On the other end of the math tutoring spectrum is the large tutoring firm. There are many different math tutoring companies available, such as Sylvan Learning, Kaplan, and Huntington. These big companies will have a center where the student will meet with the tutor, usually after school or on the weekend.
These companies have been around for a very long time and are respected in the learning community. A large tutoring firm will usually perform a diagnostic test to discover the different ways that they can help the student succeed. Using the results of the test, they will then map out a tutoring plan that caters to the student’s weaknesses.
A tutoring firm will have many math tutors available and will be able to match up each student with the tutor that will work best with the student. A student’s strengths and weaknesses will be compared with those of the tutors and a match will be chosen to optimize success.
The large companies have many resources available to them that set them apart from other tutoring options. Various curriculums and lesson plans have been developed by these companies that are used during tutoring sessions.
The main drawback of working with one of the large firms is the cost. Math tutoring can cost $100 or more per hour. In addition to this, many companies require a certain number of hours purchased up front. Getting out of the contract can be a problem, as 10 hours or more are standard for the beginning agreement.
Also, it may seem that these large companies are less concerned about actual improvements and results when compared to other math tutoring options. A big firm can come off as being less personal and instead appear to be more worried about profit.
You may want to try an online service like http://www.tutormatch.com – we provide free local searches to pair students with tutors.