Why So Many Parents Are Seeking Extra Academic Help for Their Kids

By Judy Molland

Tutoring is now a $4 billion a year industry in the United States, serving kids who are struggling with a particular subject, as well as those seeking an academic edge over their peers.

Jared Lloyd was having trouble with reading, specifically letter recognition and retention. He began seeing a tutor twice a week for help. As a result, his mother says, Jared's reading ability, confidence and self-esteem have all improved.

Jared is 6 years old.

When today's parents and grandparents struggled academically in their own childhoods, many simply stayed after school for extra help from the teacher. Those whose families were able to afford it went to private tutors - often to ensure success at a prestigious private school or admission to an elite college.

But tutoring is no longer a special privilege of the wealthy. And it's not solely reserved for older kids at risk of academic failure. Tutoring is now a $4 billion a year industry in the United States, serving children as young as 2 or 3; kids who need temporary help with a complex subject; and, increasingly, families who see it as a way to give their children an academic edge over their peers in a competitive world.

While there are no reliable figures for private tutors, the visible explosion of brand-name tutoring and after-school learning centers in the past decade is revealing.

High Stakes, High Anxiety

Many educators believe that today's widespread use of tutors is due to parents' anxiety about their children's success. The nation's obsession with education reform, academic achievement and standardized test scores, combined with an increasingly competitive college admissions process, has prompted parents from all walks of life to consider tutoring for their children.