Using my two decades of tutoring experience as a guide, your student and I will use a methodology that your student can use to solve problems.
There is a frequent disconnect between the teaching of material and the application of the material. A teacher or professor will present a concept, provide a few examples of the concept, only to set your student loose. The difficulty arises when the practice set or homework problem aren’t exact replicas of what the material in class or when the problem requires incorporation of previous material.
Math and science revolve around relationships. Relationships between the theory, the application, and the details.
how to apply the theory (big picture)
incorporate the specifics (problem specifics)
methodically determine what what additional information is needed to finish the problem (source of confusion)