Math ski
lls are built on top of one another. Because of this cumulative nature of mathematics education, it’s important to know one concept in order to successfully learn the next.
The stronger the foundation built in the early years, the better the child will succeed in mathematics later on in high school, and university.
Schools often move through math lessons at a fairly quick pace. Teachers are under pressure to cover all the material spelled out in the curriculum. There is no time in the classroom to make sure each child has learned the math skill being taught before moving ahead with the next lesson.
As a result, there are children who get left behind. Some do not fully understand what they have just been taught. Others have not had enough practice using the skills they just learned and the skill doesn’t ‘stick’.
If this is not fixed, the child will have more difficulty in the next math unit that builds upon the math skill they did not master.
Parents need to be on the lookout for signs early on that their child is struggling with math. Low grades in math on a report card are usually the first alarm bells for most parents.
Keep your ears open for comments from your child such as ‘I hate math’, ‘math sucks’, ‘I’m not good in math’. Notice when a child is visibly frustrated doing their math homework, or is avoiding doing the math homework altogether.
If your child is having difficulty keeping up in math, a math tutor can help. A tutor will help your child learn the math skills they did not grasp, and help reinforce your child’s newly acquired math skills.
It’s amazing sometimes how much difference a little extra help makes in a child’s grades, and most importantly in a child’s confidence.
To your child’s success,
Barb
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