We finally got a math tutor after a year of dad playing the role of tutor, unsuccessfully. I told DS a while back we are going to find him a tutor, which he welcomed. Anything is better than dad according to DS. As much as he loves dad, he tends to be over the top, overly strict. When the time came, DS was upset at first saying he doesn't need a tutor and why are you ruining my life. etc. etc. Tutor rang the doorbell, I answered, chit chatted a bit, and DS pouted and came to the dining room table. I was amazed how the tutor immediately got to work after a very brief intro. Then in the middle of the first session, the tutor got him to warm up, praised him for some of his work, asked if he liked math, the teacher, school etc.. So relieved we are doing this. The tension from math anxiety is gone. This tutor is a great communicator, and so far, DS is fully invested in the process.

Anonymous wrote:If he understands the concepts, practicing more will help. I've noticed that my daughter makes mistakes when she is trying to do something new. She's concentrating so much on remembering the concept, she doesn't notice when she leaves out a step or divides incorrectly.

What kind of math is it? Do you know how to do it well enough to spot mistakes?

Thanks. Yes, there's nothing HS teaches in math I can't do, but mixing mom and math doesn't work so well for us.

How about giving it a try and if he doesn't improve or doesn't like it he can quit? My DS had a tutor last year and was embarrassed at first but then realized how much easier it is to learn something when you are learning one on one.

If he understands the concepts, practicing more will help. I've noticed that my daughter makes mistakes when she is trying to do something new. She's concentrating so much on remembering the concept, she doesn't notice when she leaves out a step or divides incorrectly.

What kind of math is it? Do you know how to do it well enough to spot mistakes?

Any hints on how to get a teen to buy in?

My kid claims he understands the material, and I believe he mostly does get the concepts. However, performance on exams indicates otherwise. Of course the proof is in the pudding, so it is time to get a tutor.

Anyone want to report on successful strategies?