Finding the right math support for your child is not about finding the most knowledgeable or skilled tutor; it is about finding the right bridge from the level of understanding your child possesses to the level they need to attain in order to reach their goals.
Many factors contribute to the effectiveness of support given to a student. A few important but often unnoticed elements affect whether or not the time spent with a tutor will be productive for your child.
It is as important to learn about approaches to teaching and learning as it is to learn about the subject content.
A PhD in Mathematics is not necessarily a guarantee of a good tutor for your 8th grade student. What is more important is that the tutor has recent experience teaching and tutoring 8th grade students.
This individual will be able to identify where your child is going wrong with the algebra material and possibly find out why your child is struggling with some of the basic arithmetic concepts that are prerequisites to the study of algebra.
The tutor should be able to adjust his or her teaching style to reach your child.
Look for experience teaching math to children of your child’s age, and be cautious of anyone who can’t give you some examples of the difficulties they’ve encountered and how they’ve successfully addressed them.
The best tutors should be able to speak at length about their approach, their strategies, and anecdotes about particular children and particular difficulties they’ve helped.
Good tutors, and definitely great ones, possess high diagnostic skills. In the case of tutoring one-on-one, it is helpful to have several diagnostic strategies up your sleeve to effectively assess your student’s understanding at the beginning of your tutoring relationship. Here are some approaches you might find useful to build
I was reminded of an important principle the other day (even though it’s one that I generally try to remember anyway): The first lesson at school should be, ‘Beware of raking at eight o’clock in the morning’.
We need a good tutor for our child to help her understand concepts that she is failing to understand. In other words, GOOD tutoring, where the tutor identifies exactly where our child is going wrong, and regular tutoring would be best.
Some examples of questions that our child could easily memorize formulas for but fail to demonstrate a true understanding of: Why do we multiply to find the area of a rectangle? What IS a fraction?
This video demonstrates a potential approach a tutor could take when making a diagnosis of a student’s math concepts. It is typical for a good tutor to have the student work problems and, as the tutor responds to the student’s thoughts and errors, the tutor will be able to understand the underlying causes of the student’s mistakes.
A red flag is raised when a tutor starts teaching before even determining the student’s prior knowledge.
JLMG!
Some students require step-by-step directions utilizing pictures or diagrams, while others require only verbal instructions with examples. Other students learn best by first exploring a concept and then having patterns and relationships described for them.
We try to match up our tutoring approach to the natural way of speaking that is best for each child’s learning style.
Look at how the tutor reacts when the child looks confused. Does the tutor immediately rephrase what they have said and, indeed, does the tutor have a range of ways of explaining the same point.
While the child is still getting used to asking for help, the tutor needs to be able to think of alternative ways of approaching a problem or explanation. You need to see and hear this flexibility during the first meeting – if you don’t, I very much doubt that you will see it later.
Progress tracking
Having goals and continually assessing whether you are meeting those goals is an important aspect of tutoring. In our first session, we will set goals and work to achieve them.
We can set some specific mathematical objectives such as mastering a set of multiplication facts in a certain amount of time, being able to work and solve a set of challenging equations, or simply increasing your math test score by a certain percentage.
What measures will the tutor take to assess my child’s progress and inform me/ the student of their developments? This could be through administering formal tests and assessments on a regular basis, observing on a daily basis and compiling a portfolio of work undertaken during lessons over the course of the term. Once again, there is no one ‘right’ approach but it is essential that consistent and regular feedback is given.
Pay attention to whether the tutor seems unable to articulate any specific goals, and whether success is measured by whether the child enjoys his or her new math life by becoming more confident in math skills.
Scheduling and consistency considerations
It is best to have consistent periods of tutoring over a longer period of time rather than short, bursts of intense study.
Math skills take time to develop, and students need time in between tutoring sessions to practice and reinforce what was covered during the tutoring session. Normally, 1 to 2 hours of tutoring per session is most effective when sessions are held weekly or biweekly.
cover for sickness/emergencies? notice period for session cancellation? These are 2 of the factors that could affect provision for your child.
Cost versus value assessment
Just because one tutor charges more than another does not mean that that tutor can provide better guidance or results. For example, a tutor who has a very low hourly rate may lack experience or have a high turnover of tutors.
It may be in your best interest to pay a little more for a higher priced tutor so your child can get back on track quickly. Find out about packages and rates for long term tutoring but be leery of any tutor who tries to sell you a package up front.
A good tutor is confident in their abilities and should be willing to start off with a session by session basis. Whether you’re looking for math tutors in Fremont or elsewhere, make sure to thoroughly vet their qualifications and approach before making a commitment.
