Comments on: Five Simple Math Tutoring Techniques for Teaching Math

By: www.lakeviewcademics.com

www.lakeviewcademics.com — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 03:17:34 +0000

All of your comments truly speak to the importance of differentiating instruction for all learners, especially those visual-spatial kiddos who sometimes struggle with ways of sequential instruction. Overall a great article with very usable ideas!

By: sean

sean — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 06:19:45 +0000

I completely agree. I’ve found that if the students don’t understand what they’re doing (they’re just doing it), it’s difficult to move on to new concepts that build on that foundation.

By: mango math

mango math — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:53:58 +0000

Great post and comments. Too often the emphasis is on “drill and kill” and other one size fits all approaches. As both the author and some of the comments point out, different students learn things in different ways, and often times through a variety of methods. With our curriculum (www.mangomathgroup.com), we’ve tried very hard to build an engaging math curriculum that promotes positive attitudes towards math while reinforcing key math skills. While our approach emphasizes on manipulatives and kinesthetic/tactile learning, we recognize that these are only part of the learning solution, but a valuable one in terms of making math more approachable, particular at the younger ages.

By: Frank Garrick

Frank Garrick — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:07:45 +0000

Good advice! It’s also extremely important when teaching Math to determine from the start what the student’s primary learning style is; whether it be visual, audio, kinesthetic/tactile. I have learned from over 9 years of working one-on-one with students, for example, a child who learns primarily visually often has a difficult time understanding and following directions given verbally. Likewise a student who learns primarily by hearing usually has a hard time comprehending material that is presented in a written format only. And with the kinesthetic learning style, most of these students must have either music, drawing, dance or some other type of “movement” incorporated into their instruction to learn effectively. It’s amazing what students can learn (and learn quickly) when emphasis is placed on the way that they learn best!

By: Grammar Teacher

Grammar Teacher — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:28:52 +0000

Good advice for tutors. Always tailor to the child’s learning stratgies and diagrams and pictures often help alot.

By: Ashley

Ashley — Tue, 12 May 2009 21:49:31 +0000

Diane, I especially liked one of your last points — using drawings and diagrams. Visual learning is so essential for some students!

By: A Vecchioni

A Vecchioni — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 21:21:01 +0000

Great points. I think open ended questions are a key component. Verbalizing the problem helps a child to see the problem from the outside and move toward it. Of course, as you point out, being a good listener–which means being patient and interested–is also critical.