It is not always obvious when a child needs extra support with Maths. A lower test result may be one sign, but changes in confidence, frustration or the amount of help they need at home can also tell you that something is becoming difficult.
Sometimes a child is struggling with the topic they are currently learning. Other times, an earlier gap in their Maths understanding can make new concepts harder to follow.
Here are some common signs that your child may benefit from extra Maths support.
Your child expresses frustration with their homework
Frustration with Maths can show up in different ways. Your child may take much longer than usual to complete homework, ask for help repeatedly or become discouraged when they come across a difficult question.
Rather than focusing only on whether they eventually get the answer right, it can be helpful to look at how they are approaching the work. If Maths regularly feels stressful or difficult, there may be a particular concept or earlier skill that needs more attention.
Extra support can help identify where the difficulty is coming from and break the work into smaller, more manageable steps. With the right guidance, your child can strengthen their understanding and feel more confident approaching Maths independently.
Your child’s grades start slipping
One lower result does not necessarily mean your child is struggling with Maths. Some topics may simply take a little longer to understand, and it is normal for results to vary from one unit to another.
However, if you notice a consistent drop in their marks, or they are finding it harder to keep up with new topics, it may be worth looking more closely at what is causing the difficulty.
Maths skills build on one another, so a challenge with current work can sometimes be linked to an earlier concept that has not fully clicked. For example, difficulty with fractions, multiplication or place value can make later Maths topics more challenging.
Identifying these gaps and giving your child support at the right level can help strengthen their understanding before new concepts are added. Extra Maths support can also help them build confidence and feel more comfortable with the work they are doing at school.
Your child shows a sudden lack of enthusiasm
Instead of a change in their marks, this sign asks you to look for a change in their behaviour or approach to their Maths studies.
If your child goes from happily tackling Maths problems to expressing a ho-hum attitude, they could be disengaged from the topic at hand. They could also be failing to comprehend the concepts behind a topic.
The best online maths tutor can help your child go from less-than-enthusiastic to interested and motivated to solve problems. Even if they don’t constantly understand everything they’re learning, an experienced online maths tutor knows how to attune your child’s attitude so that they find reward and gratification in the learning process.
You’re Finding It Difficult to Help with Maths at Home
Many fellow parents will attest to the fact that they simply don’t have time to help their kids with Maths.
But a savvy online maths tutor knows the issue is not time. The issue is expertise. Even parents who are scientists, investment bankers, and physicists don’t, many times, have the ability to teach their child Maths effectively.
And it’s not because they’re not good at it — quite the opposite. It’s because they don’t know how to teach Maths.
Educating and teaching maths online requires a particular skill set. Even if you, as a parent, are a subject matter expert in Maths, that doesn’t automatically make you an effective teacher.
Teaching is a skill that requires specific strategies and a thorough understanding of a child’s developmental stages. A tutor or educator who has been doing this for a living, or who has studied how to teach others, is truly the right individual to be conveying these complex concepts to young minds.
Why?
Because an online maths tutor knows what will resonate with students and how students’ minds will absorb a particular concept. From this general place, they can then tailor and personalise their approach for a child’s unique learning style and progress.
How Kinetic Education Can Support Your Child with Maths
Sometimes the Maths your child is finding difficult now can be linked to an earlier skill that never fully clicked. Kinetic Education helps identify these gaps so your child can start at the right level and build their understanding step by step.
Your child receives a personalised weekly learning plan based on the skills they need to strengthen. Lessons are short and manageable, and can be completed across the week at home.
Their tutor monitors their progress, adjusts their learning as they go and is available to provide extra help when they get stuck. This means your child is not simply completing more Maths, but working on the areas that can help them move forward with greater confidence.
As their understanding grows, they can continue building towards the Maths they are learning at school and become more independent in their learning.
Online Maths Tutor FAQs for Parents
How do I know if my child needs a Maths tutor?
Signs can include a consistent drop in results, frustration with Maths, avoiding homework or needing more help than usual with concepts they previously managed independently. Sometimes the difficulty can be linked to an earlier skill that needs strengthening.
Should I get a Maths tutor if my child is falling behind?
Extra support can be helpful if your child is regularly struggling to keep up or if gaps in earlier Maths skills are making new concepts more difficult. Identifying those gaps can help your child work from the right starting point.
Can a Maths tutor help if my child has lost confidence?
Yes. Working at the right level and breaking concepts into manageable steps can help Maths feel less overwhelming. As your child starts to understand more and see their progress, their confidence may begin to grow as well.