Is Your Child Struggling with Math? Turn Problems into Solutions!
No matter where your child attends school, he or she will need to take math classes throughout elementary, middle, and high school. For students who struggle with math or children who have had bad experiences in math classes, these years can be absolute misery. However, there are some ways to make things go more smoothly. Each year of math—and every new topic—builds upon previous years’ knowledge. This means that in order to help a child improve in math, starting from the building blocks of math and working up to more complex ideas will be the best approach. Having a solid foundation in basic mathematical principles is the easiest way to guarantee success in later math courses, so you should do your best to help your child understand as many key principles as possible.
Sometimes, all that a difficulty in understanding math boils down to is a misunderstanding about basic math facts, or some other easy-to-correct problem. Keep an eye out for things that your child says that don’t quite add up, or simple mistakes in his or her homework. Make sure that your child memorizes all the multiplication tables and addition/subtraction rules that he or she is responsible for, because these simple tools will come up in every math class that follows. The earlier you catch any misunderstandings, the better the chances are of fixing them early on.
Get Extra Help with Private Tutoring
Sometimes, a child may have a math misunderstanding that’s so fundamental that nothing else in math class makes sense! It’s extremely important to act quickly to correct things like this, but perhaps you don’t feel comfortable enough with math to sit down and re-teach mathematical principles to your child, or maybe you’ve got a packed schedule during the week. If you would like some extra help for your child, it might be a good idea to look into private tutoring.
Parents who pursue private tutoring will benefit in several ways. Because tutoring schedules are completely flexible, it is easy for parents to choose exactly the right time for their child to learn. Some children can continue to work once they get home from school, while other children may prefer extra math practice on weekends or in the evenings. No matter what your schedule is like, a private tutor can easily fit into a busy week.
Another advantage to private tutoring is that a tutor can learn exactly what your child needs to improve, which will lead to a customized study plan to help your child succeed. Sometimes teachers just can’t keep track of how each student in a class is doing, so a tutor can help solidify knowledge for struggling students, or challenge children who are ahead of their peers. Essentially, you can work with a tutor to create the perfect learning plan to maximize your child’s math skills. Best of all, a tutor can help your child feel like he or she understands math, and this kind of self-confidence will be indispensable in the years to come.