During an initial session, tutors typically assess your child's current understanding, identify specific areas where they're struggling, and learn their learning style. This might involve working through a few problems together, asking questions about how they approach math, and discussing what's causing frustration—whether it's anxiety, gaps in foundational skills, or difficulty with a particular concept. The tutor then creates a personalized plan to address these needs and build confidence.

Showing work is essential for developing mathematical thinking, not just getting the right answer. Tutors teach students to organize their steps, explain their reasoning, and use clear notation—skills that help catch mistakes and deepen understanding. Through guided practice and feedback, students learn that showing work isn't busywork; it's a tool that helps them (and their teachers) understand their thinking and identify where confusion happens.

Yes. Milwaukee's 16 school districts use various approaches and textbooks, and tutors who work with students for students in Milwaukee are familiar with these different methods. Whether your child's school uses a traditional approach, a more conceptual program, or something in between, tutors can align their instruction with what's being taught in class while also filling in gaps and reinforcing understanding.

Absolutely. Math anxiety is common and often stems from past frustration or feeling rushed. Personalized tutoring creates a low-pressure environment where students can ask questions, make mistakes, and learn at their own pace. As students experience small wins and start understanding concepts they once found confusing, confidence naturally builds—and that confidence often carries over to classroom performance and willingness to tackle harder problems.

Tutors teach students to break word problems into manageable steps: reading carefully, identifying what's being asked, deciding which operation(s) to use, and checking if the answer makes sense. Rather than just showing the answer, tutors guide students through their thinking, ask clarifying questions, and help them recognize patterns across similar problems. Over time, students develop a toolkit of strategies they can apply independently.

One of the biggest shifts in elementary math is moving from isolated procedures to seeing how concepts connect. Tutors help students recognize patterns—like how multiplication is repeated addition, or how fractions relate to division—by using concrete examples, visual models, and guided discovery. When students see these connections, math becomes less about memorizing rules and more about understanding a coherent system, which makes learning new concepts easier.

Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who specialize in elementary math and understand the Milwaukee school landscape. You can share your child's grade level, specific challenges, and learning preferences, and we'll match them with a tutor who fits their needs. Most families see value in starting with a session or two to see if the fit is right before committing to ongoing support.