A college degree is increasingly needed for a successful career. However, attending university is an expensive proposition. At the same time, there are requirements and grade averages that a student needs to maintain.
These standards have to be met at regular intervals. Called Key Stages, these are the expected learning ability of a student at a given age. For some students between the ages of 11 and 14, there is a need to take Key Stage 3 Maths tutoring to help them form core Maths skills, which they can apply in their university courses later on.
Standard Maths Skills
Maths is a tricky subject, with a lot of people saying they are poor in this subject matter. Educators have gotten around to determining the basic skill sets required from students at different age levels. The list looks comprehensive but to simplify, the skills are not only divided between age levels but also spread across three years. Having these levels set in chunks of three years each allows the students time to understand the topics across the different disciplines and in real-life use.
It may sound stressful but with this strategy, educators have a baseline or a standard in judging whether a student is lagging behind. The stages also ensure that the year level advances at the same time. Standard Maths skills for Key Stage 3 include concepts of numbers, algebra, ratio and proportion, rates of change, geometry and measures, and statistics and probability.
Developing Maths Fluency
Maths may be a difficult subject but it does not mean that the student has to suffer through classes not understanding the topics discussed. It is possible that the student does not have any aptitude for Maths. It is also possible that some topics are not easy to understand.
Teachers have to be able to present the materials from a different point of view if the traditional method of presentation does not work. There are instances where presenting the subject differently with practical applications can lead to better understanding of Maths. Maths is suited to this approach because it is both a practical skill and abstract knowledge.
Maths can be taught by addition and subtraction via longhand calculation using paper and pencil. This introduces the student to formulas and a systematic action of problem solving. However, there are some instances where other methods would work faster, especially if done without pen and paper. This includes calculating change from a sale.
Most people would compute the change from a sale not by the methods taught in school, but by dissecting the numbers and working on small chunks. In the same manner, one of the most misquoted and misunderstood concepts of statistics is the 80/20 rule. The Pareto Rule is called the 80/20 rule because of the way it is phrased.
Setting standards is one way to ensure that everyone is advancing in their skills. It is particularly important for Maths education because of the nature of the subject. People have the impression that it is hard, and yet Maths calculations are done by everyone without them knowing it.
