Our priority is to teach students how to remember math.

 

And we’ve achieved it with the thousands of 1-on-1 students we've tutored and coached.

 

Why remember? Well, quick answer - when you remember math the math becomes easy! And 'easy' leads to understanding more, and better marks. So, the ‘secret’ with math, is to remember math you’ve been taught. How do you do that?

 

How to remember math?

At MathCubed, we show students how to remember math by splitting math learning into three steps:
1. The math: E.g. how to add factions, how to multiply decimals, Graphs, Rate, Slope, Relations.

2. The Math strategies to get that math: E.g. How to study for a test, What to do if you don't understand your teacher, How to memorize, How to understand, Steps to figure out questions that stump you on your own.

3. The non-math strategies to get 'the math strategies': E.g. How to create habits, Learn how to learn, How to problem-solve, How to get motivated when you don't feel like doing math.

​

Thinking of these steps as a ratio gives a student clues, on why they're not doing better:
The math : Math strategies : Non-Math strategies = 25 : 35 : 40,

and when you look it this way it quickly explains why some students are closer to their potential and others are not. Students who remember more are strong in all three because they focus on all three! Versus weaker students who put most of their energy and time on the math (the 25%) and doing practice (a small part of the 35%) hoping that leads to them remembering more, but it does not. Why? It's those 40% Non-Math strategies that has them be better with the Math strategies, and those two together help with getting the math!

​

The Ontario curriculum is unique

Ontario has a spiral curriculum, which means, the math you did last year and the year before that will be needed for this year's math and next year's math etc., so the key to doing well, is to remember the past math. That's it! That's the key to doing well in math in Ontario. Remember math!!
Note: Not all provinces or other countries follow this type of curriculum.

 

One final point on this 

Let me explain using math: In every math class your teachers teaches, about 75% of what they teach is past math and 25% is the new math of each new lesson. As a ratio, past math : new math = 75 : 25, and all of this means that students who have remembered that past math do better. Why?

1) They know the 75%, and
2) They only need to give their attention to the 25%,
3) So of course they will pick up the new math quicker.

 

And that gives clues why some students struggle -
1) They don't know a lot of that 75% of the past math which
2) Leads to struggles with that 25% new math.

 

Said another way, the stronger student is at a huge advantage as they need to focus on a lot less of the math in each lesson (that 25%), in comparison to a weaker student who has to not only try to figure out that new 25% but is also struggling to figure out the past math in the lesson. And unbeknownst to the struggling student that's why some of their classmates can zip through the homework quicker - they only need to invest their time and energy on the new math, because they remember all the past math! 

 

​Who we are and what we do

MathCubed does 1-on-1 Math Tutoring and Strategy Coaching for grades 6 to 12 students, focusing on the Ontario curriculum. For over 30 years, we've done 1-on-1 exclusively. Why? Because every student’s learning needs are unique.

 

MathCubed does not advertise - we're built on word-of-mouth referrals from parents, students, math teachers, guidance counselors, and educational psychologists. We have tutored well over 3,000 Ottawa-area math students from Ashbury, Elmwood, Glebe, Nepean, Lisgar, and all other Ottawa-area high schools, both private and public. We've taught Gifted math, Enriched Math, IB math, AP math. Back in the day when we did in-person we had parents drive their students in from as far east as Cornwall and make the 1.5-hour trip from Arnprior in the west.

We are Ontario-certified math teachers. 

 

As of March 2020, our tutoring and coaching sessions moved fully online. 

​

We do 1-on-1 math sessions, 1-on-1 math strategy sessions and 1-on-1 non-math strategy sessions!