Improving Math Confidence: A Journey with Thinkster
Math, with its intricate formulas and problem-solving techniques, can often be daunting for many students. ...
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Last Updated on August 31, 2021 by Thinkster
Imagine this all-too-familiar scenario – one that you, as a parent, are probably very familiar with when your child sits down to do mathematics after a day of learning.
00:00 min
Okay. I’ve got this. We learned this in class today. I can remember this.
2:56 min
Hmm. No. What was the formula? I need to look it up.
6:31 min
Wow. That doesn’t make sense. Maybe I miscalculated somewhere…
7:29 min
Nope. I completely used the formula wrong.
9:12 min
Okay. I think I’ve got it? Let me check what the answer should be.
10:03 min
How is my answer so far off?!
10:10 min
I don’t remember what to do. How did Mr. Matthews teach this in class today? Maybe a video will help me remember…
12:40 min
Why are there so many YouTube videos?! I guess I’ll watch a few.
19:52 min
Nope. Still confused.
20:03
Oh, man. I have nineteen more questions to go?! I don’t know what to do or how to do this!
…
That’s the scenario for many students, not just yours, as they struggle with everything from elementary math to algebra to calculus.
Do you know what happens when it takes your child twenty minutes to answer a math question… yet they still get nowhere?
I’m sure you do – it’s probably something that you’ve seen in your own home.
That growing frustration is a ticking time bomb for a freakout.
Is it the occasional math problem that your child struggles to complete?
Or, maybe it’s with math overall?
Maybe you’ve reached the point where those consistent C’s and D’s on report cards aren’t surprising anymore?
What’s more, you’ve reached a point where you can no longer help your child through their homework. Don’t blame yourself, most people aren’t equipped with the training, yes training, it takes to teach – especially math homework. Your child’s frequent struggles just don’t seem to work themselves out, so finding math help is the next step. Specifically, find a dedicated math tutor who can deliver successes and significant learning improvements in an environment that is both challenging and stimulating yet comfortable and encouraging.
Imagine your car breaks down.
Yikes.
Is it the battery? The engine? Faulty cooling system?
You then have the car towed to your mechanic so he can figure out the reason for your car troubles.
Your mechanic runs a few tests to check different car parts and fluid levels. Ultimately, he runs diagnostic tests to pinpoint the issue and then fixes the problem.
If your child struggles in math, they need this sort of test and fix too.
A diagnostic test is incredibly helpful and can pinpoint which particular concepts and strategies your child has difficulties understanding. These areas are not always easy for parents to spot. Is it math theory your child has trouble in? Is it the application of that theory? Or is it more so the way your child learns. Do they learn better by repitition or by video example?
Then, once these areas of weakness are determined, your child can get help to improve their math skills and do better in their course. This helps them gain confidence in the classroom and their problem-solving abilities. And confidence can help them in all areas of their life. The fact that they can overcome and master the problems they faced in mathematics can result in a tremendous boost of self-esteem.
So, where should you take your child for math help? Is it in the same town you live in? Is it in a convenient part of the city? Or do you have to make special arrangements to get your child to the tutoring session on time on their schedule? Will it result in your child missing out on some of their other beloved activities because the tutoring schedule isn’t convenient to you?
Do you actually have to take them somewhere?
Sure, there are math learning centers, like Kumon and Huntington. Some do offer diagnostic tests to determine your child’s starting level.
But what comes next?
Does the math learning center customize a learning plan for your child? Or, after determining the starting level, does your child follow a standardized plan and sequenced assignments? Pigeon-holing a child into a standardized plan may not yield the results you want. You may encounter more of the same frustrations and even lower confidence (‘even with tutoring I don’t get it’).
Maybe your child needs one-on-one attention from a private math tutor. Some tutors may come right to your home (hello, convenience!) and help with school concepts and homework.
But when you speak to potential private tutors for your child, can they give assessments and content to help with specific areas of weakness? Or, do they only focus on current school topics?
Well, your child’s private and elite Thinkster Math tutor can definitely help with foundational skills!
Their tutor provides frequent and periodic assessments to check that your child demonstrates and retains concept mastery. This way, the learning plan is continuously updated to support the exact topics and concepts that your child needs help understanding and learning.
Frequent assessments also ensure that you can see measurable learning improvements! This gives you the confidence that your child is steadily improving in topics they might have previously struggled to understand. These frequent assessments not only help your student but allow the tutor to pivot the teaching methods and activities to yield better results.
My sister’s car recently started acting up and veering to the right with a quick jerking motion.
She explained the situation to two different mechanics.
The first mechanic ran some initial tests and didn’t find anything wrong with the car.
The second mechanic took the time to run initial tests and get in the car to test drive it.
He wanted to experience the problem first-hand so that he could really identify the exact issue.
Your struggling math student needs someone like this second mechanic to check on their performance!
Part of this requires constantly and consistently examining and reviewing your child’s problem-solving methods.
Your child’s math tutor should look at how your child works through questions. This way, they can identify the exact step where your child makes a mistake.
You could hire a private math tutor to sit next to your child and monitor their work every day… but that could get pretty expensive! So how else can you manage to have private tutoring without taking out a second mortgage?
Now, with a Thinkster Math tutor, there’s no need for someone to sit directly next to your child and watch how they solve questions! There’s no need to trudge across town in bad weather, putting off the family dinner or extracurricular activities for your child to sit in a room with 10 other students all vying for the tutor’s attention.
With our patent-pending Active Replay Technology (ART), both you and the tutor can take a look at how your child answers questions and see how and why they’re making mistakes. That’s right you get to see what the tutor sees.
This is incredibly valuable to the Thinkster tutor, as they can pinpoint specific moments in the problem-solving process where your child struggled or faced difficulties.
The feedback that the Thinkster tutor provides is extremely insightful. They can help your child correctly use strategies to improve performance.
Plus, your child’s tutor monitors your child’s work and checks ART all seven days of the week!
Your child gets a dedicated tutor that monitors work every day – without it costing you an arm and a leg!
Think of the relief you’ll feel knowing that your child is getting the best tutoring experience you can get for them without the price or the sacrifice.
If your child struggles in math, then they need someone to actually spend the time to work with them through concepts and problems!
Having this one-on-one interaction is incredibly beneficial.
It gives your child a comfortable space to ask questions that they may not feel comfortable asking in front of a group of peers. Let’s face it – we all remember what it was like putting our hand up and asking a question hoping no one would think we were dumb. In addition to asking whatever questions they may have about the lesson, your child can also use tutoring time to get help with specific problems and topics of their choice.
If you’re still considering sending your child to a math learning center or a tutoring service, check if they do offer one-on-one instructional time.
(Chances are, probably not – unless you spend even more money!)
A private math tutor is a great option to ensure your child gets the one-on-one time that they need to build conceptual understanding.
Some private math tutors are a little pricey.
A tutoring program might have limited or set times that they can meet your child.
Or, you might need to drive to meet the tutor at a library or learning center.
These little nuances add up!
Wanting extreme convenience when it comes to math tutoring is one of the big reasons some parents join Thinkster Math!
It’s super easy for kids to connect with their tutor online for a tutoring session.
There’s no driving required, and you can reschedule tutoring sessions if something pops up in your schedule! No more paying for missed tutoring sessions. No more fines for not showing up on time.
Your child works with the same dedicated and elite math tutor every day. The tutor follows your child’s progress and performance extremely closely. By looking at data-driven insights, they hyper-personalize and modify the learning plan specific to your child’s learning needs and goals. This helps your child make substantial learning improvements in a short amount of time.
Plus, Thinkster shares this data with you every step of the way because we are a very transparent company!
Parents love that we keep them in-the-know constantly by sharing math skills performance improvements week over week. It’s easy to track progress with our Parent Insights App – which you can download right to your phone.
Imagine the evenings after you put Thinkster in place. Instead of frustration, the resounding silence coming from your child’s room as they struggle, for hours, for mediocre if not failing grades, your child now spends an appropriate amount of time on homework – enough to learn the concept, and get a better grade. Not only does it showcase how awesome students perform, but it gives the reassurance that we continuously deliver on what we promise when you join:
Your child will become a math champion with Thinkster!
The Thinkster Math tutor follows our 7-step method to help deliver incredible performance results and skyrocket your child’s confidence!
Thinkster Math mom Fiona shares her experience following this method:
“We started using it in July 2019. At the time my son was only able to count to 20 and add +1s. He really did not have a proper grasp of the meaning of number value, place value, and adding from his head. Now he can add really well, use associative and commutative properties like a champ and just has way more confidence in math. He no longer shuts down at the thought of a new concept and is really building a foundation of learning math principles. His tutor is awesome and she truly has the patience of Jesus himself. He loves her and so do we.”
This is just one of the testimonials we have received from grateful parents and students who no longer dread math class. Instead, with the help of their expert math tutor, they are discovering that they are, in fact, fascinated by mathematics.
No one likes to struggle when completing a task, especially in mathematics. The longer that we struggle, the more frustrated we become… which can turn into growing self-doubt in our own capabilities!
You don’t want your child to cross the fine line where struggling leads to a complete shutdown. That’s the point in time when you as a parent feel especially helpless. Reaching out to the instructor can help, but not always.
A math tutor can pinpoint areas of weakness and help your child work through frustrating math topics. This helps your child achieve awesome learning improvements!
Your child can grow more confident in the classroom as a result of this one-on-one attention and math help!
Learn more about how our math tutors can boost your child’s confidence in the classroom. Or, if your child already does well in his or her math course, why your A student also needs a math tutor!
