Tutoring for Younger Students Pays Long Term Dividends

4th, 5th, and 6th grades are when real academic learning begins to be daunting for kids. 

We can help.

Yes, we’ll help our students prepare for a math quiz, improve an essay, or nail a science test. 

But more than that, our tutors are true academic mentors who focus on long term development and encouraging academic curiosity—exactly what they’ll need in high school and college.

Working with an Achieve Tutorials mentor, your kids will learn to:

  • Think about school as a collaboration between students, teachers, parents, and tutors.
  • Emphasize building meaningful relationships with teachers.
  • “Play the game” according to the expectations of each individual teacher in each class.
  • Build and strengthen executive function and organizational skills.
  • Develop critical reasoning and analytical skills across all subjects.
  • Dive deeper into meaningful pursuits, whether academic, entrepreneurial, social, or athletic. 
  • Take on leadership roles in the classroom and in other activities.

And always, through increasing expectations, we encourage our students to Aim Higher in all they do!

Elementary and Middle School Tutoring FAQ

Extremely effective, according to this study from the Annenberg Institute at Brown University and the University of Virginia, sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

Effectiveness increases with “high dosage” (3X per week) tutoring in one-on-one and small group settings. 

Every student can benefit from working with an expert tutor.

Here are some signs to watch for that might indicate you need a tutor. Students who need help exhibit:

  • Increased anxiety about school
  • A lack of or diminished interest in school
  • Lack of confidence
  • Lack of participation in the classroom
  • Disorganization and/or inconsistent schoolwork
  • Poor test scores despite working hard and mastering homework
  • Poor time management and executive function
  • Specific learning style not supported by the school

Every student is unique, and each faces their own challenges. We encourage you to stay in frequent contact with your kids and their teachers about their schoolwork, the challenges they face, and where they might need more help. 

The kids who have been told they are “smart” often hit a wall when they are first significantly challenged, and the lesson they can take away is that they’re not smart enough to handle this new challenge, or any future ones. That can shut them down academically. 

This is especially true for kids who find school easy. Their true challenges often lie in building good study skills for future classes that require serious effort, not just innate ability. 

We help students build grit and the work habits and skills they’ll need to overcome larger challenges.

Every parent wants their kids to succeed, and we take pride in our “smart” kids. 

But multiple studies have shown that calling our kids “smart” can be counterproductive. 

It is much better for their academic development when we praise them for their hard work. 

So the next time your child brings home an A, definitely be proud of their achievement, but point out how their hard work paid off instead of how smart they are! We push our students to learn how to work hard and overcome challenges so they are undaunted.

Our tutors meet with students in person or online, individually or in small tutoring pods of 4 or fewer students. 

Sessions typically last an hour to an hour and a half, tailored to students’ endurance.

We typically recommend 2 to 3 sessions per week, but how often students should meet with their tutor depends on their individual needs.

Studies show that “high dosage” tutoring of 3 or more sessions a week is most effective, but meeting once a week is also beneficial.

Whatever schedule we agree upon, it is crucial to meet regularly and consistently to reap maximum long-term benefits from tutoring.

We have expertise in virtually any subjects your kids will take in elementary, middle and high school—Math, Science, English, History, and more, at all levels. 

We pride ourselves on being extremely versatile academic mentors, and we adjust our teaching to the needs of each of our individual students. 

Our goal is to build better students over the long term, not just prepare students for the next quiz or test. 

We also have years of experience dealing with students challenged by ADHD and other learning differences.