In every field, from sports to business to fitness, the value of personal coaching is fairly obvious. Professionals of all sorts will happily pay considerable sums of money to anyone who can help them to “up their game” in a way that gives them a competitive edge.

But is such coaching really necessary for high school students preparing for admission to college? What about elementary school kids looking to get into a specialized high school? While we’re at it, should we have our four-year-olds compete for admission to the best kindergartens?

On the other hand, watching a child struggle with schoolwork—or worse, lose interest in school altogether—can make any parent wonder, “Does my child need one-on-one coaching?”

There’s a very simple way to answer that question, and it is to ask another question: Is my child a reader?

For most of us, the answer comes instantly. But to be extra clear, readers are people who love to read. They find pleasure in reading, and because they do it all the time, they are usually quite good at it. They always have a book with them. They even bring reading material to the beach. They get lost in reading.

Good readers need very little academic coaching. Even in subjects they do not especially like, those who possess this ability are able to get the information needed to do the work. This incredibly valuable skill can, by itself, get them through everything from literature to history to science—even math.

I’ve found, however, that MANY of the kids I tutor, despite having good grades, are not good readers. They are turned off by the process and are in no condition to handle the challenging readings that appear in almost all standardized tests. Worse yet, they are not ready for the pile of reading assignments that they will receive in their first semester at college, and suffer both academically and psychologically. And very often, thanks to those good grades, their parents have no idea it is happening.

One more thing. Without solid reading comprehension skills, an extremely bright student can feel stupid. Otherwise effective courses (including mine) are far less helpful. Everything is harder, and they are not able to perform in a way that reflects their intelligence. In simple terms, they are unable to live up to their potential, and may become progressively discouraged, disaffected, and ultimately disinterested in school.

Fixing this problem is simple but it is neither quick nor easy. What is needed is a mentor, someone who will sit and read with them, guiding them through the process. This includes removing their embarrassment, assuaging (SAT word!) their trepidation (another!), and reassuring them with each step—and ultimately helping them unlock both the skills they need and the subtle pleasure of comprehension.

Despite being more costly, personal coaching offers the most bang for the buck because it affects everything. Once a student can handle the task of wrestling the meaning out of almost any sentence, it becomes possible to approach coursework KNOWING that they can handle it. It is no exaggeration to say that students who possesses academic confidence can take on literally any learning challenge.

The only remaining question is this: will it work for you / your child?

It’s easy to find out. Book a free consultation and observe for yourself how we create academic superstars but fixing the underlying problem.