As I’ve mentioned many times, one of the main goals in mathematics education is to raise up confident problem solvers. And while there are many ways to go about solving math problems, and we as adults may often see strategies as common sense, these are things that need to be taught. Giving kids as many tools as possible will set them up for success so that you can “let them loose” and see their creative minds work and explore. To continue my Keep Reading...
Problem Solving by Working Backwards
As I’ve shared before, there are many different ways to go about solving a math problem, and equipping kids to be successful problem solvers is just as important as teaching computation and algorithms. In my experience, students’ frustration often comes from not knowing where to start. Providing them with strategies enables them to at least get the ideas flowing and hopefully get some things down on paper. As in all areas of life, the hardest Keep Reading...
5 Things You Should Never Say to the Child Who Struggles with Math
It can often be hard and frustrating trying to teach a child who struggles with math. No matter what you do or how you teach a concept, they just seem to fight to grasp the concepts. I know that in those moments it can be easy to lose patience, or join them in their frustrations, but in the long run, saying the following when they are frustrated or struggling will not help them. Here are some common things you should never say to the child who Keep Reading...
8 Reasons Making Mistakes in Math is a GOOD Thing!
Far too often, math is seen as a subject that is either right or wrong, and so you better get the answers right or you’ll fail the test. And while it is technically true that we want students to understand math concepts deeply and be able to correctly solve math problems, creating this kind of mindset can cause students to feel frustration and a sense of failure anytime a mistake is made. The reality, however, is that mistakes are a part of the Keep Reading...
Math is a Foreign Language: So Treat it Like One!
*This post contains affiliate links, which support the work of this site. Feel free to read our full disclosure policy here.* Math is one of those subjects that strikes fear in the hearts of students everywhere. It is a four letter word that dare not be uttered. As a teacher, I often got complaints about the difficulty of this crazy subject that made no sense. Math was supposed to be about numbers, and yet here were all these letters-x,y, even i Keep Reading...
Have You Checked Out Noodle Education?
Have you heard of the education website Noodle Education? I've been exploring the site quite a bit and I have to say, it seems to be a wealth of information regarding all different aspects of education! There are tips and advice for finding schools from preschool all the way to college, as well as a simple place to search for tutors, no matter what subject. If you are not familiar with the site, I thought I would tell you about some of the Keep Reading...
Sometimes Quality is More Important than Quantity
Photo Credit: woodleywonderworks via Compfight cc {text added} When I was student teaching, one of the classes I taught in was an honors 8th grade pre-algebra class. It was a fun group, and I really enjoyed working with that teacher, but the thing that sticks out the most is the day we spent the entire class period working on one problem. Yup, forty-five minutes, one problem. At the time, I was shocked that the teacher would spend so Keep Reading...
5 Tips to Teach Math with Confidence
So far, I have successfully taught one out of four of my children to read. While that is incredibly encouraging and exciting, I was definitely not confident and sure of myself when we first started on this journey! I’m a math teacher. I don’t know anything about teaching reading! What I have realized, however, is that for many homeschooling moms, it’s just the opposite. The thought of teaching your kids math is terrifying. Maybe you were never Keep Reading...
FREE Online Summer Math Program!
Have you heard? This summer (starting sometime in May) TenMarks.com is offering their summer math program (normally $39.95) for FREE! Their goal is to help students retain the math they worked so hard to learn or maybe even get ahead during the summer months so they can be ready and confident to jump back in in the fall. I'm very excited about this because my daughter loves doing math and playing games on the computer, so this Keep Reading...
Problem Solving by Drawing a Picture
I am a very visual learner. Whenever I am facing a word problem of any kind, my initial reaction is to draw a picture. Even if it is a fairly simple problem and I think I already know how to solve it (or even already know the answer), I will almost always still draw a picture. While this is an especially useful strategy for visual learners, I believe that problem solving by drawing a picture can be helpful for any student! -->Pssst! Do your Keep Reading...
