M1Maths

Suggestions for Beneficial and Cost-effective Maths Tutoring

If kids aren't doing as well at maths as their parents would like, private tutors are sometimes engaged. This section contains some suggestions for beneficial and cost-effective tutoring.

A bit of private tutoring can help kids who are struggling with maths catch up and become more confident.

To get the most out of a tutoring session, it is important that the student, before the session, makes a list of things they need help with. Leaving it to the tutor to decide what to work on will be less beneficial.

For tutoring to be of value, the student must want to be helped and to improve and must be motivated to make the required effort. A child who isn't interested is unlikely to really engage and give the maths serious thought, and little maths is learnt without serious thought and effort.

Private tutoring tends to be fairly expensive and not within everyone's budget limits. There are alternatives.

Firstly, most schools (high schools at least) offer free tutoring before or after school or during breaks. In many case, the teacher taking the tutorial isn't run off their feet with requests for help and students can get quite a bit of attention if they ask for it. Again, it is important to go to the tutorial with a list of things the student needs help with, and then to ask for the help.

Another possibility is to use the M1Maths modules. These are designed for individual learning. However, having someone work through the modules with the student can be more motivating than doing it alone and it means that they have someone to ask questions of and to bounce ideas off. Working with a friend is one way to do this. Working with a parent or older sibling is another way as long as the parent or sibling has the time.

As a parent, don't worry if you are not comfortable with the maths your child is doing. Working through the module together, you can both learn as you go. This can almost be better as you are both working at the same level, so your explanations are going to be at the right level and the need to work both ways means that the student is encouraged to try to explain ideas to you. Explaining concepts to others is one of the best ways to get them clear in one's own mind.

Background image: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/beach-background-sea-ocean-3892386/ (cropped) (Creative Commons licence)