Finding a math tutor

[Annie Laurie]

How do I go about finding a math tutor for my 8th grader? He wants to try public school for high school next year, and I need to get him caught up on math. We had issues with math anxiety and a lot of arguing and drama with math, so I took it pretty slow for several years. He's willing to put in the work to get caught up and has gotten better about dealing with frustration. We've been using Lial's Basic College Math, which some of my other kids have used in the past, and I really like it. However, I feel like I'm not keeping us on a fast enough pace, and that following the textbook will be too slow to have him caught up by the end of the school year. He loves science and needs to catch up in math so he can advance in science, as well as being ready for high school in the fall.

 

Are Sylvan and Kumon type places worth the money and time, or would we be better off trying to find a college kid or other private tutor with good references?

[Arcadia]

He loves science and needs to catch up in math so he can advance in science, as well as being ready for high school in the fall.

Which math does he need to get caught up to? Also which science does he love?

 

Has your son look at the 2017/18 high school catalog and check the prerequisites for the math and science he wants to take in 9th grade? Does 9th grade start with geometry or algebra 2?

 

I would look for a tutor or a local Mathnasium with good references.

 

ETA:

Would your older kids be able to tutor him?

Edited November 2, 2017 by Arcadia

[Pen]

I suggest you visit the school he will be at next year now and talk to their pertinent person(s) (math teacher, math department head, SPED supervisor).  Find out what he needs to know to be ready for next year.  Ask if they might know a tutor, retired teacher in the area, college student, or advanced high school student who might be able to tutor him.

 

If you Google math tutors for your area you may also find some and be able to ask for references, interview them, and could find someone good for him.  A library may also know someone.  Some libraries also are linked into online homework help systems that could help.  If you have a university nearby, you could call its math department and see if they have a student who might be able to do it.

 

I would not particularly recommend Sylvan or Kumon for this, IMO.  But do consider KhanAcademy as its video or other parts could help.

 

Consider having him start into BMS now in 8th if that would help him catch up or help to make the transitions needed before it "counts."

[klmama]

I found a math tutor by posting on the local homeschooling board. She had a BS degree in math and had homeschooled her own dc. She was fabulous and charged far less that the tutors advertising on the tutoring sites.

 

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[OneStepAtATime]

If you are in the states you could look at Wyzant.  Maybe see if there is a decent tutor in your area.  You get to meet the tutor and have your child do one session before being charged.  You can compare and contrast, contact each one you are interested in through Wyzant, see if they have had background checks (and if not you can request one), see their credentials, what they teach, etc.

https://www.wyzant.com/?&urlName=Brand&g=GoogleAdwords&awcampaignid=244600804&awadgroupid=19461887404&awaceid=&awcid=228122364651&awim=&awkw=wyzant&awmt=e&awn=g&awp=&awt=&mkwid=s&pcrid=228122364651&pkw=wyzant&pmt=e&pdv=c&slid=&physid=9028167&intid=&bgSeg=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwyvXPBRD-ARIsAIeQeoHe81W4D3n313olgmBqExSHvndS_bUyqGtQZFmuDpofszQM8oeFHqwaApVyEALw_wcB

 

I do not recommend Kumon.  It is primarily a constant drill for speed program.  I know some love it but frankly I don't. 

But maybe this would help you understand it better and see if it might be a good fit for your child's needs:

http://www.mathsinsider.com/about-kumon-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/

 

Sylvan is also not something I recommend.  It is hit or miss as to whether your child will get a decent instructor, they are taught in groups, the groups are made up of whatever kids are in the same subject that signed up for that particular time (regardless of actual level or ability so math is at one table, reading at another, and so on), and are mostly on head sets doing whatever is plopped in front of them, box checking until they get to a certain goal then are given a choice of prizes.  There really isn't all that much true tutoring going on and no real collaboration, which would be my only reason for wanting tutoring through a group setting instead of one on one.

 

Mathnasium might work if you can talk to the director and see about maybe some one on one tutoring first, using your current materials.  They are sometimes willing to accommodate.

 

The biggest issue I have with most places like Kumon and Sylvan and Mathnasium (and I have had experience with all three), vs. one on one tutoring, is that they are often trying to move kids through preselected material so they can function in a classroom setting, not really thrive in that subject.  People working there may not have much experience in the subject they are teaching.  They are taught how to implement the program, not how to genuinely facilitate learning in an individual student.  That set program may or may NOT work well for an individual child.  They really are usually NOT set up to truly work individually with a student, targeting their weak areas from many directions, bolstering their areas of strength, letting them fly in areas of real gifts while really solidifying areas they were a bit shaky before.  They are often really more of a one size fits all mentality and children who struggle with their particular program will not have their needs effectively met.  For a child that fits well with that particular program it can be a HUGE help.  For those that don't, well,  it can end up being not only rather a waste of time and money but can cause additional anxiety/stress/depression and a heightened sense of failure. 

 

Now there are exceptions...

 

At one point in elementary school DD was really struggling.  We put her at Sylvan on the recommendation of a friend.  DD had a fairly decent instructor at Sylvan and for a bit and she did well.  She enjoyed that time and seemed to be learning.  Then the instructor left and the new one came in.  She was a waste of time and money.  The program was followed rigidly, no flex, there was virtually no individual instruction, DD was encouraged to just "get through" instead of truly understanding what she was doing and DD floundered.  They were definitely pushing us for more hours, more money, showing graphs of her "improvement" so that we would be willing to commit to more money spent, when I knew she wasn't actually understanding the material and that monetary investment wasn't doing her any good.  But if we had been able to keep the first instructor it might have been worth it to continue with Sylvan.  Maybe.

 

We are currently using a tutor at Mathnasium but he is the director and is willing to use our current math material and to do one on one tutoring at the moment.  The kids do not attend during the normal group session hours.  They are getting private tutoring.  Eventually the tutor wants to move the kids into the Mathnasium program and switch them to group sessions.  I don't want to switch completely from what we are currently using, especially for DD, so we may end up changing tutors for her, eventually.  The fit between DD and this tutor has not been bad, she is learning, but it hasn't been great, either so I don't think she will remain with this tutor if he insists on the switch.  DS, on the other hand, so far has really connected with this tutor and is doing much better under his instruction than he was under mine.  If switching to the Mathnasium program still keeps him moving forward and enthusiastic about math I have no issues with trying it.