Program Overview
What is OneInMath?
- Free program run by volunteers for students in grades K-3
- Focuses on individualizing the process of learning math to reduce math anxiety
What OneInMath is NOT
- We are not a substitute for math curriculum in school.
- We are not a homework center (please do not send school homework).
- We are not a drop-in class.
- We do not cover concepts such as time, money, measurement etc.
- We do not prepare for standardized tests (e.g. STAR).
- The program is not suitable for students with special needs (tutors are high school volunteers and not trained to handle special needs students).
How often is the program offered?
The program is usually offered twice a year. The Fall runs from September to November, and the Spring session runs form January to April. See program locations, dates, and times.
What are the minimum requirements to register my child?
The program focuses on basic math like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. A child must be able to count numbers from 1 to 20 fluently, and write numbers clearly and comfortably from 1 to 10. We do not teach reading or writing numbers. If your child does not meet the above criteria, this program is not for them.
My child has special needs. Can you support her/him?
Even though we would love to support autistic children and children with special needs, our tutors are not trained or equipped to teach them.
Unfortunately, if your child is autistic or has other special needs, this program is not for them.
What is OneInMath’s philosophy?
- We believe strengthening the basic math foundation is critical for long term success of the child which leads to a better community.
- We aim to foster students’ love for math in order to reduce math anxiety and build confidence!
- We have made our classes as non-competitive as possible to reduce peer pressure and provide a stress-free environment dedicated to learning.
Classes
What should my child bring to the class?
- Your child needs to bring a 2-pocket folder to every class.
- We provide the math sheets required for the class for free.
What happens on the first day of class?
- Tutors determine a student’s knowledge through a diagnostic test to identify both their level and gaps. This is completely based on what the student knows and not their age or grade.
- Students may have gaps in their knowledge and we first work to fill in what they don’t know before moving on to harder concepts.
- For example: A student may be conceptually able to do 2-digit addition but is slow at adding single numbers like 7+9 and may need to review 1-digit addition.
- Volunteers will update you at the end of the class with their plan for your child.
What happens during the rest of the classes?
- Tutors review homework and do a quick verbal and written check to determine how fast and accurate the child is at answering questions.
- Accordingly, they assign the next packet and teach them the new concepts. Students work for half an hour, during which time the tutor is there to guide them.
- At the end of class, tutors assign homework.
Who will teach my child?
Tutors are usually high school student volunteers who have scored a minimum B grade in their math subjects. All volunteers go through tutor training so they are versed in the OneInMath teaching methodology to reduce math anxiety, develop confidence and build a strong foundation in math. The math content is individualized for each student.
Each sheet of the packet looks very similar. Why are problems repeated?
Repetition is key to learning math. However, the problems get increasingly more randomized as the packet continues in order to build conceptual understanding.
- Problems are initially sequential to help student to identify patterns and connection between problems.
- Next, some problems are swapped to strengthen pattern recognition.
- Finally, the problems are fully randomized to practice memory recall.
My child can do multiplication, why are they doing two-digit addition?
It is not uncommon for students to be able to do more advanced math but also struggle with basic concepts. For example, a student may be struggling to add single digits even though they are doing multiplication. Eventually this will hamper their progress in higher math.
We will work with your child to review or practice addition before moving them to multiplication modules. We have found that addressing gaps in knowledge helps students do better overall.
Parent Support
How can my child get the most out of OneInMath?
- Keep all homework and classwork in a folder.
- Bring the folder and the homework back every class (even if it was not completed)
- Attend every class. Consistency is critical for students to retain learning.
How can I help my child?
- Practice is key: Have your child do homework regularly.
- Don’t give them the answers directly. Instead, help your child deduce the answers through pattern recognition, and memory. See teaching videos for ideas.
- If you are correcting homework, please do not erase the answers. Circle the wrong answers so the Tutor will know where the child needs assistance.
- Incorporate math into your daily routine with your child:
- Ask them math questions. Incorporate it with your daily activities like when driving or having dinner, or just hanging out together etc. Note: If you want, you can ask questions from the last page of the packet which contains all combinations of the problems in that packet.
- Have your child ask you math questions. Take turns to make it more fun.
- Play math games
Class Absences/Cancellations
What if my child cannot attend a class?
- Fill out the Student Absence Form as soon as possible (at least 48 hours before so we can plan). The form is available on our website (Register -> Request Student Absence). Please do not send email to the Session Leads or Tutors regarding absences.
- There might be occasions when your child cannot attend (e.g. sick). However, If your child is absent for 2 classes without notice, we will have to remove the student from the class as we usually have a long waitlist.
Remember that your child benefits the most if they consistently attend all classes. If we notice a pattern of missing classes, we may remove them at our discretion.
Can I pickup math packets when my child is absent from a class?
For your convenience, you can access all the math packets online. They are organized by the modules, and each module is organized by packets.
You can look up your child’s current packet, determine the module, go to that module on the website, find the corresponding packet, and then download and print the next packet. See how practice sheets are organized.
How do I know if there is a class next week or if it is cancelled?
We make every effort to not have any unplanned cancellation of classes, but there are times when classes may be cancelled (e.g., holidays, classroom is unavailable). Usually we work with the libraries to ensure that we know upfront which classes will be cancelled so everyone has advanced notice of these cancellations.
For both planned and unplanned cancellations, you will receive an email a few days (usually 5 days) before the next class.
Other
How can I contribute to OneInMath
There are many ways you can contribute to enhance and spread the program so more and more elementary students and high school students can benefit. Please review the opportunities at Grow the Program page.
Who do I contact if I have more questions?
For any questions or concerns, please contact your respective session leads or contact us using the Contact Us form.
Parent Orientation
We offer parent orientation online a few days before session starts. If you have registered your child for the session, you will receive information about the orientation.
OneInMath session manager will be available at the table on the first day of class to answer any question or concern you may have or contact the coordinator using Contact Us form.