Talk to Maths Doctor about (online) tutoring - £200 John Lewis voucher prize draw NOW CLOSED

[MichelleMumsnet]

Maths Doctor have asked us to find out what Mumsnetters think about (online) tutoring for children.

Here's what they have to say, "Maths Doctor is the UK's award-winning maths tutoring company with an inspirational approach to teaching. Our one-to-one, private tutorials for students aged 7-18 are delivered live over the Internet using a shared virtual whiteboard and live video feed, so that our 500+ tutors can teach anyone, anytime, anywhere. We're the UK's largest provider of this innovative digital education method that helps boost students' grades."

So, have you ever tried tutoring with your child? If so, why did you decide to get a tutor? Did it help? If not, is it something you'd ever consider? Do you think tutoring is the same as giving your child music or sports lessons, or does it put other children at a disadvantage? What do you think about Maths Doctor's approach with online tutoring? Whatever it is, we'd love to hear your thoughts!

Maths Doctor also want to give six Mumsnetters the chance to trial the Maths Doctor service and share their thoughts on this thread. The Mumsnetters who are selected will receive two free lessons for their child, which will need to be taken before 3rd February. To apply for the free trial please PM me with the age of your DCs and why you would like to trial Maths Doctor before Friday 17th January. We'll then select six Mumsnetters at random.

Maths Doctor may use posts on this thread for further marketing purposes (anonymously, of course), so please only post if you're happy with that.

Everyone who adds their thoughts to this thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a £200 John Lewis voucher.

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

PS: For those Mumsnetters who miss out on the free trial, Maths Doctor will also be offering a 20% discount for all subscriptions purchased in January (lessons can be taken at a later date but need to be booked by 31st January). Simply mention the promo code MUMSNET to receive the discount.

[Best1sWest]

DS is dyslexic and has short term memory problems. He is in year 11 and struggling badly with maths. We have used a tutor but I'm not sure it has been working. The school entered him for foundation level as a practice run in November and he got an F. I'm not sure where we go from here.

[shortie3]

We have tried tutoring and find it great, as long there is good personality fit with the tutor/child. Ours is an A-level young man and does 1 hour a week during termtime, they talk random maths topics! Our tutor is voluntary, doing it for his community service programme at school. He was assigned to our son since he needed someone to discuss Maths concepts with since he loves Maths and has completed the KS2 syllabus. This does help since he has found someone else with a love of Maths (he thought he was only one!) and we are considering options for a formal tutor now due to the success of this.

[rubytuby]

really interesting

So, have you ever tried tutoring with your child?
Just about to start tuition for my dd to prep her for the school intakes (grammar) at the end of the year (but not with Maths Doctor) although willing to consider.

If so, why did you decide to get a tutor?

school entry (as above) - the problem is that everyone is getting tuition. nearly half the of class are already doing it - although Im sure my dd is capable, tuition doesnt create a level playing field no matter how smart

Did it help? If not, is it something you'd ever consider?

I didnt think that I ever would - as why should you - but feel that as the stakes get higher that we have to give our kids the best chances.

Do you think tutoring is the same as giving your child music or sports lessons, or does it put other children at a disadvantage?

those that have are putting my child at a disadvantage which is why i am considerign it. i have specific goal so not sure i would continue it indefinately .

What do you think about Maths Doctor's approach with online tutoring?

this is a great idea. all kids love tech and you cant get them off the ipad! i'd love to try it out for my dd.

[CointreauVersial]

I have never done tutoring for my three, but mainly because they are at a good state school, are keeping up, and haven't had to sit exams.

I would certainly consider tutoring if they were to fall behind on one of the key subjects (Maths being one, although I have a strong Maths background myself). Not so they could have an advantage over other children per se, but to ensure that they achieved the necessary qualifications to do what they want in life.

I would definitely consider online tutoring, particularly if it were a lot cheaper than 1 to 1 tutoring. My DSis used some thing like that for adult learning, and it worked well, although obviously there are different considerations keeping children focused.

[Patilla]

DS is five and just started school so a little young but I would completely consider this if funds permitted.

I think it's important to give children space to be children but at the same time it's a tough old world out there and DS in his class of 31 is competing with children who might have been in classes half that size and the increased level
Of attention that brings.

I've already found that school prefers certain styles of teaching/learning and these might not always suit DS with his very "hands on" approach to learning. Online tutoring might offer alternative means of learning for him. I think it's a great idea and definitely something I'll be looking into in the future.

[Babycarmen]

Never tried tutoring, however I would definitely consider it but it would depend on costs.

[AngelDog]

I would definitely consider tutoring. I'm home educating and would use a tutoring service if I felt my child needed adult input on a subject and I couldn't help them with it.

I'd probably prefer real-life tutoring, but online would be a good second option. I'd like the opportunity to try it out or to duck in and out without having to commit to a long course of it.

[tom2468tom]

i would certainly use a tutor - especially as i think that the maths is getting far too hard for me to help with homework!

I guess they are expensive but most things are!

[museumworker]

I've home tutored DD (now 11) for one year for 11+. She was identified as G&T in maths and english several years ago by school so I'd always left them to it. I realised how many gaps there were in her knowledge whilst tutoring - if your child is in a class of 30+, there will be things they could do with extra support with.

We didn't have the money for a private tutor, nor want to make it a massive thing or push her into a school she wasn't ready for. Whilst she didn't get a place (186 places for 2000 children!), she did exceptionally well. Most importantly she was very balanced about the whole thing! Her levels at school have gone up significantly and she now has more confidence and better understanding, particularly in maths. I think parents should look at their motives when using a tutor, and think about what is best for the child - support rather than pushing, IMO.

We used online resources as well as books, I like the idea of mathsdoctor but it looks too expensive for us.

[Cherryjellybean]

My daughter is too young at the moment. I would consider it in the future if I thought she needed some extra help. I wouldn't make her though.
I like the idea of online tutoring. I had a video math tutoring thing when I was younger. I found it really helped, and helped with my gcse's.

I think regardless of what you do some children will be at an advantage or disadvantage to others. So you just have to do what you think is best for your child, whether thats tutoring or not.

[Solo]

I have always been against tutoring and my Ds got passed the 11+ and got into grammar school on his own merit.
Dd is just 7 and although I don't think she'll need it, I really want her to go to grammar school and will consider tutoring if I feel it is necessary for her, though I may also consider it whilst she is in secondary to keep her up to speed. Hopefully she won't need it though.

[asuwere]

I've never had tutoring for any of my DC but if they were struggling with a particular subject, then I would consider it - after discussing with teacher to find out if there could be an underlying issue with the subject. I think online tutoring would be good as it would be easy to supervise and much easier than having to shuttle one child to a class somewhere.

[MaddAddam]

I would consider tutoring for Maths or other subjects, theoretically, and wouldn't rule out online tutoring.

In practice DP and I both like maths and we have studied and taught it at quite advanced levels so we would probably not need a tutor.

My main qualm would be that I'd like a tutor to make maths fun for the dc, rather than a hurdle to be jumped for pragmatic reasons, so I'd be keener on fun maths activities and extension than worksheets and tests.

[NotCitrus]

My eldest is 5 and thriving at school with maths. If he started to struggle and didn't get on with me explaining, I'd consider tutoring. I would however quiz the tutors carefully to ensure I rated their qualifications - I've previously been a tutor for GCSE in subjects I had no higher qualifications in myself, thanks to agency assigning me.

If the 1:1 includes online via Skype or similar, that could be good. I wouldn't pay for 'tutoring' that was simply online worksheets, though.

[thecatfromjapan]

My personal opinion is that 1:1 tutoring can be fantastic. A good tutor, giving individual attention to a child is just great. Classes can be quite overwhelming places, with 30 in a class, and it takes a particular type of child to thrive in that situation, never mind how much of an instinctive grasp of something they may have.

That said, it's expensive. So not an option for everything.

I'm really curious as to how this particular tutoring option "feels". There's something quite intimate about a real, flesh and blood tutor - but that is a +ve and a -ve. I have to admit that there have been times I have come to dread the arrival of various tutors. However good they are at tutoring, it can be just a visceral thing, and having that personal contact with someone you're not keen on - however irrational that is - is tricky.

So, I am definitely curious about this.

It's quite pricey though.

[jodee]

We looked into tutoring for DS but it was quite expensive, £300 per term. I would certainly consider an online option, I had maths tuition (30 years ago) and also dreaded going the the tutor's house, my brother had the same tutor and felt the same, I scraped through with a C grade equivalent.

[zipzap]

DS1 is 8, DS2 is 5. We haven't ever tried personal tutoring for them, namely because they both seem to be good at maths at the moment.

DS1 in particular loves maths and enjoys doing his online maths homework which started this year. He's also worked through quite a lot of the Khan Academy online videos himself at his own pace (and through his own choice), and loves them, as he does his maths problems books and assorted maths explanatory/factual books. When he's allowed to do what he wants on the computer (gets access to a limited number of web sites we approve of, or play games or use Word/Excel/photo apps etc) he is just as likely to decide to watch a Khan Academy as he is to play a game. Not really surprised as both dh and I love maths, dh is a statistician and there are plenty of maths books and things around.

If he was struggling with maths, then I would consider tutoring, and would go by personal recommendation, either in person or online. Online has the advantage of not having to schlep out in winter weather which would be nice at least at this time of the year. And I can see that if the tutoring was online then ds1 would probably at least want to try it as he loves all things to do with the computer. As it is, as he is on the top table of the top set for maths, I'm not that bothered about pushing him further at this point, as the school are already doing this pretty well. However, English is a different story - and I am at the point of beginning to think about getting him some help with this.

DS2 is still too young to do online tutoring - ds1 is old enough to do it and be left alone - although I'd want to know that once the lesson was over, it was captured in some way so we could go back over it later to help him if there was something that he forgot or got confused by later.

I'm not that bothered by the fact that if I tutored my dc they would be disadvantaging other children - I would be doing it to ensure that my dc got a solid grounding and really understood what they were doing, particularly if they had a problem in some areas or maybe in the future, if they had to take entrance tests for senior schools, to give them exposure to the sort of thing they would need to be doing. However, I wouldn't want to tutor them to force them through entrance exams if they would then struggle through their time at senior school - the tutoring would just be to explain things that other kids at different schools might have covered (particularly at private schools) but that they won't necessarily have done at their school, even though once they have been shown what to do, they are perfectly capable of doing it.

[LydiaLunches]

I have considered a tutor for DD1 for maths as she seems to have been streamed at school based on her high reading ability and is struggling with the equivalent numeracy work. I find the whole idea a bit cringe-y though if I am completely honest, can't drive and work fulltime so online tutoring would be ideal for us.

[woodchuck]

I would consider tutoring for my DS, who struggles with some aspects of Maths. He is in Y6 at the moment, so prepping for SATS, which includes extra tuition from school. To be honest, I don't know WHEN would be the right time to start tutoring, as DS is not massively underperforming, there are just a few things he struggles with. At the moment, I don't want to add any more pressure as his school seem to be constantly stressing the importance of SATS and I think its a lot of pressure on a 10yo.

I would definitely be open to some sort of online tutoring, particularly if it could be accessed by tablet, as DS is really into his tech (aren't they all?) and he does occasionally access websites that develop maths and other curriculum subject skills voluntarily, mostly through the school platform.

[BigGapMum]

DS is a bit young to consider tutoring at the moment, but it's certainly something I would consider later on if he is struggling. A friend's Ds used a tutor as he was falling behind in maths in the run up to his GCSEs and that proved very successful. I hadn't considered online tutoring - sounds ideal for those in a rural area with many miles to drive to get to tutor, or indeed any other services.

[nobutreally]

have you ever tried tutoring with your child?
No, not yet. It is something I consider on & off - maths for dd, and handwriting literacy for both of them!
If so, why did you decide to get a tutor? Did it help? If not, is it something you'd ever consider?
Yes, I'd certainly consider it. We're not going to afford private school, but I'd see good state school + tutoring as / when necessary as a good alternative

Do you think tutoring is the same as giving your child music or sports lessons, or does it put other children at a disadvantage?
Hummmm... Naturally it does give kids an advantage. But so do music or sports lessons; so does an involved parent; so does happening to get a great teacher.

What do you think about Maths Doctor's approach with online tutoring
Interesting. Having listened to a couple of things on the radio about online schooling, I can see it being a logical route for the future. We've used - and loved - various online maths platforms, so I can see this working well.

[hellymelly]

We have thought of a tutor in maths for our daughter, who has just turned 9. But haven't found one locally. I do think of it along the same lines as music lessons, or dance. My dd is naturally good ar maths and gets bored with the maths at school. She really enjoys working things out and we have tried to get a tutor to inspire and interest her further, rather than to push her along. I would also consider a tutor if one of my dds started to struggle with a subject, as I think one to one attention and a new approach can really help. I am going to look at maths doctor to see if it would be interesting for my dd.

[PastSellByDate]

Hello Maths Doctor:

I've only briefly looked at your website which basically appears to be a forum for bringing tutor & pupils together for one to one tuition. So in fact it isn't exactly an on-line tutorial - at least from your website's description under the 'How it Works' tab.

So I think first off if your Maths Doctor tutorial is truly on-line - parents need to understand what is available on-line to support practice/ explanation/ learning at home in addition to organising one to one tutors. Are tutors virtual - I don't get the impression we can turn on a tutorial video at will or this is done through skype.

We have used Mathsfactor with Carol Vorderman. DD1 (Y6) has finished the arithmetic school (started late Y2) which systematically works through addition, subtraction, mutliplication & division of whole numbers, decimals and fractions, as well as how to calculate percentages, and has now started Algebra school - which I think will ensure that basically she's in a good place for calculation skills going up to Senior School (starting KS3).

What Mathsfactor does not offer is on-line tutorials in geometry as part of the package - but it is called 'arithmetic school' and calculation skills were the issue for DD1, as far as we were concerned as parents.

In addition to video lessons explaining what to do as you progressed through a unit, there were warm-up exercises and then a main 'homework'. These are scored and results are given to the child & to the parent. As a student, you can see what you got wrong and try again. There also are a range of video games for more practice in things like times tables/ inverse multiplication facts/ etc... As a parent you are updated by a stream of e-mails which have brief videos presented by Carol Vorderman explaining what will happen next and frequently include games you can play to help with math skills away from the computer.

DD2 started Mathsfactor in late YR from the very beginning (counting up to 20, counting at intevals, even and odd numbers, etc...) and now in Y4 is likely to complete the programme sometime this summer or early Y5. She'll also go on to algebra school.

Mathsfactor is a truly on-line tutorial. You can do it as and when it fits in to a hectic family lifestyle. The tutorial is videod, clear, ready to go and e-mails to parents update you on what your child is doing and where they're going next.

My feeling is that on-line tutorials can be fantastic. And many here on MN have sung the praises of Komodo Maths/ Maths Whizz/ Mathletics and yes I have praised Mathsfactor. I personally like a lot of choice in the market - but basically Maths Doctor you do not appear to be offering an ON-LINE MATHS TUTORIAL. You seem to be offering traditional at home tutors, which you have to schedule your life around.

And that I fear may be a problem for families with working parents, other siblings and many outside activities. The flexibility of fitting in the tutorial when it is convenient (in those 30 minutes before school, whilst Mum and Dad are making lunches and getting things ready before they go) or whilst Mum/ Dad are making dinner or whilst your brother/ sister are having their bath - which works with real, messy, hectic life - is incredibly helpful. Also Mathsfactor is significantly cheaper than your £18 - £24 an hour.

HTH

[Bubbles85]

My child is to young at the moment but when she is older, if she struggle with certain subjects, I would definitely try tutoring. Online tutoring sounds a good idea.

[MichelleMumsnet]

Maths Doctor would like to post the following,

"Thank you for all your comments so far – it's great to hear your thoughts.
In response to a query from one MNer we wanted to clarify that Maths Doctor offers online, one-to-one tuition and is NOT a traditional "meet and greet" tutor service, either in your own home or in the home of a tutor. Our lessons are delivered live over the Internet using a shared virtual whiteboard and live video feed (rather like a Skype conversation) and students are matched with one of our 500+ tutors following a free assessment of their needs and personality.
Whilst we do offer over 250 free maths videos to complement our tuition service, our main proposition is live online tuition. This is carried out by qualified, trained and approved maths tutors who give personalised tuition to meet the individual needs of each learner.
As our tutors are not virtual, lessons do need to be booked in advance but you are not tied to a specific day or time which is what makes our service so flexible and convenient for families with a busy lifestyle.
Please click here to visit our site which explains further benefits of our online maths tuition service and also features a video showing how our service works.
Thanks again for all your comments and we hope that many of you will try out our service in the future.
The team at Maths Doctor"