Roots for Success

Mathematics Enrichment and Tutoring

for Elementary Students

Welcome to Roots for Success!

Roots for Success offers math enrichment and tutoring for students in Grades 1-6. My goal is to make math meaningful, relevant, and fun for students. One-on-one sessions enable students to master math concepts at their own pace, develop confidence in problem solving and overcome math anxiety. Many students who struggle with math need support beyond what their teachers are able to provide in the classroom or their parents are able to give at home. I create a safe space and an enjoyable atmosphere where your child can get the extra support they need. Students look forward to private tutoring sessions where they can see a friendly face and have fun while learning math.

Cost:
$60/45-minute virtual session
$70/60-minute face-to-face session

Location:
In-person sessions are in Cary, NC.
Virtual sessions are conducted via Zoom.

Math Anxiety

What is it? How does it impact students? How can tutoring help?

What is it?

Math anxiety is a widespread problem for students and adults alike. Even students who are good at math often experience math anxiety, including feelings of tension, apprehension or worry. Math-anxious students frequently endure significant physiological, emotional, and cognitive reactions in situations where they have to manipulate numbers, solve mathematical problems, or take a math test. Math anxiety can begin as early as elementary school with the foundations being laid even before formal schooling.

How does it impact students?

Signs of math anxiety vary but might include rushing through problems, acting out in class, lack of engagement or motivation, proclamations that the student hates math, or homework procrastination. Math anxiety that goes unchecked in the early years can persist throughout students' academic lives. Math-anxious students tend to take fewer advanced math classes and see themselves as less able in not only math, but in science, technology, and engineering as well. Confidence in doing math and mathematical competence can therefore impact students' vocational choices.

How can one-on-one tutoring help?

While math anxiety is very real, it is also fixable. One-on-one tutoring can help! A big focal area in my work with students is building confidence. During our sessions, I provide students with plenty of opportunities to be successful. I meet them where they are at. We take our time. I listen to their ideas and build on their intuitions. I teach students to think flexibly about numbers. I want them to see that there are multiple ways to think about mathematical concepts. It is more important that they truly understand the concepts we are working on than it is for us to cover a set number of topics in a defined period of time. We consider different ways to approach and solve problems. The more comfortable they become approaching problems in different ways, the deeper and broader their knowledge extends and the more confident they become in doing mathematics.

Helping students believe in their ability to successfully perform in math boosts motivation in learning and lowers math anxiety. As students' confidence grows in the intimate setting of one-on-one tutoring, it begins to move with them into the classroom. Students engage more in math class. They are more willing to raise their hand and ask questions, more willing to consider alternative ways of approaching problems. Greater engagement leads to greater confidence and increased motivation. Students with higher motivation in a subject area invest more time and effort in learning. And so it becomes an upward cycle.

Beneath every behavior is a feeling. And beneath every feeling is a need.
When we meet that need rather than focus on the behavior, we begin to deal with the cause, not the symptom.
Ashleigh Warner, Edutopia

In-Person Tutoring

In-person tutoring sessions take place in "the Math Lab." Students engage in many and varied hands-on activities to explore mathematical ideas. Whether we are using cardboard boxes and small foam cubes to explore volume, using an open door to investigate types of angles, ordering fraction cards on a clothesline, or using matchbox cars to engage in a statistical investigation process, we have fun! We spend time considering different ways to approach and solve problems. We experiment with a variety of different physical objects and mathematical tools. Rich problem contexts and tasks invite students to ponder important mathematical ideas in depth and verbalize their thinking. Math puzzles foster logical thinking, persistence and creativity. And math games (a favorite) encourage strategic mathematical thinking and support the development of computational fluency.

Virtual Tutoring

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student learning is significant. Recent reports indicate that, on average, students are five months behind in mathematics. Quality remote tutoring is a great option for getting students back on track. Online tutoring through Roots for Success offers students a consistent one-on-one personal relationship. The same care that goes into understanding students' learning needs and developing bespoke face-to-face tutoring sessions goes into creating online sessions. Technology provides a powerful platform for instruction and the digital tools at our fingertips are meaningful and motivating. Dynamic tools, such as Geogebra or Desmos, encourage students to play with mathematical ideas in interactive ways. More interactive play with mathematical ideas leads to deeper understanding. Virtual tutoring also has the added benefits of convenience and comfort. It is one less "shuttle stop" for busy parents and students can learn in the comfort of their own homes. Adding online tutoring to supplement in-school learning can give students the skills and experience they need to be successful. Virtual tutoring works best for students in Grades 4-6.

Testimonials

Here is what parents are saying ...
^{(parent names omitted to protect identity of students)}

Rapport and connection online is strong!

My 9 yo daughter loves working with Sherry and Roots for Success. She started virtual weekly tutoring sessions about 2 years ago, and has made continual progress in that time. It’s great to see her gain skills and confidence, and actually enjoy doing academic work. Her teachers have also noted her increased level of engagement and enthusiasm during math lessons at school.

We live in the western part of the state so all of the sessions have been virtual. The Zoom format, and using Bitpaper has been easy and effective. The rapport and connection Sherry has built with my daughter during the virtual sessions is as strong as if sessions were in-person, and is as much a testament to Sherry’s skill as an educator as to modern technology. We plan to continue working with Sherry, and are so grateful the virtual format makes it possible.

Favorite teacher of all time, online and in real life!

Both my children, aged 9 and 6, learned math with Ms. Sherry online during their homeschool year. We worked with several online tutors and Ms. Sherry quickly became their favorite teacher of all time, online and IRL. Her genuine love for teaching and children comes through in every lesson and even across the digital platforms. My children eagerly looked forward to class and excitedly shared their lessons with me. They both learned a lot and I’m confident that they will be ready for in-person school in the Fall with regard to covering the necessary curriculum and beyond. Thank you so much!

Embracing challenges with new found confidence!

Sherry is a fantastic tutor and we are lucky to have found her! She tutored our daughter throughout 5th grade, and she has returned for 6th grade tutoring. Our daughter went from struggling with her material and lacking confidence, to embracing its challenges and excelling in this subject area. The benefits to our daughter are evidenced by both her dramatically improved test scores and more importantly, her new found confidence! She now approaches math as a puzzle to be solved rather than a subject to shy away from. Our third grader has also started with Sherry this year. He looks forward to and loves his tutoring sessions. Sherry is an exceptional instructor. She pares her lessons with hands-on activities and real world applications that the kids love. Both the kids report that she makes math fun!

Thriving with a totally different outlook on math!

We are so lucky to have found Sherry to tutor both of our children in math. Before going to Sherry our kids thought math was “too hard” and intimidated by it. Sherry has definitely changed their perspective on math and taught them that math can be fun by engaging them in math games, puzzles, activities, etc. Now they are both thriving and have a totally different outlook on math. I would highly recommend Sherry to anyone who is looking for a reliable, nurturing and knowledgeable math tutor. Thanks for boosting our kids confidence in math!

Kind, fun, and amazingly well-qualified!

We moved a couple times, which left some holes in our son's math skills. As a result, he felt he simply "wasn't good at math." Really, he just needed those holes filled in, and a better all around number sense. We were thrilled to find Sherry to help get him back on track. Not only is she amazingly well-qualified; she is kind and fun, which made going to tutoring no big deal. His skills and confidence improved to the point he qualified for gifted math! We couldn't be more grateful.

The positive rewards of grasping new concepts!

Our son has become passionate about learning math with Ms. Sherry and looks forward to meeting with her each week. He has been able to gain confidence in understanding math, practical applications, and the positive rewards of grasping new concepts. Sherry is wonderful to work with as a teacher and professional!

Neighborhood gem!

Ms. Sherry is a neighborhood gem. She makes math fun and has completely changed my son's attitude towards math. When he began working with her in 3rd grade, he struggled with math and thought it was "dumb and boring." In the four years he has worked with her he has grown to love math and thrive in math class. The switch to virtual tutoring during the pandemic was tough, but Sherry still found ways to make it engaging. When f2f sessions were possible again, my son was excited to get back to her math lab. He is now old enough to ride his bike to her house which makes the whole experience an adventure and even more fun!

Contact

Ready to get started? Have more questions? Please contact me.

Name

Message

SUBMIT

Sherry Booth Freeman, Ph.D.

Roots for Success grew out of my passion for actively engaging elementary students in learning mathematics. I enjoy working with students to deepen their understanding of math and to make it meaningful, relevant, and fun. With over 35 years of experience in the field of education - as a teacher, researcher, curriculum developer, and instructional designer - I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to each session. Each student is unique and comes to me with their own learning style. I find great joy in figuring out how content can be creatively developed and delivered to support their range of learning styles.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I book sessions?

Contact me directly to discuss your child's needs and set up a tutoring schedule. I recommend 1-2 sessions/week. Continuity in sessions enables me to develop a relationship with your child and craft sessions that are specifically tailored to their needs.

How do I pay for sessions?

I accept payment through Zelle, Venmo, and PayPal.

What is your cancellation policy?

You may re-schedule any booked session up to 24 hours before its start time. No-shows or sessions not rescheduled 24 hours in advance must be paid for in full. Exemptions may be granted for special circumstances.

What education and/or experience do you have that qualifies you to tutor?

I have tutored students in math, on and off, for more than 30 years and I genuinely love working with children. I have a Ph.D in Curriculum & Instruction (North Carolina State University), a Master's degree in Education (Harvard University); and a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics (Sweet Briar College). I have taught online classes for NCSU; developed and researched MOOC-Eds (Massive Open Education Courses for Educators); created and led online learning communities; developed online math curricula and interactive online math tools for elementary students; and developed online and face-to-face professional development courses for elementary math teachers. I have collaborated with a range of educational organizations including the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, Education Development Center, Harvard University, Boston Public Schools, Chicago Public Schools, the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, North Carolina Public Schools, North Carolina Museum of Natural Science, The Jason Foundation for Education, McGraw-Hill, and Houghton-Mifflin.

Do you provide tutoring materials and/or a curriculum?

I provide all of the materials your child needs for tutoring sessions. While the skills and concepts covered during tutoring sessions follow a coherent order and align with the Common Core Math Standards, we mix it up with stories, puzzles, rich tasks, games, apps, and more. Math stories draw students in and bring math concepts to life. Math puzzles foster logical thinking, persistence, and creativity. Rich problem contexts and tasks invite students to ponder important mathematical ideas in depth and verbalize their thinking. Math games (a favorite) encourage strategic mathematical thinking and support the development of computational fluency. And math apps (digital math tools) make math more interactive. In short, we use a lot of different ingredients to make math meaningful and FUN! Much of the content I use are materials I developed through the above mentioned projects. Other materials are freely available online. Examples of online content and tools can be found at the following sites: The Math Learning Center, Geogebra, Desmos, Illustrative Mathematics, and Open-Up Resources.

What are tutoring sessions like?

Each tutoring session is customized to meet your child’s needs -- bespoke tutoring! Prior to the session I develop a series of activities for your child that will actively engage them in mathematics appropriate for their grade level. I frequently use math games, puzzles, stories, rich tasks, and math apps to help students develop confidence and skill in a fun and engaging way. If you would like for me to go over a specific homework assignment with your child, I ask that you send it to me the night before the session. A pdf or screen shot of the lesson works best but you can also just snap a picture of the lesson with your phone and text it to me.

What technology do I need for online tutoring?

For online tutoring sessions, your child will need a device (computer or tablet) and a good internet connection. In addition to Zoom, we will be using a shared online white board. Most students find it easiest to use the combination of Zoom and the online white board when they have a computer with a mouse and/or stylus and a large screen monitor with a camera (so they can see me and I can see them!).

How can I best prepare my child for tutoring sessions?

Make sure your child has had a snack and an opportunity to use the bathroom before tutoring. I ask that students do not bring a snack to face-to-face sessions or online sessions.

For virtual sessions, make sure your child is comfortable with Zoom. They will need to know how to share their screen, open a new browser window, link to an external site, and be able to switch back to camera mode (so we can see each other).

Math anxiety is a widespread problem for people of all ages. Even if you (as a parent) feel a little anxious about math, make sure you are conveying a positive attitude about math to your child. Positive math input at home is an important predictor of children's mathematical success.