This decision should be based on three important elements: your child’s personality, his or her language skills, and the subject area in which he or she needs support. In many cases, a workshop is a better choice economically and academically, however, if your child is working in a subject that is not or cannot be covered well in a group class setting, or if he or she has a learning difficulty that would make group learning more challenging, a workshop might not be the best option.

Workshops tend to suit students working on general language deficits or broad mathematics concepts that are difficult for many students. For example, workshops are recommended for ESOL students seeking to improve rapidly in the four main areas of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. For ESOL students in these circumstances, private tutoring limits the amount of time they spend with other English speakers, and increases the risk that they will become comfortable only with the style, language, and tone of their tutor. Private tutoring suits the student with very specific problems to be successful quickly with very individual attention.

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