I think you can sign up without being in a special group, at the rate IIRC of around $90 per quarter. So there is a big cost savings over $500/semester, although maybe not as much as you might get in a group enrollment.
One benefit of joining a group, according to melmichigan, is that the settings can be set up differently to allow a better fit for a gifted kid (no need to slog through as many drills). Here's a thread by her-- dunno if she still has an opening left:
http://giftedissues.davidsongifted....group_I_have_a_few_openin.html#Post88680mel did say that the $135/year may not be pro-rated, and you'd be joining in the middle of the current year, so I'd check with her on that.
I tend to agree with you, that the tutoring is probably not necessary for all kids learning math. With my son (not bragging in the slightest, all kids learn differently and my kid has his own set of weaknesses) I don't really have to teach him, just explain a concept in a sentence or two and turn him loose on IXL practice tasks, each of which can usually be completed in a couple of minutes, well before he gets bored. Then we just move on to the next thing, and if he says he thinks it's too basic we skip it. Based on this sample size of one, I think that with a kid who learns math easily, seeing a concept in practice, even briefly, may be more than enough, obviating the need for a tutor.
