Can you plz explain to me what math tutors actually do?

[HappyGrace]

Trying to decide if a math tutor would help us! Do they assign work to the dc, and then go over it? Do they just answer any questions the dc has?

 

What I'm hoping for is someone to assess where dd11 is, exactly what her problems are, and then help to shore up her problem areas before getting into higher math. Is there a certain *type* of math tutor I should look for to do this? And what do I look for in selecting a tutor (what questions do I ask, etc)?

 

And how would they do this in just an hour a week? (We prbly could only afford one once a week.)

 

I assume we would just continue to work through our regular curriculum? Or do they suggest one, or supplement what we're doing, or what?

 

Thanks!

 

(xpost)

[Annie G]

What you're looking for should be reasonably easy for a tutor to handle. If you want to continue on with your regular math and let the tutor shore up some problem areas, that should work ok. You'll want to work with the tutor to make sure you're both on the same channel- your child will have regular daily work so you don't want the tutor to assign your dd an hour's worth of work every day on top of what you're doing.

 

I'd aim for 15 minutes or so of tutor assigned work on days they don't meet. That should be enough to practice the skills and let the tutor see if she's making progress.

 

 

Once a week sounds fine- I tutor twice a week but I'm teaching the entire subject and my students need two sessions a week.

 

Wish I lived near you- I'd LOVE to take on an 11 year old!!

[Jann in TX]

When I tutored PS students I would evaluate them and then give them small 'assignments' to practice during the week.

 

If a student was struggling, I would often talk to the teach then 'pre-teach' the lesson-- so the student was familiar with it BEFORE the teacher went over it in detail. This was great--especially at the high school level.

 

When I tutored elementary students I would often play a 'learning type' game with them that focused on a particular skill-- then we would work some problems together and finally I would introduce a new skill/concept to practice.

 

Tutoring and teaching are very different...I personally prefer teaching-- where I work through a whole curriculum with a student... I LOVE helping struggling students 'figure' Math out--and when I teach I can help them avoid some bad habits, and I can tailor a lesson to a specific student/learning style... when you tutor you begin with concepts that the student has already struggled with, and their first impression is usually 'failure'-- it is a challenge to turn that around into success.

 

If you are looking for a tutor to supplement and 'fill in gaps'-- then look for someone who is experienced and KNOWS the curriculum--knows what should be covered at that particular level-- a high school teacher may not be the best person to tutor a 5th grader...in your case look for someone who has taught elementary before (a retired teacher would be great!).

[Jean in Newcastle]

When you call potential tutors, ask if they are willing to do a "meet and greet". It is a unpaid face to face meeting just to see if things clicked. (We agreed on this definition at the start. And some tutors suggested themselves that we have one before I even brought it up.) All the tutors who came to do a meet and greet looked over our books and sat down with ds14 for about 15 min. to just see how they worked together.

[Desert Rat]

We meet with ds11's tutor every Monday. She presents the new material and practices with him. Then, she assigns 4-5 days of work. I grade the assignments during the week. Any missed problems he retries one time. If he still doesn't get it, I make note for her to review.

This system works well for us and he's doing great.

FWIW, I've arranged a trade of services with her that is mutually beneficial for both of us.

[Claire in NM]

I'm doing this as a favor so it is very unstructured. In our first meeting, I looked over what she had already covered and reviewed this with her to find the gaps. Once the problem areas are pinpointed, we discuss the math topics she is currently going over. As we work on her current assignments, we can review the topics previously taught. This is usually easy enough since math builds on itself. But the emphasis is on the understanding and completing of the current assignments.

 

Claire in NM

Edited November 1, 2011 by Claire in NM
Clarification

[JeneralMom]

It really depends on the student. I tutor mainly higher level math and science, along with English and History. One of my upper level students has a younger brother who was struggling badly so his mum asked me to try to figure out why. I just sat and talked to him for a while to see what the issue was and realized he just does not understand math when it is explained to him in a classroom setting or in the manner the teacher was using. So, with him, I spend our first hour re-explaining what the teacher has said in a way he does understand and then the second hour we do his homework and I add problems/examples in as needed. He is 11 also. His 13 yo sister has the same problem (not understanding when it is explained in class) so occasionally I have to go over and re-explain her math to her also.