MATH IN MOTION

MATH IN MOTION

One of the most important academic skills a child will acquire, math proficiency is often perceived to be a talent that is difficult, if not impossible, to master. Faced with such perception, many students often give up on math before they’ve even started.
Mastering math takes time and dedication, but with the proper attitude and guidance, any student can become a math whiz. While some students take more time to learn than others, here are a few parental steps you can take to ensure your child proceeds on the path to mastering math.

“Math proficiency isn’t always easy, but despite perceptions, it isn’t impossible,” notes Michelle Scott, Owner/Director of Tutoring Club of McLean. “When students properly understand a math concept and put in the effort to commit that concept to memory, the results can last a lifetime.”

Math concepts build one upon the other. So it’s important for your child to understand each concept, how each fits into the process, and to understand how each concept proceeds to the next. Understanding the math concept makes remembering the procedures much easier.

Review all your child’s homework and tests together. Correct and go over errors to make sure your child has a full understanding of a math concept before moving on to new work.

Practice is the key to helping your child move from learning a math concept to understanding it. Math homework may seem like busy work at times, but it’s this repetition that helps your child develop longer term knowledge.

Remind your child when taking notes in class to neatly write down every step and make note as to any areas of confusion. It also helps to have your child rewrite all notes as part of daily homework to clarify understanding.

Quiz your child on his or her understanding of math vocabulary, and ask your child to review each mathematical step with you verbally.

Ask your child to ‘teach you’ the concept or procedure necessary to solve a math problem; it can serve as a means to gauge your child’s progress with specific math lessons, as well as help you to identify flawed reasoning or building blocks of math skills that may be missing.

Avoid doing the math problem for your child. You may be able to solve a problem using a different method, but remember there are often several ways to find the correct answer. Try to understand the method your child has learned, rather than only teaching how you would do it.

Call for consultation; whenever gaps in math skills are not addressed early, they have the potential to hinder learning for years thereafter. If you find your child struggling with math, it’s important to contact the teacher directly to determine what options may be available to get extra help now.

Tutoring Club provides the math proficiency that all students need to advance at every academic level, from the fundamental basics through calculus and advanced placement classes.

Michelle Scott
Owner/Director
Tutoring Club of McLean
703.237.TUTOR (8886)
Email:McLeanVA@tutoringclub.com