Online Tutoring
Reviews of the Best Online Tutor Sites
This page summarizes the services offered by some of the best Online Tutoring sites on the Internet. We provide a brief summary of each of the companies, the services they offer, the cost of their services and our opinions of the pros and cons of each site.
TutorVista.com
In our opinion TutorVista offers the best buy in online tutor services on the internet. For $100/month your child can have unlimited tutoring 24/7. There are significant discounts for multi-month contracts ($50/month for 12 months)
If you would like to take TutorVista for a free test drive just type in a question and click on the link below:
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TutorVista was founded by Krishnan Ganesh in 2005 with headquarters and operations in Bangalore, India. Their mission is to provide world-class tutoring and high-quality content to students around the world - anytime, anywhere and in any subject.
TutorVista.com only hires experienced tutors. Most have a masters or Ph.D. degree as well as 5-10 years teaching experience and must pass stringent certification exams.
You can schedule sessions with your preferred tutor in advance and get on-demand help too. Using a technology called Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP), the student and the tutor talk naturally with headphone and microphone using through the students personal computer as well as communicate through online chat. The student and tutor share a "whiteboard" that they both can write on.
No special software is required but a headset with microphone is recommended.
The company takes advantage of the highly educated, low-wage-base Indian population to offer the most cost effective Online Tutoring service on the Internet. For $100/month your child can have unlimited tutoring 24/7. There are significant discounts for multi-month contracts ($50/month for 12 months)
Pros:
Highly qualified tutors Unlimited online tutoring Low costCons:
May be some language problems. TutorVista requires English speech classes for all their tutors and most are easily understood. Voice interaction, requires purchase of headset with microphone ($25-50 from Amazon)Click Here for a comparison of the top five tutoring websites
Tutor.com
Tutor.com is a company founded by George Cigale in 1998 with headquarters and operations in New York, NY. Their mission is to provide 24/7 on-demand online tutoring to English speaking students around the world. They provide direct-to-customer service as well as through their after-school "Live Homework Help" programs at over 1,800 public libraries
Tutor.com tutors must be enrolled in or have graduated from a US/Canadian University and must pass stringent certification exams.
Since Tutor.com is focused on delivering quick on-demand tutoring you cannot schedule sessions with your preferred tutor. Using an interactive "whiteboard" and online chatting the student and tutor interact directly to learn and solve problems.
No special software is required and since there is no voice interaction a headset and microphone are not required.
The company offers a very flexible pay-as-you go program with the minimum usage unit being one minute and unused minutes are rolled forward for six months. The cost for 50 minutes is $30 (60 cents/min). For 500 minutes the cost is $230 (46 cents/min).
Pros:
English as first language, certified tutors Flexible program - only pay for minutes you use Low entry cost - Minimum purchase is $30 for 50 min 20 minutes Free Trial OfferCons:
Do not offer unlimited tutoring for a fixed price No voice interaction Can be expensive if your child requires more than an hour or two per week. Click Here for a comparison of the top five tutoring websites
Smarthinking.com
Smarthinking is a company founded by Burck Smith and Christopher Gergen in 1999 with headquarters and operations in Washington DC, US. Smart thinking is primarily focused on providing people, technology and training to help institutions offer their students E-structor Certified tutoring anytime from any Internet connection.
While they are primarily focused on enabling institutions (schools, universities, libraries...) to help students they do offer individual online tutoring.
Smarthinking.com tutors are all "E-structor"(TM) Certified and are seasoned educators, most with advanced degrees in their fields and are drawn from college faculty, graduate students and active and retired high school teachers.
Smarthinking's Individual Tutoring program uses a "whiteboard" based interactive graphical chat tool to allow real-time interaction between students and tutors.
No special software is required and since no voice option is needed their is no need to purchase a headset with microphone.
Smarthinking Individual Tutoring is priced at $35/hr for a one hour purchase. If you purchase 4 hours of online tutoring the price is $120 ($30/hr). Charges are charged per one minute intervals with a 5 minute minimum charge for each session. Minutes can be rolled over
There are also plans for writing help through their Online Writing lab and a specific plan for SAT essay practice and review. There is also an option for submission of specific questions.
Pros:
Highly qualified tutors Flexible program - only pay for minutes you use Low entry cost - Minimum purchase is $35 for 1 hourCons:
Do not offer unlimited tutoring for a fixed price No voice interaction Can be expensive if your child requires more than one or so hours per week. Click Here for a comparison of the top five tutoring websites
GrowingStars.com
GrowingStars.com is a company founded by Biju Mathew in 2004 with headquarters Santa Clara, CA and operations in Cochi, India. GrowingStars is focused on providing individual students with convenient, affordable, online tutoring.
GrowingStars.com requires tutors to have a master's degree in the primary subject matter they teach and provides training to each tutor in in accent reduction and American culture.
GrowingStars.com provides "Always-On Tutoring" available for a 5-hour window each school evening, Sunday through Thursday from 4pm to 9pm. Students also have the option to pre-schedule a session with their tutor any day through a web-based scheduler and can communicate with their teacher through a chat window separate from the online classroom.
GrowingStars uses an interactive "whiteboard" and online chatting which enables the student and tutor to interact directly to learn and solve problems. Growing Stars also offers extensive help with SAT preparation both one-on-one and in a small online classroom setting. A Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) option is also available.
No special software is required but a headset with microphone is recommended.
GrowingStars.com charges $120/month for 8 hours of tutoring ($15/hr) and $80/month for 4 hours of tutoring ($20/hr).
Pros:
Highly qualified tutors Two tutoring plans: $15/month (8hrs/mo) and $20/month(4hrs/mo) Low CostCons:
May be some language problems. GrowingStars.com requires accent reduction training for all their tutors and most are easily understaood. For voice interaction, requires purchase of headset with microphone ($25-50 from Amazon) Click Here for a comparison of the top five tutoring websites
e-Tutor.com
Knowledge Headquarters, Inc is a company founded by Martha Angula in 1997 with headquarters and operations in Chicago, IL. The premier education product of Knowledge HQ, Inc. is e-Tutor.com, which is an innovative K-12 instructional program that offers students, parents, educators, and homeschoolers a superior learning experience in a technology-rich, activity- based online learning program.
e-Tutor.com offers two different programs: Independent Study Program in which students work independently and can contact e-Tutor via email 24/7 or by phone Monday through Friday 10am to 4pm. A maximum of four lessons per day is recommended.
The second program offered by e-Tutor.com is a Guided Study Program which is a one-on-one program in which individual students work one-to-one with a tutor. This Guided Program features a bulletin board/chat room that provides students, at least, one hour per week of guaranteed talk time with their tutor. Students communicate with their tutor the remainder of the week by email and telephone.
Pricing for the Independent Study Program is $99/month for K-1, $129/month for grades 2-3, $159/month for grades 4-5, $129/month/subject of grades 6-8 (additional subjects are $35/mo) and $139/month/subject for grades 9-12 (additional subjects are $45/month). Guided Programs are on average priced at the same level as Independent Study + an additional $100/month.
No special software is required.
Pros:
Highly qualified US-based, English as first language tutors Systematic complete lesson modules for each subjects Essentially an online school programCons:
Limited one-on-one online tutoring Relatively expensive compared to on-demand online tutoring Click Here for a comparison of the top five tutoring websites
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