HOUSTON – Parents, we are here to help you manage virtual learning for your family. We have gotten lot of viewer emails asking if we knew about any low-cost tutoring for kids. We did you one better than that! We found free tutoring help for all.
You can get free tutoring help for your child from elementary all the way up to college. As you may know, the library near you offers online books and music. But we found this is also a great place if you need hands-on help with your kid’s schoolwork.
Free live tutoring
“We have this great resource called Brainfuse which allows children to actually do a live interactive visit with a tutor,” explains Laurie Covington of Houston Public Library. “It’s in 20-minute increments with a whiteboard, so you can work that math problem - if you are doing physics or chemistry you can do the sophisticated things.
This live tutoring service is also available at libraries in Fort Bend, Montgomery, Galveston, and Brazoria counties.
Other libraries we checked with offer a free program called Gale that offers free tutoring help for high school and college students.
Learning Express Club offers tutorials for elementary to college kids and even adult education courses.
Free reading help for kids
For younger kids, most public libraries have a free service that will help your kid with reading.
“We have a service called Tumblebooks,” said Covington. “This is animated picture books. It reads the book to you the words are on the screen, it either highlights it or it has a bouncing ball so your emerging readers can connect with literacy.”
Homeschool and virtual learning materials
The libraries in Montgomery County use a service called “book butler.” You can submit in the ages of your kids and they will put together a collection of books for you to come and pick up curbside. Houston and Fort Bend County also offers a similar service.
Where can I find free Wi-Fi and electronic rentals?
Some of the larger library systems offer free wifi hotspot and electronic rentals. Fort Bend County just started a sign up for renting out wifi hotspots to help parents with virtual learning. Houston has wifi rental too, along with a laptop and iPad rentals on a first-come, first-serve basis. In Brazoria County, you can rent tablets too.
*Note here: check with your library to see if they are renting out electronic materials. Remember, most libraries are closed right now and they are all full of electronics that were once for in-person use. While the website might not say they are renting out electronics online, many are taking items they have in the library that was once for in-person use and renting those out. So, call and check to make sure!
Free stuff for kids to do
All library systems offer some sort of book reading club or even DIY classes for all ages. Brazoria County libraries just started up a new program called Creativebug that has video DIY classes for use.
How to get free tutoring help
The key to access all of these services is to have a library card. In most cases, you can register for a library card in minutes and have immediate access to the online options available. For curbside pickup or equipment rental, you will need to bring in proof of residency. Check with your library for exact instructions on how this might work, each one is a little different.
*Note: when checking some of the program links above, you will see you have to “join” or there is a membership fee. When you go to these sites through the library you will not have to pay for it. So, check with the library system in your area to get access to the program websites.
Find your library below:
Brazoria County Library System
Chambers County Library System
Fort Bend County Library System
Galveston County Library System
Montgomery County Public Library System
Trinity County (library currently closed, but check back)
Walker County Public Library (Huntsville)