A useful description has four parts: the subject and year, the exam, one specific sticking point, and what your child has already tried. Four short lines are enough. Teachers plan a first lesson from that, not from a long history.
A common first message is “My child is weak in Maths, please help.” It is an honest summary, but a teacher cannot act on it. “Weak in Maths” could mean algebra, speed, confidence or a gap from two years ago.
What should I write in the first message?
Use this frame. You can paste it into WhatsApp and fill in the gaps.
- Subject and syllabus: “Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics, Year 10” (check the code on your child’s entry or school paperwork if you are unsure).
- Exam timing: the session your child is aiming for, or “not yet decided”.
- One sticking point: a task, not a label. “Gets stuck when a question gives a word problem and no diagram.”
- What has been tried: school revision, past papers, a previous class, videos.
If your child can attach a photo of one marked question, even better. A real question shows the exact step where the thinking stopped.
Which details help a teacher most?
| Detail | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| A specific task your child struggles with | Lets the teacher prepare a relevant first example |
| How your child behaves when stuck (skips, guesses, waits) | Shows whether the gap is knowledge or confidence |
| Recent school feedback in the teacher’s words | Gives an outside view of the same problem |
| Time available each week | Keeps any later plan realistic |
| Whether the student is sitting Core or Extended | Sets the level of the material |
What can you leave out?
You do not need to share family background, income, or a long history of past results. You also do not need to label your child.
Words like “lazy” or “not a maths person” close the conversation before it starts, and they are rarely accurate. Describe behaviour and tasks instead.
Write “he rushes and loses marks on the last step” instead of “careless”. Write “she reads the question twice and still does not know where to begin” instead of “no confidence”.
How do I make this a joint effort with your child?
Ask your child to add one line in their own words. Teenagers describe the gap better than adults because they know what happens in their head. “I can follow the example but I cannot start my own” is a precise statement that a teacher can use immediately.
Sitting together for ten minutes to choose the marked question is also a small step toward the lesson itself. Your child arrives knowing what to bring.
What happens after you send it?
The team reads your message and assigns an experienced teacher. The teacher confirms the actual rate for the one-hour trial before the lesson, starting from RM80. The trial is a taught, paid class, so the first hour should already work on the sticking point you described.
Other arrangements are confirmed directly between your child and the teacher after the trial. Our how it works page shows the steps, and the trial page explains what the hour covers.
After the trial, what should I look at?
The post-trial reflection guide helps your child note what they understood, how clearly the teacher explained it, and what the next step is. You can read more about deciding what evidence would make a trial useful before the class, and about when independent practice may be enough.
For subject-specific starting points, see the subject tuition pages and the parents’ guide.