Children often need more individual attention in the classroom than their schools can provide for them, especially in subjects like mathematics. As class sizes continue to grow this challenge is intensifying.
What’s even more concerning is that it’s not always apparent that a child is struggling in their math learning. The signs are not always clear or obvious. And sometimes they are missed by parents and teachers – even when best efforts are made.
As both parents and educators ourselves, we wish these issues were not true, but they are, and they are growing challenges that we’re seeing in our local schools and communities.
Strong Math Skills are Vital to a Child’s Success in School & Beyond
Strong math skills are vital to a child’s success in high school, college, university, trades programs, and far beyond. Math is everywhere and impacts so many occupations and careers. It’s pretty amazing how far-reaching it is! It’s very common for people to not notice that they are using math in everyday life beyond basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Math can and will transform lives. It starts with a solid foundation, which is where we come in. Our math-only learning centre, Mathnasium of Newmarket, offers year-round personalized math instruction that is customized to a child’s individual learning needs and unique learning style. We also make learning math fun! Our approach and method helps alleviate stress and anxiety, which get in the way of a child’s learning.
When is the Best Time to Get Your Child Math Help?
At the start of the school year.This is 100% the best time to get your child math help.
All too often a ‘wait and see approach’ is taken, where parents hold back on getting additional math help in place for their child. They may be hanging onto hope that their child’s new teacher will be more effective or impactful than the previous one or that their child finally ‘gets it’ in the upcoming school year and manages to get their grades and test scores up on their own. They want/need to see the first term progress report and even first term report card to see if any improvement in math has occurred before they get any extra Math help. More often than not, this approach results in a child continuing to fall further and further behind in their math learning, and growing feelings of frustration, anxiety and stress. It also can take a serious toll on their self-confidence.
6 Reasons to Get Math Help as Soon as School Starts
Summer Learning Loss is Real. Summer can bring upon a much needed and well-deserved break for kids. During this time, learning loss (called ‘the summer slide’, which has been studied for over a century) is very real for students, and especially those struggling to catch up or keep up. When not involved in a summer math program, children lose on average 2-3 months of math skills during the summer months. That is a lot! It means that kids are already starting the new year a little behind. Not all kids are able to quickly catch up or catch up at all, which does not set them up for a successful school year. Getting your child math help at the very start of the school year will help identify any current gaps, reinforce the math concepts they’re being instructed on early in the first term, and help prepare them for all the new material that will follow as the school year progresses.
Children Need a Solid Grasp on Math. A solid grasp on math means that a child understands the concepts. This is not the same as memorizing steps. Math builds and advances as school progresses from elementary school to high school and post-secondary education. Having your child work one-on-one with a passionate, caring, and expert math tutor will give them the individual attention they need to develop a solid understanding of math.
Gaps in Math Learning need to be Addressed ASAP. Addressing gaps as soon as possible helps a student reach their potential. When gaps are present and new material/concepts are introduced to students, they end up falling further beind. Gaps make learning math harder and more stressful. Since math concepts build on one another, the sooner the gaps in a student’s math foundation are addressed (and remedied), the sooner they are on track to a great school year!
Confidence in Math Builds Overall Confidence. There is no stopping a child who is confident in math. It can be life-changing - building confidence in other subjects, interests, and future careers. The sense of accomplishment and pride that students feel when they solve math problems and raise their math grades and test scores is tremendous. Our passionate, caring, and expert math tutors will help a child challenge and exercise their own mind and grow their enthusiasm for math and learning overall.
The Time to Prepare for Standardized Tests is Now. For students looking ahead to college, university, and even specific trades programs, performance on standardized tests matters. The quicker math support is put in place, the more prepared the student will be for these tests and exams. Relying on cramming, last-minute test-prep help, and test-taking strategies are not beneficial and often don’t work because students need to actually understand the math they are being tested on.
All Students are Capable of Being Good at Math. When kids are ‘okay’ or ‘average’ at math or find math class too easy, these are signs they could be doing better or that the time has come for more advanced or complex math concepts. Given the right individual math instruction and support, all students are capable of being good at math and even be high achievers. For students who already excel in math, getting supplemental math help gives them an incredible opportunity to expand their skills beyond what at they’re learning in the classroom (which may be boring and uninspiring), reach higher math learning levels, and unlock their true potential.
Mathnasium of Newmarket Math Tutoring Gets Results!
Here at Mathnasium of Newmarket we offer real-time, face-to-face instruction either in-centre or online through Mathnasium@home. Our method of teaching math, The Mathnasium Method™, helps students understand concepts faster and easier than a “one-size-fits-all” curriculum.
