Your child gets a maths test back and the mark is lower than expected. Do they need a tutor, more practice, or a chance to settle into the topic? Start with the work behind the result. A single mark tells you much less than a pattern across classwork, homework and conversations with their teacher.
Tutoring may be worth considering when a difficulty keeps returning, your child needs more individual explanation than they are getting, or homework has become a regular source of conflict. Here is how to work out what would actually help.
Look for the same difficulty in different questions
Keep two or three recent examples of unfinished or incorrect work. Look for something more specific than “careless mistakes”. Does your child lose track of place value, confuse the size of fractions, or change signs partway through an algebra problem?
For example, a student might successfully copy the steps for adding fractions but add the denominators when the numbers change. Ask, “Can you show me what this fraction means?” Drawing or explaining it can reveal more than doing another page of similar sums.
You do not need to identify every gap yourself. These examples give a teacher or tutor a useful starting point.
Notice how much help is needed to get started
Some children understand a worked example but cannot choose a first step independently. Others can calculate accurately once someone reads the question aloud or helps them organise the information.
Do they ask for help before attempting every question?
Can they explain why a method works, or only repeat the steps?
Can they complete a similar question after the example is covered?
Does the difficulty involve the maths, the wording, or keeping track of several steps?
Those are different support needs. A helpful tutoring plan should address the actual sticking point rather than simply add more homework.
Pay attention to confidence without making assumptions
Repeatedly saying “I'm bad at maths”, avoiding the subject or becoming upset over small mistakes deserves a conversation. Ask at a calm time: “Which part feels hardest at the moment?” A child who is worried about being wrong may need a gentler starting point and space to explain their thinking.
Also consider the circumstances. Tiredness, missed lessons and a particularly busy week can affect homework. If distress is persistent or affecting school attendance or daily life, involve the school wellbeing or learning support team. Extra maths lessons may be only one part of the response.
Speak with the classroom teacher first
Take your examples to the teacher and ask three focused questions: Is this happening in class too? Which skill should we prioritise? What support or practice is already available at school?
Find out which method and language the class is using. For a child learning division, introducing a second procedure at home can add confusion when they are still getting comfortable with the first. Ask for a worked example you can refer to, and agree on when to review progress.
Try a small, manageable change at home
Choose one skill and a short practice period that your child can manage. For younger children, that might mean sharing counters equally, comparing prices or measuring ingredients together. The NSW Department of Education's Parents Count Too arithmetic resources offer everyday activities, while its early-years literacy and numeracy guide includes practical number activities for children starting school.
Finish by asking your child to explain one example. Record what they managed independently and where they needed a prompt. If the same obstacle remains despite targeted practice and teacher guidance, you have a clearer reason to seek individual support.
Know what you want tutoring to change
A useful goal might be “solve a two-step word problem and explain the method” or “work with equivalent fractions without prompting”. Bring school feedback and recent work, then ask a prospective tutor how they would check understanding and adjust lessons.
North Shore Tutors offers one-to-one maths tutoring from primary school through the HSC. When considering any tutor, ask how lessons will connect with classroom learning and how you will hear about progress.
After an agreed review period, look beyond the next test mark. Is your child starting more readily, explaining their choices and needing fewer prompts? Those observations help you decide whether to continue, change the focus or revisit the approach.
To discuss the support your child needs, contact North Shore Tutors with their year level, current topic and the part of maths they are finding difficult.
