Math Home Tutoring for Your Big Kid

Below are some Math Home Tutoring alternatives for your big kid.

Teaching a child at home can be done by the parent or a freelance tutor. Mrs. Jill Alcoreza of JILLS , Teacher Abigael of Kumon and Teacher Van of Enopi shared that parents should play an important role in honing the child's learning and that tutors and tutorial centers are just "supplementary". This is also why centers send homework to their students.
Freelance tutors, even with the presence of local and international tutoring centers can still help in supplementing a child's education which centers cannot offer. Freelance tutors charge an average of P400 per hour or P3,000 per month per subject and can teach any subject, help with projects and even review the child for an exam.

Home Tutoring is Different from Home Schooling

Teacher Rica Perfecto

who tutors in South area of Manila shares: "In trying to get a tutor it is best if you get a generalist, someone who can teach all subjects may it be English, Math, Social Studies or Filipino. Mothers should not only look at the credentials of the tutor, she should also make sure that this tutor will be her partner in teaching the child good values and proper learning skills. Moms should find someone they can trust." When asked if home tutoring can go hand-in-hand with home schooling, she replies that "home schooling and tutoring are two different things. Home schooling programs usually do not encourage tutoring because the program requires that the big kid learns everything he within the prescribed hours at home. I believe that the effectiveness of a home schooling program lies on the effectiveness of the mom herself. The mom needs to be very patient. Like a teacher she needs to be a combination of a disciplinarian and a friend to the child." Laguna Mom and freelance tutor Janice Sibug shares the same opinion. "Home tutoring is not anymore advisable for children undergoing home schooling because the set-up is the same. It’s redundant. Tutoring is more applicable for students who are unable to grasp the concept(s) due to a huge class population."

Click here to read on about why home tutoring isn't for all kids.

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Why Home Tutoring Isn’t For All Kids

Preschool teacher and part-time tutor Marthy Gomez Brazal

known as Teacher Patty at Flying Colors Tutorial Center in Marikina states, "The downside of home tutoring is that the child is in his comfort zone which might make him too relaxed. The child sometimes spends more time playing rather than studying. So, the tutor really needs to exert more effort in prolonging the child’s attention span." This problem is shared by Teacher Rica. "The downside I see in tutoring a child at home is that they can easily access the TV, their computers and other gadgets. They are also distracted by other family members who are around or visitors. This can be resolved by doing the tutoring in a confined nook, away from all the distractions. Kids also tend to feel that they are king or queen of their home. This gives them the tendency to disrespect their tutor if they do not want to study. Some nasty kids are capable of telling their tutors that they are mere slaves because their parents pay them. I try to resolve this by preparing a student-tutor contract which includes a simple goal setting form and the terms and conditions for tutoring sessions."

Teacher Janice shares another dilemma: "With the increase in school tuition fees, there is a decline in the number of parents who avail of home tutors for their children. Some just ask the tutor to help out right before the takes an exam. This is not really recommended because an exam covers several months’ worth of material. Most likely, the child will be pressured. This kind of tutorial doesn’t help the child. In the end also, parents may see it as the tutor’s deficiency. 'Bakit ka bagsak, eh, nagpatutor ka na nga?!' This is why I always recommend to parents that if they want Math tutorials, it’s every day or none at all."

Home Tutoring Tips for Parents

Teacher Patty's pointers on parents teaching their kids at home themselves:

Be very patient.
Schedule a time to do the homework.
Provide a quiet and comfortable place to study.
Be willing to help, but don't do the homework.
Show that studying is important.
Always praise and encourage your child.

"From my experience,” shares Teacher Patty, “the usual scenario is that parents keep complaining that they don’t have the time and patience to teach their children because they’re tired from work. The parent and child just end up fighting. So, with this kind of situation, the student can’t absorb the lesson or can’t do the homework. What parents can do is to schedule a set time for studying. The child and the parent should rest first and relax so that they will both understand each other.”

Find out more about tutoring on SP articles:

Does my big kid need a tutor?

Stress-free Tutoting With Your Preschooler

5 Math Tutorial Programs

3 After School Tutorial Programs