Many families in the McAllen area are exploring private school options for their students, and strong ISEE performance is essential for competitive admissions. With McAllen's school districts serving over 26,000 students, personalized ISEE preparation helps students stand out in the application process. A tutor can identify your student's specific reading challenges and build targeted strategies to improve comprehension and test performance.

Many students struggle with managing time while reading dense passages, distinguishing between main ideas and supporting details, and answering inference questions that require deeper analysis. Others find it difficult to identify the author's tone and purpose, or to understand vocabulary in unfamiliar contexts. A tutor can help students develop active reading strategies, practice annotation techniques, and build confidence with different passage types.

During the initial session, a tutor will assess your student's current reading level, identify specific strengths and areas for improvement, and discuss goals for ISEE preparation. The tutor may review a sample passage and questions to understand your student's approach to comprehension and test-taking. This diagnostic helps create a personalized study plan focused on the skills your student needs most.

Tutors teach evidence-based strategies like active reading (annotation and note-taking), previewing questions before reading, identifying main ideas and supporting details, and practicing inference skills. They also help students manage pacing, tackle difficult vocabulary, and recognize common question types and traps. With consistent practice and feedback, students develop confidence and improve their ability to analyze passages quickly and accurately.

Personalized 1-on-1 instruction allows a tutor to provide immediate, specific feedback on your student's reading approach and reasoning—something difficult to get from practice books alone. A tutor can explain why certain answer choices are correct or incorrect, help your student recognize patterns in their mistakes, and adjust teaching methods to match their learning style. This targeted guidance accelerates improvement and builds the critical thinking skills needed for strong ISEE performance.

With consistent tutoring and practice, many students begin to see measurable improvement within 4-6 weeks, though the timeline depends on starting level and frequency of sessions. Students who commit to weekly tutoring and complete practice assignments between sessions often show the most significant gains. Working with a tutor helps you track progress through practice tests and targeted drills, so you can see exactly where your student is improving.

Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who specialize in ISEE preparation and reading comprehension instruction. You can share your student's goals, schedule preferences, and specific challenges, and we'll match them with a tutor who's the right fit. The process is straightforward—reach out to discuss your needs, and we'll help your student get started with personalized instruction designed for their success.