When kids start struggling in school it can be hard to catch up and many times parents turn to tutoring, but that can be expensive.

A Tampa mom and former teacher who helped develop the curriculum for the Florida law, “No Child Left Behind,” came up with a cost-effective way to help students stay ahead of the curve.

“How we are different, we’re not a franchise, so we’re more affordable. We don’t do contracts, we don’t do enrollment fees, so parents are not tied into a long contract,” said Nadia Combs, owner of Brighton Learning in Tampa. Combs caters to each child with custom learning programs.

“I even have parents emailing me or calling me or texting me saying, ‘You know what? Today we are working on long division, can you change the lesson?’  So instead of a program that is exactly the same, we are doing each lesson individually for each child,” said Combs.

Combs suggest targeting your child’s specific needs and then look for more affordable enrichment programs in your community.

“It’s just as important to take your child to the library, the book store or to make sure they are working on life skills,”  said Combs.

Another way to save on tutoring is to look for online programs Brighton Learning offers with it’s program. 

Another popular option is Wyzant, where you can search for a tutor to fit your needs and decide what you’re willing to pay.  Some qualified tutors offer one-hour sessions for as low as $36.

Another idea is to get small groups of students together and share the cost with other parents, or hire student tutors.