For years, I worked at a local college as a tutor and have worked with countless individuals who claim to hate Math but they love English and writing. Conversely, individuals who enjoy Math usually find it difficult to sit down and write a paper. I hesitate in making generalizations like this but I believe, in the world of academia, there are two types of people: Math and English people. Every once in a while you find someone that can excel in both without a problem, though that says nothing regarding their feelings towards either subject.
The subject of math constantly builds upon itself. You’re first introduced to whole numbers; adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing them. Then decimals, percents, and fractions which build upon what you’ve previously learned. The rules build upon themselves and you must have a solid understanding of the concepts in order to move forward, which for some may mean a lot of studying outside of class. You have to keep up.
My guess is that the reason most teens don’t like math is because they don’t have a solid understanding of the fundamental concepts, which means it takes longer to complete math assignments and harder to grasp the new concept being introduced. A teacher can only do so much. Become involved with your child at an early age and make sure they understand the concepts being introduced at every stage of progress.
As a side-note, for parents whose children are struggling, the calculator is a wonderful invention your child should not have. Unless your child is in an advanced algebra class, this item is a definite no-no. Using this device will only hinder progress in learning the fundamental concepts. All of the mathematical concepts that can be performed on a calculator should be learned to do by hand first.
So what’s a good solution?
Brain Quest Workbooks & Math Made Easy are a couple of series of books for children of varying grades. Give your child the tools to succeed, no matter what age.
