Math,;specifically;upper- level;math,;can;leave;even the;most;capable;of;adults running;for;the;hills.;For
most of us, things like trigonometry,
calculus,;and;maybe;even;algebra;seem
like;distant;memories.;I;was;a;straight
“A”;student;in;high;school;(and;top;of
my;class;in;college;too.);Despite;all;of;my
own;success;in;high;school;and;college,
oh;so;many;years;ago,;I;was;not;prepared
to;tackle;the;upper;levels;of;math;with
my;own;child.
Our;story;begins;when;our;oldest;hit
sixth grade math. Yes, I did say sixth
grade;math.;At;the;time;we;had;one;child
in;sixth;grade,;one;in;second;grade,;and
a;preschooler.;Our;oldest;daughter;would
begin;a;chapter;in;math;and;work;through
almost;to;the;end;of;it;on;her;own.;At;that
point,;stress;and;frustration;would;set;in
as;she;tried;to;put;all;the;pieces;together
from;the;chapter,;and;she;would;need;my
assistance.;No;problem right?;Wrong.;I
would;spend;so;much;energy;trying;to
catch;up;to;where;she;was;that;I;was;be-coming;stressed;too!;To;be;fair,;I;had;been
warned;that;the;curriculum;I;was;using
for;sixth;grade;math;was;a;bear.;I;just
didn’t;remember;that;when;it;was;time;to
buy;and;use;the;curriculum!
To;say;that;our;daughter;hated;math
would;be;an;understatement.;She;would
cry,;yell,;scream,;stomp,;and;pound;her
fists, anything to convey to me how
much;she;hated;it!;Thus;this;experience
became;our;first;big;lesson;in;both;walk-ing;away;from;a;curriculum;and;taking;a
break;from;a;subject.;Math;had;become
a;tear-inducing,;stress-filled;drudgery;for
both;of;us.;It;was;at;that;point;I;made;a
decision;to;take;a;break,;and;drop;not
only that one publisher of math, but
math;altogether.
Now;you’re;asking,;“But;what’s;next?”
What;do;you;do;when;you;hit;that;brick
wall;with;a;subject;or;curriculum?
If;you;aren’t;ready;to;give;up;altogether
(like;we;did);then;there;are;things;you
can;try;to;help;your;child;become;more
confident, therefore helping to make
math;easier;and;possibly;more;fun.;Go
back;to;the;basics,;and;be;sure;your;child
has;a;good;handle;on;those.;Once;stu-
dents are comfortable with the funda-
mentals;(such;as;addition,;subtraction,
multiplication,;fraction;basics,;and;order
of;operations);then;adding;on;and;build-
ing;up;to;higher;level;math;problems;will
be;easier.
Play games that are math oriented.
Games like Monopoly, S’Math, Farkel,
and;The;Allowance;Game;are;fun;and
educational.
If;your;children;love;computer;games,
there are many great games online to
immerse;them;in;math;skills;while;they
are;having;fun.;Check;out;sites;like;Math
www.TheOldSchoolhouse.com
Math
Math!
You;Can Hate;It and
Still;Be;Good;At;It!
Math;had;become;a
tear-inducing,;stress-
filled;drudgery;for
both;of;us.
by;Heidi;Ciravola
