Pros and Cons of Online Tutoring for Homeschool

September 2, 2020
Written by:
Courtney Newman
College Prep, Elementary Homeschool, Homeschool High School, Homeschool Resources

We are about half a year into the pandemic and it doesn’t look like it’s changing anytime soon. Of course, we remain hopeful. But, the reality is that families need a solution for their children’s education. For some families, homeschooling has worked out just fine. Certain families were even considering it before this year and this was their chance to make the switch. 

For other families, though, it has been almost impossible. Schools have sent out packets of worksheets without explanation or help, students may be struggling to learn remotely, or kids may quickly complete their homework and feel bored. Parents who work from home are challenged to keep up their productivity, while parents who work outside the home suddenly need to find new childcare options. You may even be wondering if someone else can homeschool your child.

Homeschool tutoring may offer a solution to the pandemic education crisis.

Online tutoring services vary in platforms, approaches, settings, and curriculum. If your child is struggling to learn remotely with their school, they may still find success with online homeschool tutoring. It’s all about finding the right resource that supports their learning style.

If private tutoring immediately renders the idea of dollar signs in your mind, you’re partially right. Several tutoring companies charge hefty fees by the hour.

However, there are free or affordable online tutoring available for homeschoolers.

Below, we’ll link to a bunch of real resources for tutoring options, some of them free, some of them not. Still, the reality is that many tutoring services are free or inexpensive.

However, is homeschool tutoring even an option for your family? Your first step needs to be checking your state’s homeschool laws to see what’s permitted.

Here are some of the merits and downfalls of tutoring. We’ll lay it out so you can decide if it’s the right option for your family.Pros and Cons of Online Tutoring for Homeschool

The Benefits of Online Tutoring

Tutoring is a reality for many students. If students have difficulty understanding certain concepts or subjects, it’s far better to spend time with a tutor than to plod on to overwhelming confusion.

Families can find online tutoring services for almost every subject. There are tutors for the core subjects, of course, like math, English, and STEM. It may come as a surprise, however, to learn that tutoring is also available for music, art, foreign languages, social studies, and more. 

The Pros of Online Tutoring Services

Tutors can help enliven your child’s day now that they are learning remotely. Online learning can feel isolating, so the virtual connection can help schoolwork feel more interesting and engaging. Learning virtually requires a different approach than in the classroom, and some students do well with it while others find it challenging. 

Homeschool tutoring can help students feel more motivated.

When your children are learning at home, they may struggle with focus and motivation. In all honesty, it may be difficult for children to take their education seriously when they are homeschooled or learning online because, to them, it doesn’t feel like “real school.” Using online tutoring services can help give your children a slice of normalcy for their school and structure for their days.

Homeschool tutors can help pace your child’s schoolwork so they don’t rush through everything in one day and feel bored for the rest of the week. Here are several benefits of homeschool tutoring.

  • Fill in learning gaps
  • Engage your children with live sessions
  • Pace the coursework
  • Spark motivation
  • Help students take their school seriously at home
  • Increase focus with more structure to their schoolwork
  • Help work-from-home parents manage

The Cons of Online Homeschool Tutoring

If there is a positive side to something, there will inevitably be a downside as well. The cons of homeschool tutoring may or may not apply to your family, but it’s good to keep them in mind anyway. If these factors do relate to your family, you’ll want to think them through before signing up.

Tutoring may not work for every child, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth a shot.

You’ll never know until you try. The thing is, no child learns in the same manner. While tutoring may work for one of your children, it may not help at all with another. This is why it’s so vital to learn about your child’s learning style. 

Thankfully, homeschooling gives families the freedom to sculpt a custom education for each student. 

If that includes tutoring as a means to success, then that’s great! If not, there are plenty of alternatives to try. Here are a few cons of homeschool tutoring.

  • Less/no control over lessons
  • Less/no flexibility with curriculum
  • Often pricy
  • Certain students may struggle with remote sessions
  • Or, certain tutors may not offer remote sessions
    • If you live in a rural area, these tutors may be hard to find.
  • Free tutoring services may lack quality (AKA, “you get what you pay for”)
  • Young homeschool students may struggle to learn from someone new

Real Tutoring Options for Real Homeschoolers

When you need solutions as a homeschooling family, you’re on the lookout for resources and materials that actually help. You probably don’t want a long post explaining why a blogger does or doesn’t love a certain resource. To be direct, it doesn’t matter if someone else loves it when it doesn’t work for your family, right?

When families are looking for solutions, they want actual resources, not opinions.

You also probably don’t want to click through several pages just to find the resources you need. In my experience, I’ve noticed there are two kinds of educational blogs: posts that cover a type of resource and links to information about that resource, or posts that link directly to resources. 

Below, you’ll find links to real, professional tutoring resources. These links will summarize the tutoring service in our Resource Guide so you can get an overview without browsing their website. This will save you time figuring out what you need. After all, if you need a tutor for your high schooler’s test preparation, but the tutoring service doesn’t offer that option, you might as well visit a different website instead. 

We’ve pulled all the general stats so you don’t have to.

If your student is struggling with online learning, preparing for college, or various homeschool subjects, professional tutors can help. There’s a reason tutoring has been so effective throughout the decades! You’ll find both free and paid tutor services below.

#HOMESCHOOL TUTORING, #ONLINE TUTORING, #TUTORING

Courtney Newman

Courtney Newman is a homeschooled graduate with a love for writing. She is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree in Health Science at University of the People. Other than writing, her hobbies include reading, yoga, visiting the beach, and meditating. She lives with her husband and pets in coastal Virginia.