Individualization: Mostly Math has no pre-set curriculum that all students must follow. Some tutoring centres believe they are giving students an "individualized" education by simply administering a placement test and then choosing an appropriate entry point into their standard program. True individualization means that the tutor works on topics where the student needs the most immediate help. We receive many calls from parents who are so relieved to finally find a place that will simply help their child with his current homework!

Qualified Staff: Our Founder has over 17 years of tutoring experience and has recently been invited by the National Tutoring Organisation to apply for accreditation as a Master Tutor, the highest level of certification for tutors world-wide. She personally handpicks and trains our small, exclusive staff of tutors. We invite you to compare our employment requirements to those you'll find at other companies. If you want to know the real qualifications of a company's tutors, don't call and ask -- see for yourself in their employment ads. "Less than one year of experience" or "Experience preferred but not necessary" will tell you the real story.

Flexible Teaching Styles: Our tutors know math. That's a given. But, they also know that math programs differ from school to school. Some schools use complicated graphing calculators early on, while others delay calculator use until the senior grades. Some schools are very picky about showing your work, proper notation and doing things their way only! Our tutors adapt their teaching to suit the style of the teacher, and we prepare students for success in their own classrooms. If your child is allowed to use calculators, we will help them use the calculator in the most efficient way possible. If your child must do calculations by hand, then we will give tips and tricks for fast, accurate computations. We can do this because our experienced tutors know several ways of teaching each topic, and we can easily cater to your specific needs.

Professional Tutors, not Classroom Teachers: Tutoring is very different from classroom teaching, and requires a very different set of skills. ( See our Founder quoted in the Washington Post.) Tutors are focused on only one student at a time, and they must be highly capable of working one-on-one with students. While classroom lessons can be planned ahead of time, tutors must know how to create a lesson "on the spot" as they identify the strengths and weaknesses of their student. A tutor must be skilled in "reading" the student, and knowing when "I understand" doesn't really mean "I understand." No student wants or needs to be taught something they already understand, and no student can learn harder material when they haven't really understood the earlier work. A professional tutor must be able to judge when it's time to move on, so that the student is neither bored nor lost.

A Valuable Resource: If you think that the only questions students ask their tutors are "How do I do this question?" you're wrong! Many tutors can show a student how to do a math problem, but can they tell you which questions are typical test questions? Can they tell you which homework questions students typically have trouble with? Can they help you spot the common "trick questions" from your text book? Do they have other textbooks from other schools on hand to give you extra practice? Can they advise you on the difference between math courses and help you find the most appropriate one? Can they tell you which courses universities want for different programs? Mostly Math is not only a math centre, it's a guidance resource centre. We know math, but we also know school. We know the current textbooks and curriculum. We know how math teachers think. We know which questions they like to put on tests. We give you the extra advantage.

The INSPIRE Model of Tutoring Excellence
All Mostly Math tutors follow the INSPIRE model of tutoring excellence. The acronym "INSPIRE" summarizes the characteristics and strategies of expert tutors (Lepper, Drake, and O'Donnell, 1998).

Intelligence
Mostly Math tutors know their subject matter well. Most of our tutors have advanced degrees and are comfortable tutoring students at the university level.

Nurturant
Mostly Math tutors provide a supportive, comfortable environment for studying. Whenever possible, your child will see the same tutor every time and can form a personal bond.

Socratic
Our students are active in the learning process! Mostly Math tutors know that asking questions is the best technique for engaging your child. We know how to help your child because we ask very specific questions designed to monitor his individual learning process.

Progressive
Mostly Math tutors begin by working at a level of difficulty where your child is comfortable, then challenge your child by systematically increasing the difficulty of the material.

Indirect
Our tutors gently guide your child in a polite and unobtrusive manner. We give friendly hints and suggestions while helping your child help himself.

Reflective
We monitor your child's progress every step of the way by asking them to explain, summarize, or write down what they have learned. This reinforces their new knowledge and skills.

Encouraging
We motivate our students, not just to work hard, but to feel challenged, empowered, and curious about their studies!