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If Your Child Hates
Math
For many adults, the worst subject at school was mathematics. Is
this how you feel about it? Perhaps you hadn't understood real concepts of what
numbers are when you were taught those symbols and had to learn how to
manipulate them. Or perhaps you understood very well, and were bored to tears
with the drill and repetition.
Math is not an easy subject to teach in school, because children grasp it at
such different levels, in such different ways. Even when the class is divided
into ability groups, there will inevitably be some who are bored because it's
too easy, and some who fail to grasp what is going on at all. There will also
be some who quickly see what they need to do, and apply the principles
correctly, without having any idea what they are actually doing.
Home education is perfect for math because children can go at their own pace,
learning in their own ways, following books which are appropriate to their
styles. Yet many parents are nervous about helping their children with this
subject, perhaps because of their own prejudices against it, learned through
inappropriate teaching many years ago. Perhaps this is why so many use rather
formal curriculum math text books, complete with extensive drill. If such text
books inspire your child and help him or her to enjoy math, that's fine. If
not, perhaps you have introduced Cuisenaire rods, or other manipulatives. Or
perhaps you are convinced that math just is difficult and dull, but is something
to be endured.
But what do you do if, despite being free of competition, and with plenty of
manipulative tools available, your child still hates math? How can you
reconcile the freedom and enjoyment in home learning with the dread and
complaining that sometimes goes along with math sessions?
If you are using workbooks or text-books with a young child, either switch to
something completely different, or stop math altogether for a few months. This
might sound radical. You might worry that your child will 'fall behind'... but
the chances are that he or she is just not ready for the skills currently being
taught. Until the age of about 7 or 8, there is no formal math that a child
needs. I query if there is ever very much that is essential - and I speak as a
mathematician myself! So long as basic concepts of number are understood, and
children know how to weigh and measure and deal with money, they will cope with
adult life.
Children learn early math skills most effectively from ordinary activities:
playing with Lego, baking, making dolls' clothes, building models, having a
small amount of their own money to spend, and sharing out food. Use
mathematical language in everyday conversations, and show how simple fractions
work when cutting up apples or cakes. But avoid making this into a 'lesson'.
There are lots of good board games for math skills too: Junior Monopoly is good,
(as well as the real version of course), card games, dominoes, Yahtzee and so
on.
For a wonderful book about the exciting parts of math, with lots of ideas for
investigations and explorations, I can heartily recommend Carol Voderman's 'How
mathematics works', published by DK/Eyewitness. It has fascinating sections on
history of math, and anecdotes and puzzles and quizzes. Even if children don't
seem immediately interested, it can be inspiring for parents!
When your children are older, they may show interest in math and ask to learn
more. Perhaps particular mathematical topics will arise naturally from other
things they do. You might discuss with them that it's useful having some basic
math skills, and look together for a text book which appeals to you all. But
keep it low-key and never insist on drill or repetition of skills they have
already mastered. Math is not supposed to be dull!
Some children, given freedom to learn in their own way, will rapidly understand
quite complex math and enjoy solving problems and learning new techniques. But
others just aren't gifted in this way. We would never expect our teens to play
a sport they hated, or force them to study an instrument they found tedious...
so why do so many parents (and schools) insist that math must be continued way
past the stage where it is useful and interesting to a child?
Advanced geometry and algebra are fun (yes, truly!) for those of us who enjoy
math, but frankly, they are of little use in any but a limited number of
careers. If an older child struggles with these things, abandon them. Think of
them on a par with learning to speak a little-known language: useful for some
people, fun for linguists, but quite irrelevant for the majority. If at some
stage in the future your child wants a career where these skills are essential,
the motivation will be there and the study likely to be far less painful than if
it is forced because of someone else's pre-planned agenda.
copyright Susan Fairhead (used with permission)
http://www.geocities.com/sueincyprus/TSindex.htm#home_ed_general
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