A tutor can change a child’s entire outlook on school.
Peer Tutors Provide the Support Students Need
Studies show that having more people invested in a student’s education will inspire motivation and confidence in a student (JRF). A peer tutor is the perfect person to do that. Students are more likely to listen when someone close to their age shows them that education is important. They are also more likely to develop positive attitudes towards subject matter (Kalkowski 1992).
Moreover, peer tutoring is shown to improve academic performance across all content areas, grade levels, and for students with and without learning disabilities. Tutees are more likely to ask questions when their tutor is a peer. Peer tutoring increases students’ opportunities to respond, increases the time they spend on-task, and provides regular and immediate feedback to students, all of which are factors that improve academic performance (Perrott, Davis, Vannest, Williams, 2013).
The Peer Effect
The average fourth grader’s test scores drop 8.5% if their peers start making fun of academic achievers. (Peer Effect)
By providing tutors who are peers, we do more than provide homework help; we can influence students’ attitudes about school and life. Research conducted by Big Brothers Big Sister in 2017 shows that youth at risk of joining a gang are less likely to do so if they are paired with an older peer mentor. Youth paired with older peer mentors also experience increases in connectedness to family and peers, as well as peer acceptance and self-esteem (NMRC). Being around a peer who promotes a positive outlook on education, encourages positive personal choices, and inspires confidence and motivation can have a long lasting impact on a student’s life.
From Tutor to Mentor
When surveyed, our tutors reported that they developed mentorships with 75% of the children they tutored. Specifically, they experienced these signs of a mentorship:
they felt looked up to by the students they tutored
the students they tutored listened to and followed their advice
the students they tutored benefited from the tutor’s experience and knowledge
they were asked for advice on academic and non-academic subjects
they saw the students they tutored experience growth as a result of their relationship
Tutors felt mentorships develop 75% of the time
The Impact of a Mentor
Student Connection impacts students’ lives the most when it conduces mentorships. Having a mentor guarantees students that there is someone who cares about them, that they are not alone in dealing with life’s challenges, and that they matter. Mentors can help students view school as something that’s no longer scary, but achievable. Mentors can show students they are capable and they should not back down from life’s opportunities, like college and careers. Research confirms that quality mentoring relationships have powerful positive effects on young people in a variety of personal, academic, and professional situations .
Young Adults Who Were At-Risk for Falling Off Track But Had a Mentor Are:
55%
less likely than their peers to skip a day of school.
55%
more likely to be enrolled in college.
46%
less likely than their peers to start using drugs.
81%
more likely to participate regularly in sports or extracurricular activities.
Source: mentoring.org