Tutor Talk: The Power of Math Tutoring
Director of Tutoring Dickson Benesh knows a thing or two about math tutoring. In his nearly 30-year teaching career, he’s supplemented hundreds of students’ math instruction to boost their confidence and help set them up for future success. In today’s Tutor Talk, Dickson addresses how 1:1 math instruction isn’t just about boosting test scores: it’s about building skills that will benefit you for the rest of your life.
Math can be challenging, and many students eventually encounter a point where classroom learning alone doesn’t feel like enough. Fortunately, there is a proven solution - one-on-one math tutoring! Individualized tutoring not only improves grades, but also builds essential skills, boosts confidence (a critical factor in math success!), and helps students thrive both in school and beyond. Whether a student is struggling, looking to get ahead, or preparing for the SAT/ACT, personalized tutoring can provide the boost they need.
Building Skills Through Personalized Learning
The power of tutoring lies in meeting students where they are and guiding them toward where they need to be. Personalized instruction allows for targeted learning, which research has shown to be the most effective path to academic success. Tutors can quickly identify gaps in understanding, address them directly, and provide constructive, real-time feedback.
Math, much like a foreign language, is built on cumulative knowledge - each new concept rests on the foundation of earlier material. When gaps go unaddressed, they widen over time, making progress more difficult. Tutoring fills those gaps, reinforces foundational skills, and creates a stronger base for future learning.
Math Is a Confidence Game.
For many students, past struggles or anxiety around math hinder their ability to succeed. A key role of tutoring is to create a safe, welcoming space where students can take risks without fear of being wrong. This supportive environment fosters self-confidence and encourages a growth mindset - focusing on effort and progress, not just the final answer.
As students gain confidence, they become more engaged in class and more willing to tackle challenges independently. They walk into their classrooms prepared, empowered, and ready to succeed!
Preparing for the SAT and ACT
The math sections of the SAT and ACT are often the most intimidating for students. These tests feature unique problem styles that don’t always align with classroom instruction. Tutoring provides targeted preparation, helping students strengthen weak content areas while also mastering test-taking strategies that maximize scores.
While self-study can be helpful, most students don’t achieve their highest potential without expert guidance. Individualized tutoring offers the structure, feedback, and strategy students need to perform to get their best score.
Building Lifelong Skills
Beyond improving test scores and classroom performance, tutoring develops critical life-long skills. Determination, resilience, and problem-solving are cultivated through guided practice. Tutors don’t simply provide answers—they model strategies, encourage persistence, and guide students toward solutions.
This approach strengthens critical thinking, grit, and independence, equipping students with skills that extend far beyond the math classroom.
Final Thoughts
Tutoring is a partnership—tutors and tutees work closely together to work towards success. By building problem-solving skills, filling learning gaps, and instilling confidence, tutoring empowers students to flourish in the classroom, on standardized tests, and in their future academic and professional pursuits.
Tutoring & Test Prep
Want more personalized advice from our team? As part of our full-service approach to college advising, College Solutions offers tutoring and SAT/ACT prep as an add-on to our counseling packages for 10th, 11th, and 12th graders. In collaboration with our knowledgeable counselors, our expert tutors create personalized learning plans for math, English, and/or standardized testing prep that align with students’ goals for college admissions and beyond.