Tutoring for Struggling Students 2026: How to Help Without Harm

 

Understanding the Struggling Student

Who is a “struggling student”?

• Grade: Getting D’s or F’s
• Confidence: Believes they “can’t do math” (or subject)
• Behavior: Avoids homework, doesn’t try (learned helplessness)
• History: Years of struggle (not just one bad class)
• Mindset: “I’m not smart enough” (fixed mindset)

Important: Struggling ≠ unintelligent

Research shows struggling students often:

• Have learning gaps (not lack of ability)
• Need different teaching approach
• Lack confidence (not competence)
• Respond well to right tutor + strategy

The Real Issue

Most struggling students aren’t “bad at math.” They:

1. Had gaps in foundational skills
2. Got discouraged (confidence dropped)
3. Stopped trying (why try if I’ll fail?)
4. Fell further behind (gap compounded)
5. Now are stuck in cycle

Breaking this cycle is tutoring’s job.

Check Out: Get Personalized Online Tutoring

Why Traditional Tutoring Fails Struggling Students

Mistake #1: Jumping to “Current Level”

Wrong approach:

• Student is in Algebra 2
• Tutor teaches Algebra 2 content
• Student doesn’t understand (missing foundations)
• Tutor gets frustrated
• Student gives up

Right approach:

• Identify knowledge gaps (gaps in Algebra 1, Pre-algebra)
• Go back and fill gaps
• Now Algebra 2 makes sense
• Student succeeds

Time impact: Takes longer, but actually works

Mistake #2: Moving Too Fast

Wrong approach:

• Tutor explains concept quickly
• Shows how to do 5 problems
• Student nods along
• Next session: Student forgot everything
• Tutor: “We covered this last week!”

Right approach:

• Explain ONE concept slowly
• Do ONE problem together carefully
• Student does ONE problem alone
• Celebrate success
• Next session: Review, then one new thing

Speed: Slower feels bad, but faster works better

Mistake #3: No Confidence Building

Wrong approach:

• Focus only on “get the right answer”
• Ignore emotional aspect
• Student stays terrified of subject
• Even when answers right, still feels like failure

Right approach:

• Celebrate effort (“You kept trying!”)
• Recognize progress (“That’s better than last week”)
• Build confidence (“You can do this”)
• Make it safe to be wrong

Result: Student willing to try, takes risks, learns more

Mistake #4: Not Addressing Learned Helplessness

What is learned helplessness?
Years of failure taught student that effort doesn’t matter. So they don’t try anymore.

Wrong response:

• Push harder
• Assign more problems
• Criticize lack of effort

Right response:

• Acknowledge: “Math has been hard for you”
• Show success: “Look, you got 3 right!”
• Build gradually: Small wins first
• Create hope: “This gets easier”

What Actually Works for Struggling Students

How Online Tutoring Enhances Test Prep for Standardized Exams

Strategy #1: Start Where They Are (Not Where They Should Be)

Diagnostic approach:

1. Assess current knowledge gaps precisely
2. Go back to find WHERE they understand
3. Build from there

Example: Student in Calculus but struggling

• Assessment: “Can you do derivatives?”
• Answer: “No”
• Assessment: “Can you do limits?”
• Answer: “Kind of”
• Assessment: “Can you graph functions?”
• Answer: “Sometimes”

Tutor decision: Start with graphing (where they have some success), then build to limits, then derivatives.

Why it works: Success breeds confidence, confidence breeds effort, effort creates learning.

Strategy #2: Celebrate Effort More Than Results

Growth mindset research shows:
Praising effort creates learners.
Praising ability creates fixed mindset.

Wrong praise:

• “You’re so smart!” (creates fear of failure)
• “You got it right!” (only celebrates right answers)

Right praise:

• “You kept trying!” (celebrates effort)
• “You improved!” (celebrates progress)
• “You asked a good question!” (celebrates engagement)
• “You worked carefully!” (celebrates process)

Impact: Student willing to struggle because struggle = positive

Strategy #3: Break Everything Into Smaller Pieces

Rule: If student can’t do it, break it into smaller parts until they can.

Example: Struggling with quadratic formula

Don’t:

• Show entire formula
• Solve full problem
• Expect student to replicate

Do:

• Just plug in numbers (forget derivation)
• Do one component at a time
• Master each part before combining
• Gradually show how parts connect

Timeline: Takes longer, but student actually learns

Strategy #4: Use Encouraging Language

Language matters for struggling students.

Avoid:

• “That’s wrong” (makes them defensive)
• “You should know this” (shames)
• “Try harder” (implies lack of effort)
• “You’re not good at math” (reinforces belief)

Use:

• “Let’s try a different way” (growth mindset)
• “This is tricky, lots of people find it hard” (normalize struggle)
• “You’re getting closer” (acknowledge progress)
• “Let me explain differently” (responsibility on tutor)

Why: Creates safe environment where struggling is okay

Strategy #5: Regular Small Wins

Struggling students need to feel success.

Session structure for struggling students:

1. Start: Something they’re good at (build confidence)
2. Middle: New challenging thing (with support)
3. End: Something they can definitely do (end on success)

Why this works:

• Start good: “I can do something!”
• Middle hard: “This is hard BUT I’m trying”
• End good: “I succeeded!”
• Feeling after: “I did it” instead of “I failed”

Also Read: 24/7 Premium 1:1 Tutoring For Standardized Tests

The Psychology of Struggling Students

Fixed vs Growth Mindset

Fixed Mindset (struggling students often have this):

• “I’m bad at math”
• “Smart people get it immediately”
• “If I struggle, I must be dumb”
• Avoids challenges (to avoid looking dumb)
• Gives up easily

Result: Doesn’t try → Doesn’t learn → Confirms belief of failure

Growth Mindset (what tutoring should create):

• “I’m not good at math YET”
• “Struggle means my brain is learning”
• “Smart people work hard and figure things out”
• Embraces challenges (learning opportunity)
• Persists despite difficulty

Result: Tries → Learns → Believes in ability to improve

Tutor’s job: Shift from fixed to growth mindset

Learned Helplessness

What is it?
After repeated failures, student believes they CAN’T do it (even if they could).

How it develops:

• Kid tries → Fails → Feels bad
• Kid tries → Fails → Feels worse
• Kid tries → Fails → Stops trying (no point)
• Now: Kid doesn’t try, guaranteeing failure, confirming helplessness

How tutoring breaks it:

1. Small success: “You got this!” (proves they CAN)
2. Acknowledge effort: “You worked hard” (effort matters)
3. Build gradually: “Now try this harder one”
4. Celebrate: “See? You’re improving!”
5. Mindset shift: From helpless to capable

Self-Efficacy (Belief in Yourself)

Self-efficacy = “I can do this”

Struggling students have LOW self-efficacy:

• “I can’t do math”
• “I’m bad at writing”
• “I don’t understand”

Tutoring builds self-efficacy by:

1. Creating small wins (proves you CAN)
2. Acknowledging progress (you ARE improving)
3. Facing challenges (and overcoming them)
4. Getting feedback (I know what to improve)
5. Experiencing success (I AM capable)

Result: Student goes from “I can’t” to “I can”

Read More: StudyX Online Tutoring Review: Features, Pricing, and Alternatives

Confidence Building: More Important Than Math

Counter-intuitive truth: For struggling students, confidence matters more than content.

Student A:

• Learns calculus concepts
• Still believes “I’m not a math person”
• Fails final because froze up (anxiety)

Student B:

• Learns calculus concepts
• Believes “I can do this”
• Passes final because tried their hardest
• Confident they could have done better

The difference: Confidence

Building Confidence: Tutor’s Roadmap

Week 1-2: Foundation Building

• Create safe space (it’s okay to be wrong here)
• Start with success (things they can do)
• Celebrate effort
• Goal: “Math/this subject can be safe”

Week 3-4: Small Challenges

• Introduce slightly harder material
• Still doable with support
• Celebrate progress
• Goal: “I’m actually learning”

Week 5-6: Independence Building

• Student does more alone
• Tutor watches, gives feedback
• Celebrate success
• Goal: “I can do this myself”

Week 7-8: Confidence Testing

• Harder problems
• Student still confident (can ask for help)
• Celebrate attempts
• Goal: “I’m capable even when it’s hard”

Month 3+: Real Growth

• Student taking academic risks
• Willing to struggle
• Asking questions
• Growing mindset shift
• Goal: “I can learn anything with effort”

Subject-Specific Support for Struggling Students

Struggling with Math

Common root causes:

• Basic operations (addition, fractions, negatives)
• Missing procedural understanding
• Anxiety about “getting it wrong”

Effective approach:

1. Diagnose where they understand (not where they don’t)
2. Start from success (build confidence)
3. Go SLOWLY (much slower than pace used before)
4. Use visuals (manipulatives, graphs, number lines)
5. Celebrate effort (not just right answers)
6. Build to current level gradually (weeks/months, not days)

Example: 9th grader in Geometry struggling

• Assess: Where do they understand?
• Find: Basic geometry shapes, area basics
• Start: Build from there
• Take time: May take month+ to catch up
• Result: Geometry eventually clicks (not tomorrow)

Struggling with Reading/Writing

Common root causes:

• Vocabulary gaps
• Comprehension strategies missing
• Writing process confusing
• Perfectionism (fear of bad writing)

Effective approach:

1. Build vocabulary gradually (not all at once)
2. Teach comprehension strategies (how to understand)
3. Make writing safe (drafts are okay)
4. Celebrate process (not just final product)
5. Read together (model good reading)

Struggling with Test Anxiety

Common root causes:

• Fear of evaluation
• Previous bad test experiences
• Perfectionism
• Actual lack of knowledge (sometimes)

Effective approach:

1. Address emotional part (anxiety management)
2. Practice in test-like conditions (reduces fear)
3. Build test-taking strategies (not just content)
4. Celebrate attempts (trying is success)
5. Desensitize to test environment (practice)

Read More: Top 10 Online Tutoring Websites Worldwide

Red Flags in Struggling Student Tutoring

Red Flag #1: Tutor Getting Frustrated

Bad sign: Tutor sighs, says “we covered this,” seems annoyed

Why it’s bad: Struggling student interprets frustration as “I’m too dumb”

Good tutor response: Patience, re-explains differently, assumes their own teaching method didn’t work (not student’s ability)

Red Flag #2: Moving Too Fast

Bad sign: Week 1 content forgotten by week 3

Why it’s bad: Student concludes “I can’t learn this”

Good approach: Much slower (feels slow to parent, actually works)

Red Flag #3: Focusing Only on Right Answers

Bad sign: Only celebrates when student gets it right, ignores effort

Why it’s bad: Struggling students need confidence building, not just corrections

Good approach: Celebrate effort, progress, trying

Red Flag #4: Boring Sessions

Bad sign: Student dreads tutoring sessions

Why it’s bad: Reinforces “This is torture”

Good approach: Make sessions engaging, celebrate, build trust

Red Flag #5: No Progress After 4-6 Weeks

Bad sign: After 4-6 weeks, student shows no improvement

Why it’s bad: Wrong tutor or wrong approach

Good response: Change tutor or change strategy

Platform Review: Which Works for Struggling Students?

What Struggling Students Need

✅ Patient tutors (not rushing)
✅ Flexibility to go slow
✅ Support between sessions (homework help)
✅ Affordable (ongoing, not just 1 session)
✅ Confidence-building mindset
✅ Good communication with tutor

MyEngineeringBuddy for Struggling College Students

Why it works for college students struggling:

• Expert tutors (better than random marketplaces)
• Homework help included (support between sessions)
• $20-35/hour (affordable for ongoing)
• <1 minute support (quick help when stuck)
• No subscription (pay as needed, not committed upfront)
• Money-back guarantee (no risk trying)
• 97% satisfaction (proven track record)

How it’s used for struggling students:

1. First session: Assess gaps, build connection
2. Weekly: Tutoring sessions explaining concepts slowly
3. Between: Homework help when stuck
4. Progress: Track improvement over weeks
5. Support: Tutor available via WhatsApp

Alternative: Wiingy for Budget-Conscious

For struggling students on budget:

• $15-28/hour (affordability)
• Free trial (test fit)
• No subscription (flexibility)
• 4.3/5 rating (good quality)

Trade-off: Less personalized than MEB, but affordable

Read More: Online Tutoring vs. In-Person Tutoring: Which is Right for You in 2026?

Building a Support System

Struggling students need support beyond tutoring.

Who to Include

1. Good tutor (patient, confident-building, expert)
2. Parent/guardian (encouragement, accountability)
3. Teacher (provide context, notes, feedback)
4. Tutor + teacher communication (aligned approach)
5. Counselor/coach (encouragement, perspective)

Support System in Action

Example: High school student struggling in algebra

• Tutor (MEB): Teaches concepts patiently, builds confidence
• Parent: Celebrates effort, doesn’t criticize failures
• Teacher: Provides feedback, recommends tutor focus areas
• Tutor + Teacher: Align on what to emphasize
• Coach: Encourages, emphasizes character not grades

Result: Student feels supported from all angles, confidence grows

Realistic Timelines for Improvement

When You’ll See Change

Timeline	What to Expect
Week 1-2	Student less terrified, willing to try
Week 3-4	First academic improvements possible
Week 5-8	Noticeable confidence increase
Week 9-12	Grade improvements visible
Month 4-5	Real understanding developing
Month 6+	New subject mindset forming

Important: It Takes Time

Reality check:
Years of struggle don’t reverse in weeks.
Expect gradual improvement, not overnight transformation.

Better to expect: Small improvements every week
Avoid: Expecting big improvement fast (sets up failure)

Read More: Online Tutoring Trends in 2026: The Ultimate Guide

What Success Looks Like

Success for struggling student:

✅ Willing to try (not giving up immediately)
✅ Asking questions (safe to be confused)
✅ Showing effort (even if grades not perfect yet)
✅ Completing homework (not just copying)
✅ Building confidence (believes they can improve)
✅ Improved grades (over weeks/months)
✅ Enjoying learning (not dreading it)
✅ Growth mindset (I can learn this with effort)

Not required for success:
❌ Straight A’s
❌ Perfect understanding overnight
❌ No more struggling

Is required:
✅ Student trying
✅ Visible improvement (even if slow)
✅ Confidence building
✅ Willingness to keep trying

FAQ: Parents’ Questions Answered

Q1: How long until grades improve?

A: 4-6 weeks minimum before seeing grade changes.

But expect earlier:

• Week 1: Homework gets done (vs skipped)
• Week 2: Showing effort (vs giving up)
• Week 4: First quiz improvement
• Week 6: Grade improvement visible

Q2: What if after 6 weeks, no improvement?

A: Either tutor not a good fit, or student not putting in effort.

Action:

1. Check with tutor: Is approach working?
2. Check with student: Are they trying?
3. Try different tutor: Might be better match
4. Adjust approach: Maybe too fast/slow

Q3: Should I push harder or be gentler?

A: Be gentle. Struggling students need encouragement, not pressure.

Wrong approach: “You need to try harder!” (creates shame)
Right approach: “I believe in you. Let’s work together” (creates hope)

Q4: Is tutoring worth it for struggling student?

A: Yes. Research shows:

• Struggling students improve significantly with tutoring
• Confidence building prevents long-term damage
• $480/semester tutoring saves $1000s+ in remediation later

Conclusion: Hope for Struggling Students

Bottom line: Struggling students aren’t “bad at learning.”

They need:

1. Patient tutor (willing to go slowly)
2. Confidence building (not just corrections)
3. Support system (parent, teacher, tutor aligned)
4. Time (improvement takes weeks/months, not days)
5. Right platform (MEB for college, varies for K-12)

With right support, struggling students can become confident learners.

Your student can improve. Start with one good tutor this week.

For struggling college students:

• MyEngineeringBuddy: myengineeringbuddy.com
• Email: meb@myengineeringbuddy.com
• WhatsApp: Direct support for struggling students
• Money-back guarantee: Risk-free trial