How to Know When a Fifth Grader Needs a Tutor

A child's education is the foundation of his life. Reaching the fifth grade successfully with all the basics makes learning even more fun. However, if trouble looms, you'll need to meet with the teacher and discuss hiring a tutor. These steps help you to determine if a tutor is what you need for your fifth grader.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Teacher's Expectations

1. Schedule a meeting with your child's teacher at the start of the new school year. At the meeting, find out what she expects from her students. Tell her you support her expectations and want to work with her to ensure your child learns. Exchange phone numbers and email addresses.

2. Become a room mom and get involved with the classroom activities. Watch how your child relates to the teacher and other children during group learning sessions. If your child is attentive and seems happy overall, then all is good. But, if any signs of lack of interested, bored or "not there" attitude, you might need a tutor.

3. Every other day quiz your child on math and spelling. You can use flash cards or simply look over the homework and "spot check" his understanding to the materials by asking questions like "Which is more 0.02 or 0.14" or "Spell 'fighting.'" Any indications of difficulty should be discussed with the teacher to see if a tutor is needed.

Child's Schoolwork

4. Look don't listen. If your child says school is going great and all is well, look at the schoolwork, the grades and periodically talk with the teacher about how your child is doing. If your child's writing and math work is easy to read and understand, great. If writing and math doesn't come across as legible, then you need to take action.

5. Stop and take action if the teacher is sending notes home or calling you about your child's behavior in school. Get the specifics of what is happening with your child.

6. Monitor your child's study habits. If your child is eager to get homework done or has it done by the time she gets home, this is great. You can check to see if the understanding is there to make sure she knows what she is learning and can apply it. If homework and study time are continuously a hassle, consider a tutor.

7. Call a tutor right away if your child blows off homework or school in general. If you can't get him to sit down and do homework or study no matter what you do, even if you try games, puzzles and reading out loud, it's time to call in a tutor.

Tips & Warnings

• Just telling a child to study harder doesn't work. A child needs to know how to study--there is a way to do it.
• Determine if your child understands the words of the subjects she is studying. You can ask, "What is Language Arts?" or "What does Spelling mean to you?" Make sure you know what they mean before your ask.
• Set up a reward system where you and your fifth grader agree on prizes if he gets a high score on his test or essay. A prize can be tickets to the movies or basketball game, whatever is predetermined.

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