Recent Math Articles

A Better Way to Teach Math

How to Teach Number Recognition

Mathematics in Daily Life

Building a Strong Math Foundation

Building a Solid Math Foundation

A solid math foundation is vital for children to succeed. Without solid math skills, children will probably have a lot of trouble in school and afterwards.
Students with weak basic math skills find the subject increasingly confusing and difficult (and get poor grades). You might notice that your child starts to develop math anxiety. When a child develops a solid math foundation, you'll be amazed at how the stress caused by poor math skills disappears. You might even hear your child say that math is fun!
Building a solid foundation in math requires a systematic approach. Too many children do not get the broad introduction and ongoing practice that builds confidence and deep understanding. The primary mistakes that parents make in teaching/coaching math are:

• having too narrow a focus. Parents tend to overemphasize arithmetic and overlook the other math areas.
• reviewing math concepts out of sequence.

 A strong math elementary math curriculum teaches these five math strands (yes, there are many other ways of grouping these areas into as few as four and as many as eight different areas but we like this approach):
 * Number Sense and Operations - Arithmetic and place value.

* Algebra - From the youngest age, learning to recognize patterns and sets ("pick the small red fish") creates the groundwork for working with unknowns and algebraic variables.

* Geometry and Spatial Sense - When children build on their knowledge of basic shapes, they increase their ability to reason spatially, read maps, visualize objects in space, and eventually use geometry to solve problems.

* Measurement - Learning how to measure and compare is an important life skill that encompasses the concepts of length, weight, temperature, capacity, time, and money.
* Data Analysis and Probability - Using charts, tables, and graphs will help children learn to share and organize information about the world around them.

Helping with Homework

During the many conferences I have had over the years, homework is often mentioned as a troublesome area for parents and students alike. Here are some suggestions for supervising your child's homework, organized by category. These suggestions stem from my math teaching experience; however, most of them will work for other subject areas, too.

Expectations

Set aside a specific time and place to do homework each day. Some children concentrate better with music or background noise. Define consequences for undone homework before it happens. You may want to create a homework contract with your child that clearly spells out rules.

Supervision

Check your child's assignment book, planner, or agenda for assignments, projects and tests. Don't try to be an expert in every subject area. Just supervise. Encourage completeness of answers (full sentences, units of measure, etc.). Encourage labeling of homework with textbook page numbers, dates, etc.

Organization

Schedule study time for tests well in advance. Plan out and start long-term projects well before they are due. Organize notebooks by subject and chronologically within a subject. Choose a set location for storing homework, books and supplies.

Absence

Have your child choose a study buddy to work with. Make up assignments as soon as possible. If the absence is extended, notify the school. If a serious family emergency occurs, notify the school.