Parent guides

A parent's guide to tutoring

Start with the guide that matches where you are. Each one is built on the same studies, and each ends with a tool you can use tonight.

Stylized illustration of children working at a sunny table with pencils and notebooks.

Tutors were a game changer for me. They are how I kept up with advanced classes. They are helping my kids a lot now. My kids do not like being wrong in front of their parents.

Sam French, who runs PrintableSpark

Which guide should I read first?

Pick the line that matches your situation. The guides link to each other, so you can read the rest in any order.

  1. Not sure tutoring is needed yetDoes my child need a tutor? Signs to look for
  2. Weighing the cost against the payoffIs a good tutor worth it? What the research says
  3. Ready to hire and want to vet candidatesHow to find a good tutor
  4. Homework at home keeps turning into a fightWhy kids learn better with a tutor than with a parent
  5. Already paying for sessionsHow to get the most from tutoring: what parents do between sessions

What the research says

Every guide draws on the same sources. These are the numbers they keep coming back to.

0.37 SD
Pooled effect of tutoring on learning across randomized trials, Nickow, Oreopoulos, and Quan (2020), NBER Working Paper 27476.
3+ sessions a week
The high-dosage pattern: 30 to 60 minutes per session, for at least 10 weeks, Robinson, Kraft, Loeb, and Schueler (February 2021).
3 students or fewer
The brief says tutors can effectively teach up to three or four students at a time; one to three is the safe end.
50% fewer math failures
Chicago high-dosage math tutoring also lifted math grades by 0.58 GPA points, EdResearch for Action brief.

The five guides

Is a good tutor worth it? What the research says

Tutoring is one of the best-studied things a parent can buy. The studies agree on what works: the same person, 3 or more sessions a week, for at least 10 weeks. Here is what that costs and how to tell if it is paying off.

How to find a good tutor

Where to look, the 10 questions to ask before you pay, the red flags that end the call, and what to put in writing. Frequency, group size, and a consistent person matter more than the profile photo.

Does my child need a tutor? Signs to look for

Six signs you can check at home, five questions for the teacher, and a two-week test to run before you pay anyone. Most kids need one of three things: practice, a teacher conversation, or a tutor now.

Why kids learn better with a tutor than with a parent

In 11 studies of parents tutoring their own kids, the average gain was less than half of what teacher tutors produced. Here is what a parent should do instead of teaching, and the exact words to use when a child gets stuck.

How to get the most from tutoring: what parents do between sessions

Sessions are three hours a week. The rest of the week is yours to protect. Here is what to send the tutor before the first meeting, what to ask your child after each one, and how to tell by week 4 whether it is working.

How to use PrintableSpark between sessions

Ask the tutor what they covered, print one matching sheet, and run it for ten minutes the next day. Every printable here is free and needs no account.

Math worksheets

Print the topic the tutor covered this week and run ten minutes the next day.

Reading practice

Short passages and comprehension questions for the reading side of the plan.

Flashcards

Math facts and sight words for the between-session drills tutors ask for.