Maths Tuition is only for children who struggle with maths

This is the biggest myth: Maths Tuition benefits absolutely everyone! From a child who needs specific support, to the child who needs more challenge, maths tuition is invaluable. In reality, parents who choose maths tuition do so for a whole variety of reasons but always with one common theme: to help their child improve their knowledge, boost their confidence, fulfill their potential and gain key skills that will benefit them for the long term, not just the now.

Where it has been properly implemented, high-impact tutoring produces large learning gains for a wide range of students, particularly those who have fallen behind academically. 

I have helped children who are behind and need extra input, children who are labelled “expected” in school and  consequently miss out on any additional input that would help them to thrive and children who are bored because they are finding maths in school too easy!

Another common theme is that parents are busier than ever. Supporting maths at home can become a battle (“that’s not how we do it at school” – eye roll) when methods are different and it is often not how you want to spend your precious time with your children. Children are often just more open to learning from a tutor- even in an online setting!

Studies consistently show that extra tuition outside of school significantly impacts the progress of children- and a quality, well designed, tutoring program can turbo boost that progress even further. In fact High-impact tutoring has been shown to be 20 times more effective than standard tutoring models for math  increasing learning by three to 15 months.

 

Maths Tuition is for parents who want their children to be top performers

I cannot imagine that there are any parents who don’t want their children to achieve their potential. However a common myth can be that of a pushy parent, forcing their children to slog over endless equations, but this is just not true. Inevitably, tuition will help your children improve their scores, but more so than that, it improves endless skills that impact on other areas of learning and on life in general too! Resilience, problem solving, critical thinking, self-esteem, tenacity just to name a few. All parents really want, for their children, is to be happy while learning and to be supported to achieve what they are capable of.

Quality tuition is designed to equip children with skills so that they become independent learners. It is a bit like being a parent, we are teaching them to not need us anymore. When a child realises what they can achieve with additional support, it is inspiring. They become far more motivated when they gain an understanding of the learning process, how they can address areas that they struggle with and have the confidence to practice until they can do it. Think of it like a personal trainer at the gym. It may not be necessary, but it will inevitably spur progress in a short time and skills can be taken away to be used independently once confidence is gained. It doesn’t have to be a long-term commitment; it all depends on your individual goals.

Maths Tuition is only for rich families

Tuition can seem expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Like everything, you need to think about your investment carefully. Cheap tuition offers are not necessarily the cheapest option: some tuition programs can be great in the short term but create children who are dependent on the tutor. A good quality tuition program will deliver good results in a relatively short time while instilling long term learning skills, so that pupils can exit the program and carry forward skills they have learned, in addition to curriculum content. Compared to the many things we may buy for our children that have short shelf lives, investing in your child’s education has immeasurable outcomes for their future.

Year 6 is a great time to start as important mathematical skills are being introduced. Key Stage 3 is so much easier when a child is secure with the Key Stage 2 curriculum. Starting secondary school with confidence and an understanding on how to be active in their own learning is beneficial for their whole secondary school journey and something no parent regrets having invested in.

I have a variety of options that I can talk you through in an informal chat. You can book in a free no obligation chat here.

 

Maths Tuition will only work in a face-to-face setting

I have heard this many times but parents are always amazed at how quickly their children have become at ease with an online program. I can’t say I know, for sure, why it works but it does!

Children can learn from their own safe environments with no pressure to get somewhere on time and they have no travel time to get home after their sessions are over. They are far more relaxed and willing, which is already a great start to learning. And children are far more tech savvy than many of us adults so using online platforms seems second nature to them. We can still use all the methods we would use face to face, joint annotating and giving live feedback but with so many extra features that online technology gives us.

It won’t work for my child

I’ve never worked with a child it hasn’t worked for. I’ve never had a parent who wasn’t thrilled with the results. I would say give it a try, you will be very surprised! However, you should absolutely research any tuition providers first. Ask questions. How will they help your child? What is the format? How will they measure progress? What feedback do they provide? More importantly, if you decide to give it a go, ask your child. In my experience, you will see an immediate shift with your child’s whole attitude toward math. It could be an increase in motivation, a soar in their confidence, pride in their learning and very often, feedback from school of a positive shift.

I ensure that I can help a child by getting an in-depth picture of their needs before we begin any sessions. I would always do this before I start to work with them to make sure we are both a good fit. I’m always happy to offer advice too, if you are stuck with where to begin to support your child. Just book in a FREE call with me here.

 

Group tuition isn’t as good as a 1:1

I’ll be honest, I held this belief as a tutor myself. That is until I started running some group sessions. I was amazed. I’ll explain why this is different to learning in a school classroom.

Firstly, group tuition should be small groups as there need to be quality attention for each child, that is a given. Secondly, groups need to have similar needs as each lesson needs to be benefiting everyone. This is something that a quality tuition provider should ensure, by creating a purposeful grouping of learners.

When you are learning in a group with other people, who have the same goals as you and the same needs as you, it can be extremely motivating. In school, children can quickly become self conscious around their peers. They can be more reluctant to ask questions from fear of looking silly or from looking too keen. Think back to your own school days, there are different pressures in a classroom, even from a young age. In an online group, you know you are all there to learn, it is safe to ask questions, and the environment is supportive. There is something about a collective community with shared goals that is really inspiring!

I run limited Group Programmes throughout the school year that focus on preparing students for the Year 6 SATs. I group children based on their academic needs, with a big focus on nurturing a positive mindset toward maths. I absolutely love helping nervous children blossom into confident learners that no longer need me. At time of publishing, I have spaces for January 2025. I run courses every term but drop me a message and I can let you know about availability.

 

If you would like to find out about the range of resources that I have to support learning the Year 6 Maths Curriculum, please get I touch. I offer a range of services and can advise you with a FREE no obligation chat.