Why Every Student (Yes, Every Student!) Needs a Writing Tutor
Growing up, my mother would say: “Writing is one of the most critical skills in life. Your ability to write well has a direct impact on your ability to receive life’s opportunities.” Whew, ok, no pressure! But in all seriousness, she was right. I knew that she had literally written her way into countless scholarships, maintained straight A’s throughout her college tenure, and tutored fellow university students in writing. One of her professors even outsourced his essay grading to her. This is all thanks to her writing skills. And, lucky for me, my mom always served as my unofficial writing tutor. Surely, my high school self might have disagreed with this sentiment, but as an adult, I’m grateful for the time she spent working with me on my writing abilities.
After college, I went on to become a middle school English teacher, sure to share this same line of thinking with my students around the necessity of high-quality writing skills in hopes of inspiring them to take their writing practice as serious preparation for life. Currently, in my role as Chief Operating Officer of Tutor Corps and Pacific Preparatory, writing continues to be incredibly important: writing this blog right now (hello!), communicating effectively with my team, and connecting thoughtfully with the families we serve. Simply put: one’s ability to write well matters. It matters a lot.
So, how can a writing tutor help? See below for our top FIVE reasons you should consider a writing tutor for your child this fall.
Improve Writing Skills, Regardless of Current Skill Level
Maybe you feel that your child’s writing skills are already pretty good. While that’s great, it’s important to know that even ‘good’ writers benefit from support with brainstorming ideas, creating drafts, revising work, and final proofreadings. Therefore, it is ideal to have a go-to tutor on hand to tap as needed, as even small suggestions and tweaks can benefit the overall flow of a writing piece. Even better, the student gets to observe the tutor’s approach to editing suggestions, and then the child gets to hold onto that skill… for life.
Working with a Writing Tutor is Customizable
In English class, there is typically one teacher for twenty or more students. Regardless of the classroom teacher’s skills and capabilities, there is no way for a teacher to cater to a classroom of students and be able to truly customize learning. I had some really wonderful English teachers growing up. However, I learned the “real” skills when someone sat down with me 1:1 on a regular basis to help me craft ideas and finesse my written work.
Writing: It’s Not Just for English Class
Especially as students get older, writing happens in all courses. It’s not just limited to humanities courses. In my professional development as a teacher, we were even taught that science should also be viewed as a writing and reading comprehension class. The same is true in math. Writing is a fundamental skill across all disciplines, period.
Mentorship
How delightful to know that your child has an incredible writing tutor who can also serve as a mentor, even over several years. It’s fun and enjoyable to join a tutoring session and connect with a mentor who will also teach you how to write; someone who truly understands your skillset and will help you continually build on your abilities.
True Confidence
Now more than ever, confident communicators are what the world needs. There’s no doubt we have many problems to solve, and while math abilities and science understanding are of course highly important, all of the math and science won’t matter unless we have people who can thoughtfully share the information gained through writing and other modes of communication. We need people who can inspire and share their stories in a way that resonates with society.
Want to meet a couple of our favorite writing tutors? Check out this link!