Private vs Small Group Tutoring – Which is right for you?

When first looking at tutoring, the number of options can be overwhelming, and you may be wondering which option is right for you or your child. 

When people think of tutoring, they often think of one to one of private tutoring in the home. Traditionally tutoring has been a high achieving student helping younger students who are struggling in the same subjects in which the high achieving student excelled.

Tutoring centres and the tutoring industry have grown alongside the numbers of students entering into Universities, and the regulation and standardisation of exams and testing across Australia.  Schools and the students within them have increasingly looked for external help to stand out and compete in the crowded academic space or even just keep up with their peers in an increasingly competitive environment. Tutoring use is only set to continue to grow as universities begin to restrict places due to funding restrictions from the government.

DYMOCKS TUTORING – PRIVATE VS SMALL GROUP

At Dymocks Tutoring we offer both Private and Small Group tuition to students in our learning hubs or online.

Here’s a quick breakdown of when our learning team recommends private tutoring vs. when we recommend small groups and the factors to consider for each. 

PRIVATE TUTORING

We recommend private tutoring for students when:

1. A student has fallen behind in a specific area or concept and needs focussed attention on that concept to catch up.
2. The student has learning difficulties that would benefit from one to one attention and support from a private tutor, 
3. The student struggles with the social aspect of learning in a group environment or setting and would work better in a one to one tutoring environment. 
4. The student needs assistance only for a single assessment or task.

Factors to consider for Private Tutoring:

1. Private tutoring is a higher per hour cost
2. Private tutoring is often directed by students requirements and needs week to week, so may not be as specifically focussed or tied to the syllabus as the tutor is more likely to focus on individual requirements, rather than an overview of the subject. This can be very beneficial for assessments, but less beneficial for overall exam performance. 
3. Private in-home tutors often don’t have access to many of the resources that would be provided by tutoring centres. However, if you do private tutoring within a dedicated centre like Dymocks Tutoring, much of this will be provided at no additional charge. 

SMALL GROUP TUTORING

We recommend small group tutoring for:

1. Students who want a detailed and systematic grounding in the syllabus. This is particularly effective for exam preparation.
2. Students who find it difficult to plan their time. Regular, structured tutoring provides a routine that builds dedicated study time into their schedules (e.g. do 1 hour of study alone before attending tutoring lessons)
3. Students who do well with a small amount of competition with other students in a supportive environment.
4. Students who get benefit from the social aspect of studying and engaging with students from other schools.
5. Students who are happy to learn from other students or bounce ideas off a group

Factors to consider for Small Group Tutoring

1. Small group tutoring is a much more affordable option for most students and their families, at Dymocks Tutoring this starts from just $26 an hour.
2. If you do small group tutoring at a high quality centre like Dymocks Tutoring, resources and notes are mapped to the syllabus, to make sure you’re learning the things you need to succeed in standardised tests.
3. Often included in small group tutoring centres like Dymocks Tutoring are additional extras like homework help, or assessment support that are provided outside of the classes on a one to one basis. 
4. Small group tutoring can provide a motivational support system for the students during stressful times, like major exams or assessments.