Some parents will wonder if it is a good idea to have a student meet with a tutor over the holiday recess. While we generally advocate tutoring over summer break, the holiday period comes with more complications. There are some rewards to tutoring during this break, but here are also many draw backs.

Rewards to Holiday Tutoring

We all know students can lose track of their school work during the holiday break. Most teachers at the middle school level and above will assign some degree of work during this time period. Colleges typically have a semester break at this time. Secondary schools, however, often do not end their semester until after the holiday. Even if the semester has ended, secondary school students likely have the same classes for a full year, giving teachers the chance to assign work over the break.

If a student does no school work over the break at all, the student will likely be behind come January. Since students have trouble concentrating and keeping a schedule during this time period, having a tutor can increase the effectiveness of any study time. It is also possible to use a private tutor over the breaks to provide support in areas the student is weak in. This is ideal because the student is not distracted with the day-to-day demands of school outside of the tutoring sessions.

Downsides to Tutoring Over Break

• Some families simply want time to relax and be together during holiday breaks. This is a benefit students deserve, and you may find it is best to show that there is a time and a place to put down work and just relax.
• Just because a tutor is present, a student does not completely shift gears and get back into school mode when on break. While it is true a tutor will make holiday studying more effective, the same tutor would be most effective at a time when the student shows better focus.
• The tutor will have to create concrete lesson plans if the student does not have pressing academic needs. This works great with a dedicated tutor experienced with creating an agenda. Some tutors, however, are better suited to supplement education that is occurring in the classroom. They may have difficulty teaching a student who does not have an agenda from a teacher.
• Tutors are people, too. They may have busy schedules over the holidays that prevent them from being present when you most desire them.

Making the Choice

Ultimately, it is best to forgo tutoring during holiday break unless you know of a concrete need your student has. For example, SAT or ISEE tutoring can be moved forward during the break. Similarly, subject tutoring for a subject your student struggled in can be very effective. If your student mostly needs help completing homework or asking questions outside of class, it is better to only meet with a tutor when school is in session. Otherwise, you will likely find the lessons are much less productive.