How to choose a middle school math tutor
Why your middle schooler might need a math tutor, critical skills they can help develop, and what to look for in a middle school math tutor.
If you've got a middle schooler, then you'll probably know how math in middle school seems like a big step up from elementary math, which can lead to kids and parents feeling confused.
Many parents decide that a tutor can best support their child through middle school math, setting a solid foundation for high school, but it can be challenging to know how to choose an effective middle school math tutor for your child.
So, to get you started, we've put together this handy guide to show you how a middle school math tutor can help and the best ways to find the right one for your kid.
How can a math tutor help my middle schooler?
Hiring a math tutor can assist your child in navigating middle school math by:
Explaining new concepts
Middle school math is full of new concepts and ideas, and an expert middle school math tutor can help your kids develop a secure conceptual understanding of these ideas and become confident, fluent mathematicians.
(In the next section, we’ll unpack some of the areas of math where middle school kids may need support.)
Developing confidence
Research has shown that confidence in math often declines as kids go through middle school. The 1-on-1 personalized support offered through middle school math tutoring is an ideal way to help build and restore this confidence.
Accelerating progress
Research proves tutoring increases progress and improves scores on standardized tests.
Stretching and challenging
Math tutoring is also a great way to stretch and challenge your middle schooler and help prevent them from becoming unmotivated and 'bored' in math.
Helping with homeschooling
The more advanced topics covered in middle school math can sometimes be challenging for homeschooling math. An expert math tutor can help your child master middle school math and provide invaluable tips and guidance for your homeschooling.
What areas of math may middle school kids need support with?
Middle school math represents a 'step up' in math knowledge and skills from elementary math. Your kids will be learning new concepts which build upon the foundational math knowledge they gained in elementary school.
They'll also be expected to apply their knowledge in new ways, including developing problem-solving and reasoning skills.
So even kids who were super confident with math in elementary school may benefit from the additional guidance and support a math tutor can provide. Here are some areas of math that middle schoolers may need help with.
Math foundations
Some middle schoolers may need support to strengthen their elementary math skills, especially around addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
An effective middle school math tutor should be able to help your kids fill any gaps in this knowledge and help them improve their fluency so that they can tackle the more advanced topics covered in middle school.
Algebra
If your state's curriculum is based on Common Core, your middle schooler will generally be introduced to writing and solving algebraic equations in 6th-grade math. They'll then build upon this and develop their algebra skills throughout middle school.
Even though it builds upon the math skills kids have developed throughout elementary school, algebra often seems daunting. But a good middle school math tutor can explain algebraic concepts in a way that makes sense to your child.
Proportionality (fractions, decimals, percentages, and ratios)
While they will have been introduced to fractions and decimals in elementary school, middle school builds upon this and introduces significant work on percentages and ratios.
Your middle school math tutor should be able to help your child develop their conceptual understanding of these subjects so that they can apply them to a wide range of problems.
Statistics
In middle school, your child will be introduced to various statistical concepts and methods, including averages and standard deviation, and develop their understanding and use of probability.
A middle school math tutor should be able to help unlock this concept for your child by using a range of real-life examples and models.
What should I look for in a middle school math tutor?
When starting your search for the perfect math tutor for your child, there are some general things to consider and questions to ask, like:
What curriculum(s) does the math tutor support?
Schools and homeschoolers across the country use many different math curriculums, and it's important to check if the tutor can support the curriculum used in your kid's school or that you are using for homeschooling.
What qualifications do they have?
Many middle school math tutors will likely have direct experience teaching middle school math. However, some tutors more than make up for a formal teaching qualification with the first-hand experience gained through years of successful middle school math tutoring.
What do other families think of their math tutoring?
A math tutor should be able to provide reviews and testimonials from previous families they’ve worked with. Finding a tutor online can help with this — for example, all online middle school math tutors on Outschool have honest reviews and ratings from families.
If the math tutor can fit into your schedule
Family life is busy, so you have to make sure your tutor and your child’s schedules line up.
Using an online tutoring platform such as Outschool can make this much easier than using an in-person tutor—there’s no travel time involved, and you’re not limited to finding a tutor in your local area, which means you’re almost certain to find a perfect tutor that fits around your child’s schedule.
But, tutoring middle school math can be very different than tutoring high school or elementary math, so when looking for a math tutor for your middle schooler, here are two specific questions to consider to ensure you find the perfect math tutor for your middle schooler.
1. Do they have experience teaching or tutoring middle school math?
It’s essential that the math tutor you choose has experience and knowledge in the math concepts and teaching approaches (pedagogy) required for middle school math.
Generally, middle school math focuses on higher-level problem-solving skills and more abstract concepts, which builds upon the skills your child learned in kindergarten through fifth grade.
In addition to having knowledge of middle school math topics, they need to know how to teach core elementary math skills in case your child is in remedial math so your child can catch up to their peers.
For example, while a math graduate with little tutoring experience may be a great choice to help a high school student with calculus, they might not have the instructional nurturing to help your middle schooler grasp percentages or algebra, whereas an online math tutor who specialises in middle school mathematics could be the perfect fit.
2. Can they adapt their teaching style to the changing needs of middle schoolers?
Middle school is a period of significant change and transition for most kids. Their brains are undergoing a significant period of change and development, which means they often have different needs and learning styles than kids in elementary or high school. For example, research has shown that, unlike adults, most teens and tweens don't perform well under pressure, so finding a tutor who has a low-pressure, supportive approach to tutoring is essential.
Middle school math tutors should also be able to adapt their tutoring style to meet the needs of students as they go through middle school and adapt when these needs and preferences change as your child becomes more independent.
Outschool can help you find the perfect middle school math tutor
At Outschool, you'll find hundreds of experienced online middle school math tutors ready to start working with your child. You can easily search and filter tutors and see their reviews and ratings. That way you can find the right middle school math tutor for your child. Plus, all of Outschool's teachers are screened for their subject matter expertise, class content, and motivation for tutoring, so you know your child will be in knowledgeable hands.
As well as online math tutoring, Outschool offers a wide range of online math classes, including whole curriculum classes and classes that focus on specific areas of middle school math.
By joining a fun online math class, your kid will get to learn alongside a small group of other middle schoolers and benefit from the expertise of Outschool's experienced math teachers.
Get started by finding the perfect middle school math tutor or class for your child today.
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