.”
His mom was shocked to learn he was failing math.
Diana Santos: “He kept telling me ‘I’m bringing the grades up,’ that he’s going to do it ‘don’t worry about it mom, I got this.'”
When his grades didn’t improve they both agreed he needed a tutor.
Diana Santos: “He said ‘mom we need to do something.'”
So they went on-line and found a web site called Wyzant. The site allows parents and students to shop for a tutor in their area by accessing hundreds of profiles.
Melody Smith: “It’s very easy to filter the type of tutor you’re looking for.”
Melody Smith offers tutoring for all types of math, from grade school to college level. She says the site is very easy to use.
Melody Smith: “Students type in what they’re looking for, their zip code and a slew of tutors pop up.”
Then they can check out the tutor’s profile. Each one has to pass a background check and that’s not all.
Melody Smith: “The tutor has to pass a proficiency exam for each of the subjects they list.”
Before you hire a tutor, Melody says first talk to your child about what their goals are and let them make the decision they need help.
Melody Smith: “So I think a good first step for a parent would be to say, would you like to be better at this?”
When shopping for a tutor, she says try to find a good match for your child.
Melody Smith: “Looking for personality traits in a tutor’s ‘about me’ section, will give you a window to that.”
Diana was looking for someone younger who could better relate to her son.
Diana Santos: “I just needed somebody who was going to be compatible with him.”
When they met Melody, they knew they found the right tutor.
So far, Diana’s seeing big changes in her son.
Diana Santos: “He’s not running away from it all. He’s really embracing it.”
Aramis passed his math exam, and is even feeling more confident in class.
Aramis Santos: “Looking at my grads now, when I look back at Seventh grade I could tell you right now it’s like Christmas came early.”
Each tutor sets their own rate, so parents can stick to their budget.
In the plex, Lynn Martinez, 7News.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
www.WyzAnt.com