My daughter lacks confidence in Maths...

Q. Based on parent-teacher meetings and report grades, we feel that our daughter – currently in Year 9 – is not doing as well as she could at maths. Her last teacher felt that this was partly to do with a lack of confidence; however, she also has a tendency to do the bare minimum when it comes to homework, and we feel she is settling for less than her best. We feel that time with a one-to-one tutor would increase her confidence, show her what she’s capable of and encourage her to aim higher. (Maybe this is a lot to expect of a tutor!) When I recently suggested tutoring to her, however, she reacted really badly, and sees it as a judgment on her as being ‘bad at maths’. We know of a good tutor who would take her on, but if my daughter is against the idea from the start, then I don’t think it’s going to work. I don’t know quite where to go from here. What would you suggest?

A. I think I’d suggest you’re assertive here! Perhaps if you can agree with your daughter to try one initial lesson and then review the situation, that might help. If the tutor you know is good, and he/she can work with your daughter to motivate and support her, reassuring her that this is not a vote of no confidence but just an additional strategy to help her build her skills, this might be the beginning of a productive relationship. One-to-one support can be hugely successful as a tutor focusses on your daughter’s needs and helps her to see what she can achieve if she puts in the effort and commitment. The intention is to get your daughter to the point where she can achieve her best without this support but, in the short term, it can really help to get her on track. Be strong, and help your daughter to see that this could make her experience of Maths lessons much more positive. Good luck!