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Students in Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and countless other countries around the world work on many different kinds of problems. This method encourages students to connect procedures with concepts, to think critically, and to problem-solve.
American classrooms heavily emphasize memorization in nearly every subject, especially in mathematics. However, memorization does not teach students how or why that particular solution works. As a result, up to 60 percent of students who enroll in a community college are not ready for college-level mathematics courses. However, parents can combat the negative effects of this teaching style by hiring a math tutor for their child. A math tutor counters these side effects in several ways:
A Math Tutor Provides Personalized Instruction
The first and most obvious advantage of math tutoring is personalized instruction.
In a traditional classroom, teachers have to manage anywhere from 20-30 students. These numbers can make it challenging for teachers to detect and assist students who are struggling with the material. This is because teachers have only so many months to teach a lot of material. In other words, many teachers simply do not have the time to tailor instruction to every single student even if they want to.
A math tutor, on the other hand, typically manages only one student per session.
This narrow scope allows tutors to pinpoint exactly what your child needs to succeed in mathematical concepts. More importantly, this scope allows tutors to help your student meet those needs.
That being said, some math tutors do lead group tutoring sessions. However, these groups often have no more than 10 students at a time. By keeping their group tutoring sessions small, math tutors can still provide the same personalized instruction that they offer their one-on-one students.
A Math Tutor Encourages Good Study Habits…
Besides personalized instruction, a math tutor can also help your child develop good study habits. A math tutor understands the importance of these habits because they helped the math tutor become experts in mathematics.
As a result, a math tutor is just as qualified to teach your child good study habits as they are qualified to teach your child mathematics. They have spent years learning how to self-motivate, manage their time, take good notes, and review their notes. They have therefore already proven that their techniques work.
These good study habits only further increase the educational value that a math tutor can provide for your child. Whereas personalized math tutoring is only a temporary solution for a temporary problem, the good study habits that a math tutor can share with your child are in it for the long haul.
Furthermore, good study habits can eventually replace your child’s need for a math tutor altogether. This is because they are skills that your child can apply to any learning situation throughout their academic career. In some cases, your child may even be able to apply these habits to their professional careers.
Sadly, even though good study habits have a variety of advantages, they are routinely neglected by students across the United States. However, the absence of good study habits from many students’ study activities is rarely purposeful on the student’s part. Instead, the absence of good study habits is largely the result of students not knowing what good study habits are, or how to incorporate them into their very busy schedules. However, with guidance from a math tutor, a student can successfully incorporate these methods into their study schedule.
…And Builds Students’ Self-Esteem and Confidence
The third and most important advantage of math tutoring is its impact on your child’s self-esteem and confidence.
As previously stated, teachers have only so many months to teach a lot of material. Unfortunately, this time restraint frequently forces teachers to adopt a “one-size-fits-all” educational model. Needless to say, this educational model regularly holds some students back from the rest of their peers. Students whose learning styles go against this grain fall behind.
Worse still, this educational model can damage these students’ perceptions of their ability to learn. It inadvertently teaches these students that they are a failure because they cannot keep up with their classmates. At the same time, this educational model also attaches a stigma to seeking assistance outside of the classroom. It implies that any student who needs more help than their classmates do is a failure, too.
Your child needs to understand that asking for help is not a sign of inadequacy. On the contrary, it is a mark of maturity that many of their classmates lack. Admitting to a weakness shows a sense of responsibility—and responsibility is going to be an important part of your child’s post-academic life.
Good Hope Tutoring Services’ one-on-one math tutoring and group math tutoring sessions will teach your child how to cast off the stigma of asking for help. Your child will discover not only that every student has their own learning style, but also what their unique learning style is. They will also learn how to harness their newfound knowledge about their learning preferences to maximize their success in the classroom. Together, these skills will build your child’s self-esteem and confidence from the ground up.