Private Tutor Vs. Learning Center – Which Is Right For You?

The decision to get supplementary tutoring and education for your child can be a challenging one. With so many services and options, sometimes parents can be overwhelmed and don’t know exactly which the best option for their student is.
 
While private tutors (home tutors) and learning centers both aim to achieve the same goal, the services and methodologies are different, so the best option depends on the student’s particular situation and challenges.
 
Here are some of the most important differences between a private tutor (home tutor) and learning centers:

Private tutor (home tutor):

One of the main advantages of a home tutor is the convenience. In this service, the tutoring session occurs at the convenience of the family at their home or at a library.
 
Family schedules are always changing and a private tutor offers the flexibility that allows the student to get the education they need at any time.
 
A private tutor provides 1 on 1 attention. Instead of spreading their time and focusing on multiple students, home tutors commit all their time to a single student. This allows a much more personalized service and even allows the opportunity to develop a close relationship with the tutor.
 
In terms of pricing, a private tutor’s hourly rates tend to be more affordable. A good private tutor with the right profile and credentials can provide an amazing service at an affordable rate.

Learning Center:

Tutors working at learning centers tend to be highly trained and qualified. Not that all tutors working at a learning center are better than private tutors, but learning centers have already researched and interviewed the tutor before they hire them.
 
Learning centers are also well stocked with educational material like textbooks which gives them an advantage over private tutoring.
 
Another advantage on learning centers is that they provide tutors in multiple areas of education. So if a child needs a tutor in Spanish, math and in physics, a learning center can easily provide a tutor for each subject.
 
It’s possible to find a private tutor (home tutor) for each subject also, it just may take a little longer to find the right tutor for each subject.
 
The price and convenience are the cons of learning centers. Learning centers tend to be more expensive than home tutors and typically include a commute to the center, while a home tutor can provide their services at the family home.
 
Another negative aspect of a learning center is that there are usually multiple students at a tutorial session. A tutor at a learning center is not focusing all of their attention on just one student, so the service is not as flexible or personalized as one on one private tutors provide.
 
Whether you choose a learning center or private tutor, Tutor Index can get you started on your search.