Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Help with maths

40 replies

Anushka · 05/06/2013 14:35

Can anyone offer advice on extra help we can give to dd who is (and always has) struggled with maths. She's currently in year 9 so feel we need to help before gcses start in earnest next year.

I'm not sure if we ought to go down a tutor route as I feel that she really doesn't enjoy the subject, to put her through an hour extra each week may be too much, and be very expensive.

My gut instinct is to almost go back to basics with some ks3 books we can work our way through to see where the "problem" is. I don't mind maths but don't always know ho she's even taught so often confuse her, so feels book (not really a revision guide one though).

Other than maths she does really well and is working at a high level in most other subjects and always puts in plenty of effort, just not getting the results she deserves in maths.

I get mixed messages from school - yes she's puts in brilliant effort, is a good likeable student in class, but hasn't made as much progress this year as she needed to (my words not theirs but you get the gist). We are happy with everything she does, but not sure if we should have intervened before now.

OP posts:

Original poster

Anushka · 09/06/2013 22:45

Noblegiraffe - why is numeracy more important in one paper than another! This sounds remarkably similar to the difference between o levels and cse surely after all these years we're not back to this scenario are we, i thought gcse was introduced to combat this. Surprisingly she seems to understand wordy scenario questions better than straightforward "arithmetic" but that's perhaps because w have one a few examples before we get on to these.

I'm not sure if we've had a bit of epiphany today as someone said she needs to believe in herself (she does need to) sometimes I do wonder as maths is black and white (something I feel is reassuring) for her is too definite and so she feels she'll fail before she starts. Right my challenge in the short term is to a) boost her confidence an b) demonstrate every day use of maths (although the foundation paper perhaps doesn't have this in it).

OP posts:

LineRunner · 09/06/2013 22:53

Do you have a Kip McGrath centre to look at?

noblegiraffe · 09/06/2013 22:53

Because the foundation paper doesn't have as much algebra, and it goes down to a much lower level, it has
more arithmetic on it than the higher paper.

It will contain some problem solving on it, everyday maths (called functional maths) so she may get questions of the sort where information is given about various holidays and she has to work out which would be cheapest for a family of five.

Original poster

Anushka · 09/06/2013 23:09

Yes got a few kip McGrath line runner, been told I need to take out a second mortgage jut to speak to them, but they are good.

OP posts:

LineRunner · 09/06/2013 23:35

My experience with Kip McGrath is about £27 per session (an hour and 20 minutes) a week, but you get what you pay for. Also because it is a registered out-of-school provider you are able to claim childcare tax credits if eligible.

You can maybe talk about a six week block, rather than a whole term or whole year?

titchy · 10/06/2013 08:08

Foundation and higher IS the equivalent of the old divide between O level and CSE. The only difference is that if you get a C grade on the foundation paper (usually the highest you can get) you get the same qual as if you get a C grade in the higher paper. So although CSE grade 1 wa equivalent to O level C no-one really thought it was as it signified you were not thought capable of O level study by your school.

DeWe · 10/06/2013 09:46

My dm is a tutor, and has tutored children like your dd.

I wouldn't say that she turns them around to love maths, but she stops them being scared of maths, and that makes a huge difference to their enjoyment of it, as well as ability,

One of her pupils said that just knowing that she could bring a topic she didn't understand to dm to explain meant that she wasn't panicking when a new subject came, and found she understood much more than she thought she ever would.

It is expensive, dm would charge about £20 an hour at that age, that's cheap, agencies can be double that. But she does have some pupils that do fortnightly, or even less often, just to give them a regular boost.

AnnaBBB · 10/06/2013 09:57

how about that stuckonmaths website...they do recorded maths video tutorials with test yourself examples for GCSE and KS3...so at least a child can watch selected topics at his/her own pace....i might try the KS3 one for DS ....and it may help for me to watch it first as I am rusty on topics like algebra

Perhaps supplement that and textbooks with an hour a week private tuition to get back on track

When OP says an hour extra a week may be too much, though, I do wonder, as key I think to being good at maths is practice and enjoying the challenge also...and presumably even a tutor is going to set extra work in weak areas.

AnnaBBB · 10/06/2013 09:59

£20 an hour for private maths tuition at that level does seem cheap...a tutor from agencies around here costs around £45

Original poster

Anushka · 10/06/2013 10:41

Dewa you DM sounds a dream. As I've started asking around a few people have mentioned various local people so might do a bit of research £20 wouldn't be too bad if it helps.

OP posts:

Original poster

Anushka · 24/08/2014 08:57

Hi all,

Not sure if this is the right way to update this, but thought it might help others.

Well after a year of serious hardwork, using Mathswatch and at least 1 night after school at maths club, dd1 gained a c in her GCSE maths doing the foundation paper a whole year early (and as an august baby at the age of 14).

She's now decided she is some sort of maths genius and looking forward to taking the higher paper next year! Her teacher has been calling her the transformation of the year, something definitely just clicked ... Perhaps me telling her she doesn't need to know why we it like that, just do it lol!

To say I'm very proud is something of an understatement! Just thought this result might bring hope to others in the same boat x

OP posts:

ChillySundays · 25/08/2014 10:09

That is great news. Well done!

areyoubeingserviced · 25/08/2014 16:43

Brilliant news
I love the fact that she now thinks that she is a maths genius.

balia · 25/08/2014 16:59

Just read this without realising it was an update until the end (d'oh) but thought I'd just correct something from earlier upthread - a level 5A at the end of year 9 does NOT mean a student has no chance of a 'C' grade at GCSE. In fact, statistically (based on national figures) a C is the most likely outcome for someone at that level.

AndiPandi · 25/08/2014 17:11

DD is the same. I tried helping but just seemed to make it worse (& I'm good at maths, but that made DD feel worse). I got her a tutor for just half an hour a week. She takes along any school work she is struggling with and she has come on in leaps and bounds, it has been amazing. DD is so proud of herself and loves her tutor, he gives her the confidence to tackle things she would have been frightened of. I think she might need to go up to 1hr lessons nearer big exams but for nowhalf an hour a week is making a world of difference.

Flip

1 2