Learning and applying mathematics is similar to picking any other skill in life. Take for example the act of cycling a bicycle. It would be simply ineffective to put a child on a bike and to command him/her to start cycling. Instead, we take the time to get new learners used to each specific motion, guiding them along the way with care, before taking the training wheels off.
Unfortunately, one of the more underrated aspects of any mathematics tuition program is that of sequence. We often overlook how well a curriculum is constructed as we are distracted by the bright lights of marketing slogans or awards displayed by tuition centres. This potentially severely undermines the learning curve of our children.
Sequencing in Sec E Math Tuition is most evident in how topics and sub-topics are arranged. Instead of merely just checking how broad the scope of the curriculum is, parents would do well to question which topics come first and why. While children could very well learn to do questions in an advanced topic out of sheer practice, without a deeper understanding and connecting of the dots to their fundamentals, they risk not being able to apply the concept to tougher questions.
On a higher level, flexibility in a curriculum to allow individual students to shore up their basic topics before advancing to later topics is crucial to their understanding. Often, in light of keeping up with peers or due to time constraints, parents get their children to move on to tougher topics without mastering the fundamentals. Consequently, in the end, students are unable to grasp neither the advance or the basic topics.
The third aspect of sequencing involves getting students to link various topics together and make sense of it when solving multi-topic questions. These questions are usually applicable based and are meant to test a student’s understanding of each topic rather than their ability to replicate methods. Sequencing in getting students to master one topic at a time becomes crucial here as the linkage of multiple topics requires a strong understanding of each.
It is unfortunate that most parents do not take the time to study the curriculum put forth by a tuition center before deciding what services to go with. While it takes extra effort, it could make a huge difference in getting the right help for your child’s maths studies. Don’t drop your child into a sink or swim situation, ensure that they have a proper step by step structure for learning mathematics.