Math isn’t Just Causing Kids Anxiety: Study Shows that Mom and Dad
are Stumped and Stressed When it Comes to Math Homework
Tutor.com’s On Demand service offers solution to math anxiety for students and parents
NEW YORK, NY – April 2, 2007– National Math Awareness Month began yesterday and schools around the country will host activities to increase math understanding and appreciation. Yet, a new survey reveals that math anxiety is alive and well – and it’s not just kids feeling the pressure. Over half of the parents contacted, (54%) report that they, too, experience some stress over their child's math homework.
Busy family schedules, increasing amounts of homework and new teaching styles are taking their toll on parents in every corner of the country. According to the survey, conducted by Russell Research, nearly 3/4 (72%) of parents surveyed reported that their child has math homework on most school nights. Seven out of ten parents (71%) say that because the approach to teaching math has changed since their school days, it’s taking them more time to help their child complete his or her math homework.
Tami Casey, mother of two school-aged children, agrees that math homework can be a struggle. "It’s been a long time since I sat in a math class and the subject is taught very differently now. I find myself spending quite a bit of time reviewing the textbooks and doing my own homework to help my kids with their questions."
Math homework isn’t going away, but there are a variety of strategies parents and students can use to combat math anxiety, including the following according to a poll of over 700 professional math tutors who provide tutoring services for Tutor.com:
- Be relaxed and comfortable while studying math
- Use real world examples to make math more accessible
- Break difficult problems into clear steps
- Get help the same day you don't understand the material
Getting help right when the student and parent need it is one of the most important strategies according to the tutors. Three out of five parents surveyed agree that getting help with homework when they need it would ease their anxiety.
Tutor.com offers a solution – on demand tutoring. On demand means students connect to a professional tutor the minute they need help via the Internet. Unlike traditional tutoring or even online tutoring where parents must predict their child’s needs and schedule tutoring sessions in advance, for a particular subject, Tutor.com’s on demand service empowers parents and students to get help now – right when they need it. A tutoring session can be just 10 minutes for a quick question or over an hour when a student needs more help. There are no appointments to make and no schedules to keep.
"As a parent and former tutor, I know firsthand how stressful homework, especially math, can be for the entire family," said George Cigale, founder and CEO of Tutor.com. "Tutor.com can take that math anxiety away because students get help at the first sign of trouble rather than waiting until there is a significant learning problem. It’s incredibly satisfying to read comments from students who don’t just improve their grades, but really start enjoying math because they no longer feel frustrated."
Each month, 80,000 students look to Tutor.com’s 1,300 tutors for on demand help with math, science, social studies and English homework. About 70% of the students seek math and science help, and 95% say they are satisfied with the help they receive on Tutor.com and recommend it to others.
About Tutor.com
Tutor.com was founded in 1998 to create innovative, on demand homework help and tutoring services that connect students to a professional tutor online the minute they need help in math, science, social studies or English. Our network of over 1,300 professional tutors has delivered over 2 million tutoring sessions. Tutor.com services include Tutor.com Direct, an affordable tutoring service for families and Live Homework Help, an after-school program offered at over 1,600 public libraries. For more information please visit Tutor.com.
About the Survey
Russell Research conducted this online study from March 9 – March 12, 2007 among 595 online parents of school age children across the United States, drawn from Survey Sampling International’s SurveySpot online consumer panel. The results have a statistical precision of plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.