A common question that is often raised by parents challenges the value of math tuition lessons for their children. In particular, they wonder how exactly does tuition differ from school lessons and the exact value brought forth. Commonly, tuition is seen as extra time to be spent on the mathematics subject while being held under the supervision of a dedicated individual tutor. While this is true, it fails to recognize the many other strategies that tutors are able to employ in order to help your child succeed. In this article, we aim to cover some of the most essential math tutoring concepts that tutors should use.
Firstly, mathematics should be used as a platform to build a child’s confidence and mindset towards challenges. Math poses a series of questions, each challenging a student’s logical comprehension and problem solving skills. Often times, students resort to a mindset of “never being good at math” when they are unable to overcome these obstacles. Tutors should use these questions to instill confidence by encouraging students to take one problem at a time and recognizing the progress made when each is solved. While teachers are capable of doing the same, they lack the time to recognize individual accomplishments due to large class sizes.
Secondly, a testing pathway and flexible lessons should be fully embraced. Rather than have a strictly designed lesson plan, tutors have the opportunity to cater to an individual student’s learning curve. This can be done by employing low pressure topic checkpoint tests consisting of not more than 3 to 5 questions along the course of each lesson. These mini tests allow the tutor to gauge how well a student has understood the topic and thus adjust the lesson plan accordingly. Additionally, this keeps the student on the edge in a positive fashion where tests are not overwhelmingly long to a point where they get stressed out.
Thirdly, devoting time to allow students to explore mathematics concepts through a series of “whys” will allow them to internalize and master a topic. Often times, due to time pressure and KPIs, teachers are forced to only explore surface level questions with an individual student. For example, they may only be able to test whether a student can effectively parrot back an answer or concept. In contrast, tutors can ask why the student in question had tried to solve a problem in a certain way.
Primary Math Tuition Centre Singapore lessons provide great value to students but are often not truly understood by parents. While the overall aim is clear, that being of good grades, good math tuition tutors help students achieve this in surprisingly holistic ways. This is done via the instilling of confidence, and interest in the subject.