Reading Buddy & Homework Helper
Help younger children with reading, math facts or a skill you’re great at.
- Ages
- 10–12
- Startup budget
- $8
- Time per week
- About 3 hours
- Parent involvement
- Moderate
- Preparation
- Some prep
- Type
- Service
- Where to sell
- In person
- Time to start
- A week
About this idea
Older kids are often brilliant at helping younger ones: reading together, practicing math facts or teaching a skill like chess or drawing.
Tutoring builds patience, communication and confidence, and parents of younger children are often happy to pay for a friendly reading buddy.
A great fit for
- Patient, kind older kids
- Strong readers or math lovers
- Families with younger children nearby
What you’ll need
| Item | Estimated cost |
|---|---|
| Printed worksheets and flashcards | $5 |
| Reward stickers | $3 |
| Subtotal | $8 |
Assumes: Printed worksheets and a few reward stickers.
Total to start
$8
What parents do
Parent involvement: ModerateRegular help with some steps, printing or online sales
- Arrange sessions with the younger child’s parents
- Be home during sessions
- Help plan the first few lessons
Your child: about 3 hours a week making, selling and planning once it’s up and running.
Step by step
Choose what to teach
Pick one thing you’re confident in, like reading aloud, times tables or a hobby skill.
Plan a 30-minute session
Warm-up game, main activity, a fun finish. Write the plan on a card.
Find a first student
A parent offers sessions to families you know with younger children.
Keep a progress log
Write down what you did each session. Parents love seeing progress.
Costs & pricing example
Cost to make one session
$0.25
Example price
$8
Profit per session
$7.75
How we worked out the cost of one session
- Stickers and printouts$0.25
If your child sells 10 sessions at $8, that’s $80 in sales and about $77.50 profit after materials. The $8 startup cost is earned back after about 2 sessions.
Price per 30-minute session. A weekly booking keeps things simple for everyone.
These numbers are illustrative examples, not guaranteed earnings. Prices vary by supplier and location.
Where to sell
Families you know with younger kids
Neighbors, family friends and homeschool groups.
Siblings of friends
Word of mouth works well.
Skills your child will build
- Patience and empathy
- Explaining clearly
- Planning lessons
- Communicating with adults
Common challenges
- A student loses focus
- Try this: Switch to a game for a few minutes. Short activities work best for young kids.
- Not knowing an answer
- Try this: It’s fine to say “let’s find out together.” That’s good teaching.
Safety & parent notes
- Adult supervision
- Hold sessions at home with a parent present, either yours or the younger child’s.
- A parent should arrange every booking and agree on times and pickups.
A note for parents
Tutoring often reinforces your own child’s learning: explaining something is the best way to master it.
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