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Your child may know how to calculate but still freeze, rush, or lose track during a multi-step problem. Learn what may be happening and how calm, targeted support can help.

A case study about overwhelm, missing skills, self-advocacy, and the conditions children need in order to try again. Every week, Roger arrived at our tutoring session with a longer list of missing assignments. Roger is not his real name. I have changed his name and omitted identifying details to protect his privacy. His experience, however, reflects a pattern I see in many students who have fallen behind in math. Roger did not enjoy homework, and he especially did not enjoy m

Refusing to do homework doesn't always mean defiance. Your child is sitting at the kitchen table with a math worksheet in front of them. You know they have completed problems like these before. Their teacher says they understand the lesson. You have read the directions, offered help, and reminded them several times that the assignment needs to be finished. Still, they will not begin. Maybe they put their head down. Maybe they argue about every direction, make jokes, ask for a

Your child looks at the math assignment, pushes it away, and says, “I’m not doing this.” Maybe they stare at the page without writing, ask for a snack, become silly, argue about the directions, or insist they do not know how before they have read the first problem. After seeing this pattern repeatedly, it is natural to wonder why math triggers such a strong response, especially when you know your child is bright and capable. In the first article in this series, we looked bene

Avoiding math doesn't always have obvious reasons. Sometimes your child isn't being defiant, maybe they are overwhelmed. Your child is sitting at the table with a math assignment in front of them. They haven't even read the first problem, but already you hear: "I can't do this." "I hate math." "This is stupid." Or maybe there are no words at all. Your child puts their head down, stares at the page, gets up for another drink, suddenly needs to sharpen a pencil, or simply stop

Many parents tell me the same thing during our first conversation. "My child is smart... but homework takes forever." Or... "They understand it when someone explains it, but they can't seem to do it on their own." Sometimes the concern is even deeper. "They're starting to believe they're bad at math." As both a licensed teacher and special education teacher, I've learned that many autistic students are not struggling because they are incapable of learning. More often, they're

"If you keep helping them, they'll never learn to do it themselves." If you're the parent of an autistic child, chances are you've heard some version of that advice. Maybe it came from a well-meaning family member. Maybe another parent. Maybe even an educator. The words often come after you've spent an hour—or two—working through homework, calming frustration, or helping your child organize materials that seem to disappear the moment they leave school. Those comments can leav

While homework skills may seem obvious, sometimes our children need support until they feel confident. If you read last week's article, you may remember the parent who wondered, "Am I helping my child too much?" It's a question I hear often from parents of autistic children. Many families worry that sitting beside their child every evening, reminding them of each step, or explaining assignments means they're creating dependence instead of independence. Fortunately, that isn't

Helping your autistic child with homework does not automatically create dependence. Children build independence when the receive the right support.

If homework time in your house feels less like learning and more like a standoff, you are not alone—and you are not doing it wrong. I’ve spent years working as an aid, a licensed special education and general education teacher here in Utah, and as a math tutor supporting students nationwide through A to Z Learning. But my perspective isn't just professional; it’s deeply personal. I was a student who struggled with math myself, I didn't even fully memorize my multiplication ta

A tutor's perspective on helping neurodivergent families navigate the transition back to school. Every August, I begin hearing many of the same questions from families I work with: "How do we make the transition back to school easier?" or "What if my child struggles all over again?" As a licensed elementary and special education teacher, math interventionist, and tutor who specializes in supporting autistic students and students with ADHD, I've had the privilege of helping ma

A few summers ago, I found myself standing in a grocery store aisle listening to two children passionately debate which package of cookies was the better deal. One was arguing for the larger package because it had more cookies. The other insisted the smaller package was actually cheaper per cookie. Neither child had a worksheet in hand. Neither one thought they were practicing math. Yet there they were, comparing quantities, estimating costs, defending their reasoning, and tr

If your child has ever said, "I'm just not a math person," you're not alone. As a math tutor, I hear this often. What surprises many parents is that I used to say the same thing about myself. For years, I believed I wasn't good at math. I struggled to keep up with classmates, needed more time to process information, and often felt like everyone else understood something I didn't. Today, I teach and tutor math students in grades 4-8. What changed? It wasn't intelligence. It wa

Every summer, parents hear warnings about the “summer slide.” Kids forgetting math, reading levels dropping and students falling behind before school even starts again. But is the summer slide actually real? As a math tutor who works with upper elementary and middle school students, especially students with ADHD, Autism, anxiety around learning, and processing challenges, I can honestly say… yes, it is real. But maybe not in the way people think. For many students, the proble

Summer has finally arrived. Backpacks get tucked into closets, alarms are turned off, and packed schedules begin to loosen. Assignments and due dates slowly fade into memory while bike rides, pool days, video games, family outings, and long afternoons outside take their place. After months of keeping up with school demands, many families are ready for a break. And yet, for many parents, another thought quietly appears sometime around mid-June: How do I help my child keep lear

Summer break is finally here. That means sunshine, vacations, sleeping in, pool days, and long afternoons filled with play. It also means a break from school routines and academic practice. You have probably heard the phrase, “Use it or lose it.” When we practice a skill consistently, that skill becomes stronger and easier over time. But when we stop using it for long periods, it becomes harder to remember. This is especially true with math. Many children experience what

Case Study: How Summer Math Tutoring Strengthened Foundational Math Skills Tutoring through the summer can help boost confidence as well as readiness for the next school year. Parents often search for ways to help their child feel more confident entering the new school year. For many students, struggles in 8th grade math are not caused by a lack of effort or intelligence. Instead, students often have gaps in foundational math skills that make advanced concepts feel overwhelmi

Helping your child sometimes looks like coaching Parents often ask: "How do I motivate my child without increasing anxiety?" "How do I help without nagging?" "How do I talk about school without creating stress?" "Should I focus on grades or effort?" These questions usually come from a place of care, but also exhaustion. Many families get stuck in a cycle where the more they try to help, the more resistance they see. Why Motivation Breaks Down at Home In my work as a licensed

Children who did well in math but are struggling by the end of the year may have holes in their understanding. How to Help When Homework Ends in Tears, Shutdowns, and Overwhelm Every spring, I hear some version of the same question from parents: “My child used to be fine with math…why are they suddenly melting down?” Maybe homework now ends in tears. Maybe your child stares at the page and says nothing. Maybe they say: “I’m stupid.” “I hate math.” “I can’t do this.” “Can you

Why Are Multiplication Facts So Hard to Remember? Multiplication can be difficult for many students—and not because they aren’t trying hard enough. In my experience tutoring students in grades 4–8, I’ve found that memorization doesn’t come easily to every learner. Traditional methods like drills and flashcards can work for some students, but for many, they lead to frustration instead of progress. I can relate to this personally. I struggled with math as a student, and I didn’