Many students struggle with the transition from step-by-step procedures to understanding the underlying concepts—especially when Go Math asks them to explain their thinking or use multiple strategies to solve the same problem. Word problems, multi-step equations, and graphing are frequent pain points, as these require students to connect abstract concepts to real situations. Additionally, some students experience math anxiety when they're expected to show their reasoning rather than just provide an answer, which can make the learning process feel slower than they're accustomed to.

Personalized 1-on-1 instruction allows tutors to identify whether a student's struggles stem from gaps in foundational concepts or difficulty with Go Math's specific approach to problem-solving. Expert tutors can bridge the gap between procedural steps and conceptual understanding by using visual models, manipulatives, and alternative explanations tailored to how your student learns best. This personalized approach also helps build math confidence by breaking complex problems into manageable steps and celebrating progress along the way.

Showing work in Go Math isn't just about proving you got the right answer—it's about demonstrating your mathematical thinking and problem-solving strategy. This helps teachers (and tutors) understand where misconceptions might be occurring and allows students to catch their own errors. Tutors can teach students multiple problem-solving strategies, help them choose the most efficient approach for different problem types, and develop the communication skills needed to explain their reasoning clearly.

Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors in Minneapolis who are familiar with Go Math's approach to teaching mathematics and can work within that framework. When you connect with a tutor, you can share your student's specific Go Math materials, textbook chapters, or problem areas—whether that's understanding place value strategies, multi-digit multiplication, fraction concepts, or algebraic thinking. This ensures the tutoring directly supports what your student is learning in class rather than teaching a completely different approach.

Math anxiety is common, especially when students feel pressure to explain their thinking or when concepts feel abstract. Personalized tutoring creates a low-pressure environment where students can ask questions without judgment, work at their own pace, and experience success on manageable problems before tackling harder ones. Tutors help students see patterns and connections in mathematics, which transforms math from feeling like random rules to memorize into a logical system they can understand and control—this shift in perspective is powerful for rebuilding confidence.

In the first session, your tutor will assess your student's current understanding of Go Math concepts, identify specific areas of struggle, and learn about your student's learning style and goals. They'll likely work through a few problems together to see where misconceptions exist and what strategies your student already uses. This foundation helps the tutor create a personalized plan for upcoming sessions that targets your student's exact needs rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

Minneapolis has 34 school districts with varying implementations of Go Math, so tutors working with students in the area understand the local curriculum context. When you connect with a tutor, sharing your student's school, grade level, and specific Go Math units helps ensure personalized instruction aligns with what's being taught in their classroom. This local familiarity, combined with personalized 1-on-1 instruction, helps students keep pace with their class while building the conceptual understanding Go Math emphasizes.