My son is 9 years old and he's in fourth grade. They have English twice a week at school but the teacher says it's a bit tight. I see that a lot of parents in the WhatsApp group pay for someone to come to the house, but I'm not sure if it's really worth it or if it's just marketing from the academies.
Don't just go along with what other parents in the group are doing, because that's basically peer pressure dressed up nicely. We've dealt with this at home: my older son was also doing "kind of okay" at that age, so we tried a weekly tutoring class for three months and honestly we did notice a change, but it was more in his confidence than in his actual level.
What works better is having him exposed to the language naturally (movies, games, apps) rather than just formal classes, and a single session a week with someone who knows how to connect with him could make a real difference without being super expensive.
I think it really depends on your kid! if he's actually struggling with the language and you see he's getting frustrated, private lessons can help him build confidence, but if he's just getting by maybe reinforcement at home watching movies or apps like Duolingo is enough and you save money.
What I'd do is try first with free resources and see if it clicks for him, because at that age the important thing is that he doesn't hate English, there'll be time to push harder when he's older!
With two classes a week at school plus an extracurricular activity, you'd be looking at around 3-4 hours of exposure to English, which is pretty decent at that age.
What I'd check is whether your kid actually needs it or if you guys are just comparing yourselves to other parents in the WhatsApp group, which happens a lot.
If the teacher says he's keeping up but the kid doesn't complain or get anxious about the language, he's probably fine as is; but if you see he's really struggling or falling behind, one private lesson a week definitely helps, especially because it's more personalized than being in a big academy with 8 other kids.
I wouldn't say it's just marketing, but it's not automatically the magic solution either 🏕️ What a lot of parents don't realize is that private tutoring works well *if your son is receptive to it*, not just because it exists. If the teacher says he's struggling to keep up, that sounds more like the classroom pace isn't working for him or he needs more personalized attention, not necessarily that he needs more class hours.
My recommendation would be to try cheaper stuff first: apps like Duolingo, YouTube videos from channels made for kids, or even watching short films in English while you're having breakfast. It costs almost nothing and you'll see in two or three weeks if he's actually interested or just wasting time. If you see he gets bored watching English on his own or he's still stuck at school, *then* yeah, a weekly lesson with someone could be worth it. But if it's because "everyone does it", I'll be straight with you: you'll spend money and not much will change.
What I'd do is talk to the teacher more specifically. Is he struggling because he lacks practice? Because he doesn't understand the basics well? Or because the class just moves too fast for him? Every case is different. Sometimes 20 minutes a day at home (you two reading simple stories together, for example) gets you further than paying 200 euros a month for someone who comes for an hour.
If the teacher says it's "somewhat tight" that's already a red flag, but honestly it depends more on how your kid feels about the language than on how many hours add up.
I'd only get a private lesson once a week if you see him frustrated or if he's actually interested in moving faster, not because everyone in the WhatsApp group is doing it.
Sometimes an extra hour works better than nothing if you find someone good, but it's not like at 9 years old it's urgent to have a perfect level, most kids pick it up just fine later on.
I'm clear that at 9 years old two classes a week at school are enough if the kid is actually into the language. The thing is that "doing okay" can mean a lot of things: does he struggle to pay attention, is he bored, or is it just not his priority yet? That changes everything. If it's real frustration, a private class can help unlock things that don't flow as easily in a group. But if it's because other parents do it and you're scared he'll "fall behind", that's just pure panic.
What works better in my experience is trying other options before dropping money on classes: English movies or shows he likes, online games with other kids, audiobooks, whatever is kind of fun. At that age intrinsic motivation is 100 times more important than an extra class. If after a couple months you see he's actually struggling and is motivated to improve, then go find someone. But if you're doing it just because "everyone does it", you're probably just throwing money away.
One thing: make sure if you hire someone, it's someone the kid clicks with and it's not just boring grammar repetition. A mediocre private class is worse than nothing. And honestly, if his school teacher says he's doing "okay" but doesn't sound the alarm, it's probably not urgent.
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