What It Means
Tutoring is teaching given to one student or a small group outside regular class, either to fill gaps, keep up with current work or move ahead. It can come from a teacher, a trained tutor, an older student or a paid service, at school, at home or online. Research summaries collected by the Department of Education's research arm describe "high-dosage" tutoring as frequent sessions, more than three days a week or at least 50 hours over a 36-week year.
Try It: Add Up a Year of Tutoring Hours
Move the sliders to plan a school year of tutoring (36 weeks). The 50-hour line comes from a high-dosage definition in research briefs in ERIC.
At or above 50 hours over 36 weeks, one of the two high-dosage markers.
Under 50 hours. Tutoring can still help at this level; the briefs found more frequent sessions work best.
More than three days a week also meets the other high-dosage marker.
Sessions under 30 minutes can suit younger children if they come more often.
How Parents Say It
- "She's got math tutoring Tuesdays and Thursdays."
- "Should we get him a reading tutor?"
- "The school offers free tutoring before first period."
The Breakdown
What research briefs say works. From the ERIC and IES briefs named in the sources:
| Feature | What the research summaries found |
|---|---|
| How often | Can help at one or two sessions a week; works best at three to five |
| How long | Sessions of 30 to 60 minutes show the most impact; younger students may do better with shorter, more frequent ones |
| Group size | One-on-oneOne-on-one meetingA regular private meeting between a manager and one person who reports to them, used for check-ins, feedback, problems and career growth. See more, or small groups of two to four; groups over four are less personalized and harder to run well |
| High-dosage | More than three days a week, or at least 50 hours over 36 weeks |
By age. Buhata's suggestions, in line with the session-length finding:
| Age | A reasonable starting shape |
|---|---|
| Kindergarten to grade 2 | Short sessions, 15 to 30 minutes, several days a week, often reading |
| Grades 3 to 5 | 30 minutes, two or three times a week |
| Middle and high school | 30 to 60 minutes, focused on one course or test |
Questions to ask a tutor or program. Buhata's suggestions:
- How many students will be in each session?
- What will you check first to see what my child needs, and how will you measure progress?
- Will you talk with the teacher so the work lines up with class?
Good to Know
Ask the school first whether it offers tutoring or knows of programs nearby. Some after-school programsAfter-school programSupervised care and activities for school-age children in the hours after the school day ends, often with homework help, enrichment, sports or clubs. See more funded by the Department of Education's 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants offer tutoring. If your child is far behind in reading or math despite help, ask whether an evaluation for a learning disability makes sense; you can request one in writing. Check the progress reportsProgress report(1) A school's update on a student's grades partway through a grading period; (2) the periodic report on an IEP's annual goals that IDEA requires. See more and talk with the teacher every few weeks to see whether tutoring is making a difference.
FAQ
How often should my child have tutoring?
Research briefs in ERIC found tutoring can help at one or two sessions a week but works best at three to five. Fit it to your child's age and schedule.
Is one-on-one tutoring better than a small group?
One-on-one is the most personal, but the briefs found groups of two to four students still work well. Groups larger than four are harder to run well.
What is high-dosage tutoring?
Frequent, sustained tutoring. Research briefs in ERIC define it as more than three days a week, or at least 50 hours across 36 weeks.
Do It in Buhata
Calendar, Reminders, Tasks
Add tutoring sessions to the Buhata Calendar and set a Reminder every four weeks to compare notes with the teacher on progress.
Open BuhataRelated Terms and Categories
- After-school program
Supervised care and activities for school-age children in the hours after the school day ends, often with homework help, enrichment, sports or clubs.
- Homework routine
A set time, place and order for doing schoolwork at home each school day, so homework starts without a fresh argument every afternoon.
- Progress report
(1) A school's update on a student's grades partway through a grading period; (2) the periodic report on an IEP's annual goals that IDEA requires.
- Parent-teacher conference
A short scheduled meeting between a parent and a child's teacher to talk about how the child is doing in school and how to help at home.
Sources
EdResearch for Recovery, "Accelerating Student Learning with High-Dosage Tutoring" (ERIC); "High-dosage tutoring for academically at-risk students," brief (February 2024, ERIC); Institute of Education Sciences (IES), "How High-Quality, Small-Group Tutoring Can Accelerate Learning"
- files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED613847.pdf
- files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED645334.pdf
- ies.ed.gov/learn/blog/how-high-quality-small-group-tutoring-can-accelerate-learning
Last updated .