What Are Some Reasons Why Tutoring May Not Be Working for My Child?
As a parent, when you see your child struggling in school, tutoring may seem like the go-to solution. Many parents invest in tutoring, hoping for improved grades, better understanding, and boosted confidence. But what if tutoring doesn’t seem to be working? If your child’s progress is slow, or they’re still frustrated and disengaged, you’re not alone. Here are some reasons why tutoring may not be working—and what you can do about it.
1. Tutoring Doesn’t Address the Root Cause
Tutoring often focuses on reteaching specific academic content, such as math or reading. However, if your child has underlying cognitive skill weaknesses, reteaching the material may not be enough. Cognitive skills like attention, memory, processing speed, and problem-solving are foundational to learning. If these skills are weak, tutoring may only provide a temporary boost in grades without fixing the core issue.
Research shows that cognitive skills significantly impact academic performance across subjects like reading and math. Strengthening these underlying skills through cognitive training has been found to create lasting improvements in learning outcomes.
Read More: How to Decide if Your Child Needs Brain Training or Tutoring >>
2. Your Child May Have a Learning Disability
If your child has an undiagnosed learning disability, tutoring may feel like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Tutoring assumes that children can learn if the material is presented correctly. But for kids with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, ADHD, or processing disorders, the problem isn’t simply understanding the content—it’s how their brain processes information in general.
A 2019 study published in the Journal of Learning Disabilities emphasizes that children with dyslexia, for example, require specific interventions that target phonemic awareness and decoding, which typical tutoring may not address. This means that even the best tutor may not help unless the intervention is tailored to their specific needs.
Read More: Brain Training Research for Kids with Learning Disabilities >>
3. Tutoring Only Provides Short-Term Help
Tutoring often serves as a “band-aid” to get through a tough class or pass a test. While this can be helpful in the short term, it’s not a permanent solution. Many parents find that once tutoring stops, their child’s grades and confidence slide again. This is because tutoring typically doesn’t build lasting skills—once the tutor is gone, so are the gains.
In contrast, brain training programs focus on strengthening cognitive skills that form the foundation of learning. A 2020 study in Frontiers in Psychology found that cognitive training, unlike traditional tutoring, provides long-lasting improvements in skills like attention and memory that students carry with them throughout their academic and personal lives .
4. Your Child May Be Burned Out
If your child already spends hours in school, adding more instructional time with a tutor could lead to burnout. Many kids, especially those with attention difficulties or academic anxiety, may feel overwhelmed by the constant focus on their weaknesses. When this happens, tutoring can backfire, leading to more frustration and disengagement rather than progress.
Researchers at Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review highlight the importance of balancing structured learning with opportunities for relaxation and play, especially for children with learning struggles. If tutoring feels like a punishment or just more schoolwork, it’s unlikely to be effective.
6. Lack of Motivation or Confidence
Sometimes, the issue isn’t how much tutoring your child is receiving, but how they feel about learning in general. If your child has developed a mindset that they “can’t” succeed, no amount of tutoring will change that. Kids who lack confidence or have faced repeated academic failure often need more than just academic support—they need to rebuild their belief in their own abilities.
Read More: Stress & Learning Struggles: Helping Your Child Build Resilience >>
What Can You Do Instead?
If what you’ve been trying isn’t working for your child, it may be time to consider an alternative that addresses the root causes of their struggles. Cognitive training programs at LearningRx target the brain’s core learning skills—such as attention, memory, and processing speed—providing a personalized approach that strengthens the underlying abilities needed for long-term success. Rather than just helping your child get through a test or subject, cognitive training helps them become a stronger learner overall.
