05 Online Tutoring

Online Tutoring

Q. We live in a rural community, and our daughter is having a terrible time with algebra this year. She doesn't like the teacher, so she won't go in after school to get help. There's no retired teacher or tutoring service available around here to help her this summer or next year. We've put notes up on bulletin boards trying to find a tutor and called around, but no luck. The nearest tutoring company or college are in a city an hour and a half away. What else can we do, other than just sit back and watch her fail advanced algebra next year?

You've heard of the global economy and its impact on all aspects of American life. You've heard that this is the "age of technology." But did you ever imagine the day would come when one of your kids in the heartland of America received after-school tutoring from a teacher in New Delhi, India?

If you have a computer and an Internet connection in your home - hopefully, broadband - you are able to contract for online tutoring for your student. The keys are if your daughter is self-disciplined and motivated, and if you, as her parents, are willing to be involved and help encourage her, guide her, and make sure she gets the most out of the experience.

Nationwide, a growing number of students -- already in the hundreds, if not a few thousand -- go online every week to brush up on their academic skills with a tutor living halfway around the world. Some of the online tutors might be in the United States, of course. But the point is, it doesn't really matter - what matters is that the knowledge and skills get from the tutor's mind into your child's.

Major selling points for online tutoring include affordability -- parents are charged rates of around $20 an hour, which is cheaper than one-on-one tutoring in many places. Also a benefit is the fact that parents don't have to drive children to a tutoring center.

Students working at home and receiving tutoring online slip on a company-supplied microphone and headset and are in instant touch with their tutors.

Examples of online tutoring services:

As with any kind of contracted service, you should be careful to check a prospective online tutor's track record, educational philosophy, personality, success rate, and references.

Homework: Here's a detailed article about online tutoring:

http://math-and-reading-help-for-kids.org/articles/Online_Tutoring_4_of_5:_How_Online_Tutoring_Works.html

By Susan Darst Williams � www.ShowandTellforParents.com � Learning on the Go 05 � � 2009