What Makes Good Tutoring? The Benefits of Consistent Interaction

Staff shortages and falling test scores have pushed a lot of schools to use online tutoring. In fact, since the pandemic schools across the country have spent millions of dollars on academic help for students who have fallen behind, with some districts spending as much as $5 million, according to Chalkbeat.

And they have found out some interesting things about tutoring: first, there needs to be some person-to-person interaction, even if it’s online. The second thing they learned is that for tutoring to be really successful, it needs to be continual. Because of the peak in demand at the pivot-to-remote in March 2020 and the increased need for support ever since, many companies have rushed to fill that demand. Fortunately, Skooli was practicing consistent, high-quality live online tutoring years before the surge of online tutoring.

Schools have been spending lots of money on tutoring services, and because of that, they have kept tabs on what works and what doesn’t. The good news is that when done correctly, online tutoring can really help students academically. What most schools have found is that students need some intensive interaction between themselves and the tutor to get the most out of their time. Think about it: would you like to learn how to do your taxes through text messages? Probably not. And students need someone to talk to live in real-time while they sort out everything from American History to Calculus to writing their first essays.

Skooli provides high-quality, live tutors to help your students when they need it. Our professional, licensed teachers have at least a master’s degree, and many have PhDs; they are available to talk it out with students to make sure they have a solid understanding of the material and ask questions or review information about the subject as they need it. And that is what school administrators and teachers say their students need most in a tutoring session — a real live person who knows what they’re talking about when it comes to homework and lessons.

Another crucial aspect schools have been focusing on is that the best results come from tutoring that is continual. Regular meetings, especially with the same tutor, made much more of a difference in students’ academic achievements and progress than sporadic drop-in sessions. Students’ grades went up when they found a tutor they worked well with and then met with them often — at least 3 times a week, to be exact. Students and teachers want a tutoring service that is easy to schedule and affordable to continue both throughout the school year and during breaks to keep students on track. No student wants to be in a constant state of playing catch-up, especially when the whole nation had to play that game in the last few years. Skooli’s tutoring is easy to schedule, and our packages and discounts make year-round service a viable option for districts looking to make sure their students stay on top without putting unnecessary strain on their already overworked teachers.

We learned a lot as a nation about education, online education in particular, since the 2020 pivot. Thankfully, those lessons are not going to waste. Schools found out that online tutoring works if it is applied properly. Many education companies looked to take advantage of the tutoring void created by the remote learning period, but some of their methods have proved to be questionable. Don’t expect students to learn complex academic strategies and gain confidence in a tutor through text messages. They cannot be expected to maintain consistency in studying when their tutor sessions are sporadic and complicated to schedule.

Skooli was invested in building a strong educational foundation before the “tutor rush” started, and our skilled educators know not only how to deliver the information students need in a professional, easy-to-understand way, but they are also experts at making tutoring consistent and accessible for all students in your district. Contact Skooli today, because we can help.