About this Kids Math site
Hi! My name is Zach. The author of this teach kids math site. I'm a former teacher and a full-time Math Coach from Singapore. It's a pleasure meeting you. I hope we get to communicate with each other.
This site is my humble attempt at providing a place where parents, teachers, tutors can meet, learn and exchange ideas about the teaching of kids math to our kids with the help of the Model Method .
If there is a challenging mathematical problem that you or your child is facing, send it to me from the Ask Question page. I will attempt to provide a solution using the Model Method where possible. The answer to your kids math question will be posted on the Q & A page as soon as it becomes available. If it is impossible or not efficient to solve using the Model Method, you will be informed via email.
Over the years of teaching and tutoring, I have the privilege of observing the different ways students learn kids math skills and attempt problem solving both in a classroom setting and on a one-to-one basis.
Students generally have difficulties visualizing complex kids math problems which sometimes require many steps to solve. This is especially true for the students at the primary (elementary) level where they might not have been taught the use of algebra to solve questions yet. The model method overcomes this by allowing the child to organize the information presented in the question in a pictorial way and then solve the question after he/she draws understanding from the models drawn.
Tutor or Teach?
Having been both teaching in schools for some years and crossing over to do full-time tutoring allows me to reap the benefit of seeing the pros and cons of both career options.
To teach in schools, I have to put in more hours to cope with the multiple tasks I'm entrusted with. Besides preparing for the lessons to teach, other equally meaningful tasks like CCAs (Co-Curricular Activities), departmental projects, enrichment programmes, concurrent appointments to run committees, teaching, guiding and mentoring other younger and newer teachers, class outings and excursions, etc. Of course, the rewards lie in the intangible returns like improvement in the pupils' grades, a thank-you card from an appreciating parent or child, a pat on the shoulder from the principal for a job well-done and the likes.
To tutor full-time, on the other hand, comes with its fair share of ups and downs. The greatest plus point lies in the greater flexibilty to arrange my working hours, ease of taking leave to attend to urgent family matters like a child falling sick, child's nanny taking urgent medical leave, etc. There's also greater teacher-student interaction and this, in turn, allows me to elicit a direct response each time I ask a question, pose a thought, probe their curiosity or just simply pass a comment. What I don't like about being a tutor is that, more often than not, I have to be bound to a chair for at least one and a half hour. The routine of arriving at the student's place, seating down to teach for one and a half hour, leaving their house, travelling to the next student's house (sitting down again......sigh) and repeating the cycle again. That's why whenever opportunity strikes, I would choose to stand up to act out what I'm trying to teach (great chance to stretch myself).
All else said, I still enjoy what I am doing now. For the past thirteen years or so, business (not a very good way to talk about teaching, right?) has been good. So far, have only clinched 5 students through a tuition agency. The rest were simply recommended by parents of existing students. I had the privilege of working with kids from many different schools like:
- Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School
- Tao Nan School
- Temasek Primary School
- Da Qiao Primary School
- St. Michael's School
- Kong Hwa School
- Greenridge Primary School
- River Valley Primary School
- Raffles Girls' Primary School
- Nanyang Primary School
- Yew Tee Primary School
- Anglo-Chinese School (Primary)
- CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh)
- Rulang Primary School
- Fairfield Methodist Primary School
- St. Joseph's Institution Junior
- Bukit Timah Primary School
- First Toa Payoh Primary School
- Pei Chun Public School
- Henry Park Primary School
- Choa Chu Kang Primary School
- Henry Park Primary School
- Choa Chu Kang Primary School
- Yishun Primary School
- Keming Primary School
- Singapore Chinese Girls' School
- South View Primary School
- Boon Lay Gardens Primary School
- Gan Eng Seng Primary School
I was also thankful that I could fill up all my available time slots and had to turn down a few requests from parents to teach their kids because my schedule is just packed to the brim. Almost all students made improvements after my coaching.
This site is dedicated to all the wonderful parents, teachers and tutors out there trying very hard on a daily basis to teach kids math. If there is any way I can be of service to you or if you have any comments, feedback or suggestions for me or this kids math site, feel free to contact me.
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