How parents view tutoring

Students who utilize resources such as professional tutoring need financial backing for this, and most often this comes from their parents. Kendra Pemberton, a parent, has utilized professional tutoring in the past for both her son Caden, a freshman, and daughter Natalie. 

“Because we’ve moved several times, [our kids] have been in situations where they join a new class. For Natalie, it’s always been Honors or AP where she comes in and maybe she’s not at the same exact level,” Kendra said.

Kendra believes that professional tutoring can be incredibly helpful because it is easy to miss just a few concepts and not understand the rest of the lesson because of it.

“The only subject my family has used tutors in is math and ironically my family is great at math,” Kendra said. “But I think it’s a necessary thing for Natalie and Caden because sometimes you miss a few concepts and can fall behind.”

Kendra recognizes that tutoring can be incredibly expensive; for her family, the hourly cost has ranged from $80 to $125 per hour. 

“When I think about the tutoring you’re paying for, it’s incredibly helpful and in my opinion can be necessary, but it’s very expensive so it’s not always an option for all students,” Kendra said.

Despite the high cost, Kendra is willing to pay because she believes in the impact tutors can have in terms of helping students understand the material.

“It’s always been worth it, no doubt. We’ve never had a tutoring situation where it’s not been worth it in the long run,” Kendra said. “My two children having tutors has solidified my belief that it’s a good investment. It’s worth it.”

Since her kids began studying with tutors, Kendra has seen reduced levels of stress and increased confidence in the material for her children.

“[With tutoring], the level of anxiety in the student goes down, their ability to understand concepts goes up, and overall it really helps the learning process,” Kendra said.

Kendra has always believed in the power of tutors because of her own experience in school.

“I have always believed in tutoring because I had a point in my life when I was in junior high school and I was struggling with math,” Kendra said. “My mom got me a tutor, and it was so helpful to me in helping me think differently and do my homework differently that I never needed a tutor again.”

According to Kendra, tutoring is a privilege but should be made available to everyone regardless of price.

“I think if people are struggling, tutoring is a really good option. I think if I were going to recommend tutoring, I would look at the [family] situation and if that’s feasible for the family,” Kendra said. “If cost were out of the picture, I would recommend it for everyone.”

While Kendra believes that the free tutoring resources that Redwood offers are a good opportunity, they are not a perfect fit for every student, which is why she prefers professional tutoring. 

“[Free tutoring programs] are great and easier for students who are social rather than those who are shy. I think it’s as helpful [as professional tutoring] and an awesome opportunity, but I think for some kids there could be a little anxiety about going to a student [for peer tutoring] that they go to school with,” Kendra said.