In a time of diminishing student attention spans, constant gadget play, pandemic evoked educational gaps, and lacking education budgets, forward-thinking teachers are trying to find new ways to help their students learn better while keeping them engaged in their learning.
Online tutoring has become a popular resource for students of any age to learn nearly any topic. It can be done at home or at school on a computer or mobile device and is usually cheaper than traditional in-person tutoring.
Why Online Tutoring?
Using an online tutoring website is not only convenient. It also helps:
- Boost children’s confidence
- Personalize their learning experience
- Increase their skills, comprehension, scores, and grades
Making use of the best online tutoring services can really give learners a boost, as it provides a budget-friendly way to get the needed extra help. With state testing right around the corner and public education budgets finding themselves more strained than usual right now, utilizing online tutoring in place of human temporary tutors is increasingly popular this year. If you have the funds to bring in human resources for tutoring, that is always advised. However, many schools can’t afford this luxury.
Math is a subject which has undeservedly mustered a bad name for being a difficult and boring subject for centuries. Hence, teachers are now using apps to break this myth and help their students acquire the required mathematical skills more easily while having fun with numbers. Therefore, the tutoring services in this article provide K-12 tutoring that caters to different ages for various levels of Mathematics. Online tutoring websites are among the best tools a student can use to help them get ahead academically, from tutoring videos to live one-on-one help, often 24/7. In this article, I avoided traditional in-person franchises in favor of services with an online focus, since budget-friendly is our focus.
After researching dozens of math tutoring options, I have compiled a list of the most high-quality ones, so you don’t have to. Each of these sites is teacher-used and recommended go-to favorites. As usual, we have done the vetting for you.
Math Tutoring Sources:
Photomath
Expand your teaching toolbox with Photomath. Photomath is a mobile, math tutoring application that utilizes your device’s camera to scan and recognize mathematical equations. It then displays step-by-step explanations onscreen. Photomath allows you to simply point a device, such as an iPad, toward a problem. The device’s camera then scans the problem and produces the step-by-step solution within seconds. From basic arithmetic to fractions to trigonometry to linear and quadratic equations, it can help with a wide range of Math problems quite easily.
It is available for free on both Android and iOS. The free version shows the steps for solving a problem. However, more detailed explanations of the steps are available with a paid subscription. While it could be a great learning support tool, there’s a risk that kids could use the app as a shortcut to completing assignments. Teachers need to be careful of how it is used in a classroom. While it could be a great learning support tool, there’s a risk that kids could use the app as a shortcut to completing assignments. I do recommend it as a study support tool that students can use at home or for extra practice at school.
Other similar free apps that you might want to try are Mathway and Socratic.
This app works with real math teachers to develop ideas and guidelines for incorporating Photomath into lesson plans, homework checks, and more. It offers an alternative, visual explanation that can help teachers meet students where they are and provide easy-to-follow instructions to expert-verified solutions.
CK12
CK-12 Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing access to high-quality educational materials for K-12 students all over the world. It provides free and customizable K-12 open educational resources aligned to state curriculum standards. They have developed a free app, available on Android, iPhone or iPad, Windows 8 or 10, and web platforms. They pair high-quality content with the latest technology to ensure that all students have FREE access to the educational tools they need. The platform offers a wide variety of subjects and content including interactive learning activities that range from adaptive practice and PLIX to simulations.
CK-12 is highly versatile and flexible in its use. And while it covers a broad range of subjects, I included it because the math portion is vast and ranges from 1st grade through college level assistance.
High School students will love its BrainGenie section while those who specifically want to develop their Algebra Proficiency and Higher Mathematics skills should delve into its FlexMath section.
Teachers love the app because it is easily accessible anytime, anywhere; and includes workbooks, quizzes and tests too.
CK-12’s mission is admirable and their product is great! I love the way their content is broken down and presented in multiple modalities to fit different learning styles. Although there are paid aspects of the platform, there are tons of FREE resources to be found here.
Delta Math
DeltaMath was created in 2009 as a simple program for substituting values into the Quadratic Formula. This platform dramatically evolved and expanded and is now used by over 100,000 teacher-users and 4 million students. It was created by teachers for teachers and students.
This platform is great for middle school through high school level math tutoring. Teachers can search for content by keyword or standard. DeltaMath allows teachers to mix and match problem-sets, control rigor, vary due dates, and, with PLUS, create tests and problems of their own.
Check out the overview video below for more information.
There are various options for use, a free DeltaMath Teacher account and DeltaMath Plus accounts that can be used by a single teacher or purchased as a site license.
Prodigy
Prodigy is an excellent math tutoring platform for grades 1-8. Prodigy Game is available for free on iOS, Android, and web platforms. This game-based learning program comes highly recommended by teachers because it allows students to use games in the classroom and for homework assessment projects to make learning a fun and engaging activity.
The app offers a built-in diagnostic test that generates real-time reports on students’ progress and helps teachers identify their strengths and weaknesses. This platform is a bit more limited on the tutoring end but does offer some great student insight as well as makes an excellent motivator for those underachieving students. These are the students that you know have the potential but either don’t realize it due to a lack of interest or confidence in math. This may seem silly to some that I have chosen something such as this for a top tutoring site. However, I can’t tell you how many times I have seen a student that simply needed something to motivate them to care or a boost of confidence to completely change their performance. If you have a student that fits this bill, Prodigy is a perfect solution!
Check out the overview video below for more information.
Motivate students and differentiate content with Prodigy’s adaptive game-based learning platform for 1st to 8th grade! The best part is that teacher accounts are free and easy to set up.
Geometry Pad
Geometry Pad is an interactive workbook that kids can use to create, manipulate, and measure figures. The shapes are displayed on a digital workbook with a rectangular coordinate system that looks like graph paper. Teachers recommend this app to assist in helping students understand geometric concepts easier and for increasing student engagement in class.
The platform allows teachers to give assignments where students can practice taking measurements and using the compass, experiment with different geometric shapes, and create complex geometric sketches too. Some of the more dynamic features include options to construct special triangles and quadrilaterals, a pencil to draw freehand annotations, and a tool to create bisectors, altitudes, and medians.
It has a great feature that allows students to save documents in various formats for easy sharing. This makes it compatible with almost any learning management system you or your school might be using.
Geometry Pad has a FREE version that is available for Android and iOS. According to Common Sense Education, the free version has limited features, but it’s an interactive, tech-savvy way for kids to explore advanced geometry.
Geometry Pad is a reference tool, so keep in mind that students don’t get instruction or assessment. This is perfect for students who need that little bit of extra visual to truly understand Geometry concepts. As someone who is a visual learner and who struggled to understand Geometry, I can see how this might be all the tutoring that a student needs. Keep in mind that every child learns differently.
IXL
IXL is the world’s most popular subscription-based learning site for K–12 education. It is used by over 12 million students and 800,000 teachers to provide personalized learning. This platform offers unlimited practice problems with meaningful, up-to-date tracking of student progress. IXL offers a comprehensive curriculum and personalized skill recommendations based on student practice.
IXL is great for students needing to gain fluency and confidence in math! It helps students master essential skills at their own pace through fun and interactive questions, built-in support, and motivating awards. Students earn prizes and awards for reaching milestones and mastering skills. Feedback is given in a step-by-step explanation format.
For math, students can use the touch screen as scratch paper to work through a problem and enter the answer, if desired. In addition, pre-K through first-grade questions can be read aloud in the app.
Teachers can access progress reports to evaluate students’ strengths and problem areas, which is useful for differentiating assignments in the classroom. This is a powerful tool that can greatly improve students’ comprehension of difficult concepts. It is especially helpful for students who have IEP’s, it helps track their progress. This makes the teacher’s life a little easier.
The app is all about practicing skills, which can be a little tedious. Digital skill-and-drill may not give kids the depth of understanding that other activities could. With a pre-K through calculus math curriculum and activities, IXL topics align with Common Core State Standards and with individual state requirements (depending on the home state chosen at registration).
This application is lower on the list mainly due to the price. It does offer a free trial but to really get the full benefit the price starts around $300. It can get rather pricey but it is an excellent resource. According to Common Sense Education, IXL is excellent coverage of the math curriculum, with detailed reporting available for multiple users.
Education Galaxy
Education Galaxy is an online provider of standards-based assessment and E-Learning programs. They provide award-winning online assessments for students to help prepare them for state testing. Built 100% to your state standards, They provide a highly engaging and amazingly effective way for students to master all their state standards. Education Galaxy is a great solution for practice, instruction, and assessment.
Their Liftoff program is designed for struggling learners and at-risk students. First, students take an adaptive diagnostic to determine their level of skill. Once their level is determined, students work at that level and with the goal of elevating to more difficult concepts. Education Galaxy provides a variety of solutions designed to maximize the performance of all students at each grade level and tier for elementary and intermediate campuses.
If you are seeking tutoring resources for the purpose of student interventions, be sure to check out our article Top 10 Intervention Resources. In addition, check out our articles RtI: Work Smarter, Not Harder and Writing SMART Goals in Education to help make the intervention process less of an ordeal. With the right resources, the intervention process can be just another part of your day and the process of differentiating for students.
As for Education Galaxy, their pricing is straightforward and rather affordable. They offer a basic option for free but are only available for one teacher and one grade level. The paid options are easily customizable by contacting them based on your individual or the school or district needs. Again, it is lower on the list due to the fact that it isn’t all free but a great option, if you can afford a paid route.
SchoolYourself
SchoolYourself is a fabulous FREE tutoring platform. It offers interactive lessons from award-winning Harvard instructors. The lessons cover math subjects ranging from algebra, geometry, and trigonometry to precalculus and calculus.
SchoolYourself has reinvented online education in the style of 1-on-1 learning. They have authored hundreds of interactive, personalized math lessons, using a custom platform designed to help students continuously improve. This unprecedented learning experience walks students through the lessons while the algorithms quietly crunch numbers and figure out where they need the most help, or if they should move to more advanced material. Students are given a personalized assessment and review plan tailored specifically to them.
This is a very unique platform and it is completely FREE!
Khan Academy
Khan Academy is pretty well known in the education world by now. For anyone not familiar with them, it is an American non-profit educational organization created in 2005 by Sal Khan.
Khan Academy produces short lessons in the form of videos. The website also includes supplementary practice exercises and materials for educators to utilize with students. This platform offers a variety of assistance ranging from practice exercises to instructional videos, all of which are created by math content specialists.
Now, they’ve introduced Khan Academy Kids making them all-inclusive in the math levels and age ranges that they accommodate.
Khan Academy is completely FREE.
Study.com
Study.com is an engaging online math tutoring platform that offers courses in pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, statistics, calculus, and more! This 17-year-old platform offers self-paced video lessons that can help students study for exams, earn college credit, or get extra math help to boost their grades.
Study.com is an online, personalized learning platform that helps learners of all ages excel academically and close skills gaps. From test prep and homework help to earning low-cost college credit and developing workplace skills, Study’s online courses, they’ve got it covered. The fact that the platform is more than 17 years old says a lot about the company’s knowledge and experience.
The company works with a huge number of different universities all around the US. This means that both the information provided in the courses and the credits that the site grants are going to be legitimate.
The platform offers short, animated video lessons and study tools that make learning simple. Study.com hosts a variety of different courses on many different topics and is available to anyone and everyone willing to pay. It is a subscription-based platform with five different plans to choose from. Plans start around $40 and there is no free trial option. The nature of how this site works and what it costs is the reason it is coming last on the list. However, it is a site that still comes highly recommended by several teachers and is used regularly. I find this to be a site that is much more geared toward higher-level maths and high school students.
Helping Parents With Math Tutoring Needs
If you need to offer additional support to parents that might be looking for tutoring resources, check out these 3 options that are available. They are reasonably priced and offer great tutoring by vetted tutors.
Chegg Tutors is known for its high-quality tutors and comprehensive tutoring package. Formerly known as InstaEDU, it is one of the best online tutoring services. Depending on student preference, there are two types of plans available: chat lessons via text, audio or video, or video calls with an interactive virtual whiteboard. The platform works with all grade levels, from elementary to post-graduate. Cost begins at $6.95 per lesson or they offer monthly subscriptions starting at $14.95.
Tutor.com is an online tutoring website acquired by The Princeton Review, the undisputed number one resource for college students in the United States. It is backed by an organization that many students planning to enter higher education turn to, whether it’s for test prep or looking at university and college rankings.
They offer one-on-one tutoring in over 40 different subjects for grades K through 12. Pricing starts at $39.99 per month. This is a pricey option but one that comes with exceptional credentials.
Growing Stars is the pioneer in affordable online tutoring. They emphasize on-demand, individually tailored curriculum and one-on-one tutoring sessions on a wide range of subjects, including but not limited to Math.
They have been in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, CNN, and KGW TV. Taking the time to identify a student’s learning style, they then develop a customized lesson plan to help each student grasp the concepts. Costs vary by subject but on average cost about $20 an hour.
In Conclusion
There’s a lot of technology that makes sharing information easier than ever. That said, even the most cutting-edge tutoring suites require some patience and know-how to use. Make sure you use the free trials and the demo learning suite tools to make the most of your experience before signing up for a paid option, if applicable.
If you’ve seen any other online tutoring website that is worth mentioning, let us know. We would love to hear from you and be able to share it with our community. After all, the best help is when teachers help other teachers!
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