One to one tutoring Vs small groups: Which is right for you?

With this option, tutors work with children individually. You’ll find tutors who offer support from different locations with the main places being the tutor’s home or office, your home, a tuition centre or online.

Here are some of the main advantages and disadvantages of individual tutoring services:

Pros of individual tutoring

• Children get the full attention of their tutor
• The pace of learning can be adjusted to match their needs
• Teaching styles and methods can be tailored to children’s learning styles
• Session content is highly individualised
• Has the highest impact on learning progress
• Tutors can break big, daunting topics into smaller chunks that are more manageable 
• Feedback is immediate, personalised and meaningful
• The focus of each session can be flexible to include different subjects, topics or skills as needed
• Strong tutor-child relationships can be formed quickly
• More reserved, quiet children can make great progress and ask questions more comfortably than with a group
• If a child misses a session, they won’t fall behind their peers
• There are fewer potential distractions than in a group

With small group tutoring, tutors typically work with a group of between two and six children in each session. Typically, small groups are held at the tutor’s home or office, a tuition centre or online.

Here are some of the main advantages and disadvantages of group tutoring services:

Pros of group tutoring

• The cost of group tutoring is less than one to one tutoring
• Small group sizes enable children to get more individual attention than is possible at school
• Children learning in groups are usually at a similar level, learning the same subject or working towards the same goal 
• The tutor-to-child ratio allows greater personalisation of learning than in a whole-class setting
• Many children learn best with peers where they can work collaboratively and share ideas
• Small groups often develop supportive relationships
• Group dynamics can be healthily competitive and motivating
• Groups can be great for social development

Cons of group tutoring

• Individual children don’t get the full attention of the tutor (although this can help children develop individual learning skills)
• Group session topics are usually more structured to meet the needs of the group, so some children may get bored if they have already mastered the content of a session
• If a child has to miss a session, they are likely to fall behind and catching up can be difficult and stressful
• Some children may find it stressful to keep up with other members of the group
• Groups come with a higher possibility of distraction (from other group members, late arrivals, etc.)

In this post, I’ve done my best to round up and compare the main differences between individual and group tutoring and I hope that you feel better informed to make the right choice for you and your child.

As for which one is better, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. Every child and their family has different circumstances, goals and needs. 

However, I do have some general recommendations:

• If your child has specific learning needs, has gaps in their learning or is struggling to keep up, I would recommend one to one tutoring – if your budget allows
• Children who learn well in a more social setting may find that the dynamics of a small group with a shared focus might be the best choice