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Teaching for understanding is important.
True understanding of mathematics must be built. It has to be constructed, piece by piece, by each student. There are no shortcuts. The rewards are great, and the outcome is powerful.
“What teacher would admit that they are teaching for misunderstanding? Yet when we ask students to memorize arithmetic procedures that make no sense to them, that is exactly what we are doing. This communicates a deep and silent lesson to children. If I do not teach you in a way that leads to understanding, rather than memorization and repetition, I am teaching you that your understanding does not matter.”
- Michael Butler, Professor of Mathematics, University of California, Irvine
About Me
I’ve spent the last 45 years teaching children ages 5–14, and genuinely love kids. In many ways, I’m still a kid myself.
From 1975 to 1987, I taught at the University of California, Irvine in a laboratory elementary school called The Farm School. My work there focused on how children learn in general, and math in particular. We discovered that most children learn math best by doing—by building physical models of arithmetic procedures with colored blocks, noticing patterns, and talking through their thinking with teachers who truly listen.
Between 1985 and 2015, my Farm School team and I wrote and tested 30 math booklets, along with teacher guides and answer keys. These materials were designed to help teachers and parents teach math to students in grades 1–6 using hands-on models rather than relying on memorized formulas and drills.
In the early 1990s, I helped start a museum-based school at what is now the Turtle Bay Museum in Redding. We offered full-day math and science classes twice a week for homeschooled children ages 8–12. I homeschooled my own two daughters within this program while continuing to refine and test my math materials and teaching methods.
In 1995, my husband and I co-founded Chrysalis Charter School, one of the first homeschool charter schools in California. Chrysalis was a science and math focused program with a blended classroom and homeschool model housed within the museum. It also became one of the first teacher-powered schools in the country, meaning the teachers ran the school and made all the decisions. This is where we continued developing and testing our math program, Patterns in Arithmetic.
In 2004, Chrysalis expanded into a full-time, classroom-based program. I became a full-time teacher working with 4th–6th graders and continued in that role until 2011. After retiring and taking some time to rest, I returned to teaching, first with one morning math class at Chrysalis and then moving fully into tutoring.
Today, I offer one-on-one math tutoring in person in Northern California and online.
What I Do
Using math manipulatives such as brightly colored blocks, tiles, fraction circles, and decimal chips, along with pattern finding and deep discussion, I help students construct physical models of arithmetic procedures. These models allow students to truly build understanding of the math concepts that underlie those procedures in ways that are FUN and EASY!
When students forget or feel confused, they can simply rebuild the models and make sense of the math again. From these hands-on models, they naturally develop the step-by-step written form of the problem and its solution. They experience real success. They build confidence in their ability to master math and even enjoy it.
This approach is a lifesaver for students who struggle with math and a powerful gift for advanced learners who are often underserved by memorizing formulas alone.
Homeschooling Parent Support
Math is one of the most challenging subjects for homeschooling parents to teach, especially for students around age nine and older. It may have been a long time since you last worked with fractions, decimals, percentages, or ratios. You might not remember how you made sense of long division, or you may not have learned math the way it is taught in books today. Some parents also struggled with math themselves and find they are learning right alongside their child. I can help make that process enjoyable and confidence-building for both of you. This work is not always easy, but it can be great fun!
Trying to explain a difficult concept often leads to emotional upsets that frustrate both student and parent-teacher. Most of us were taught through explanation and memorized procedures, which leaves us with few tools when a child becomes confused or keeps asking, “Why do you do it that way? It makes no sense!” Sometimes that frustration shows up dramatically, with children sliding under the table, storming out of the room, or even throwing the book at you! Yes, it happens!
After each lesson, I share with parents what we worked on, what to do next, how to use the manipulatives, and ideas for supporting their particular child at home. There is no additional charge for this coaching.
Kids In-School Student Tutoring
A student who is in school is tutored after school at times that allow for a break, a chance to eat, and flexibility around extracurricular activities. For middle school students, after-dinner tutoring often works especially well.
I try to get a copy of the curriculum the student is using so I can tailor lessons to match what they are learning at school and how it is being taught. I stay a step ahead of the book and teach with manipulatives first, so that when your student reaches that point in the text, they already understand what is happening. The illustrations in the math book begin to make sense, and that takes a great deal of pressure off both the student and the parent.
Assessment
I begin with a free assessment of your student, in person whenever possible or online if needed. Afterward, I share what I’ve learned with you as the parent. We start with a game, and then you step out while I gently explore your child’s understanding of a basic arithmetic operation they’ve already encountered at least once. As we work, I pay close attention to how your student learns, as well as their nonverbal cues and signs of frustration, confusion, fear, or delight. We talk casually about math, keeping the experience relaxed and supportive. From there, I design a course specifically tailored to strengthen your student’s learning skills, beginning exactly where they are. You’ll then purchase the recommended manipulatives and workbooks from sources I will give you.
Curriculum Options
I can work with whatever curriculum you are using, or provide my own. Programs I have direct experience with are currently: Patterns in Arithmetic, Keys Series, Singapore, Saxon, My Math, Go Math, CPM (College Prep. Math for Middle School), Spectrum, The Good and the Beautiful, Life of Fred, and various online teaching programs like Kahn Academy.
Lesson Times
1 or 2 sessions per week
30 to 60 minutes per session
Monday - Friday
Times vary
Pricing
$45 per hour
(prorated for shorter sessions)
15% Sibling Discount
Many Homeschool Charters allow parents of enrolled students to use their student accounts to pay for tutoring. I am a vendor through Homeschool Coaches that facilitates this process.