No More Tears Math
By Jan Bedell, M.Ed., Neuro-Educational Specialist
As we noted in an earlier tip, No More Tears Reading, a child must feel a sense of accomplishment to experience motivation. The question for many parents is, how do I promote these feelings in my child when he is struggling with his schoolwork and he hates math, hates reading, hates writing, etc? Here is a tip on how to motivate your children to enjoy math.
This may sound strange to many of you but if your child hates math and sits for hours staring blankly at his page, or rushes through making careless errors, do his math for him! What!? Did you say, "Do his math for him?" That is exactly what I said. Now I'm not saying that you sit down and do his math for him while he is watching TV. What I'm saying is that you do a problem with him watching. Talk as little as possible during this process as math operations are visually retained. If you talk a lot, it will distract him from receiving the information his brain needs. After you have done one problem, have him do a similar problem. If he does his problem easily, then you know he has had enough input to do that type of problem and you can move on to a different operation. Repeat this process of - you doing one problem and him doing one problem for about 5-8 minutes. Come back to math later in the day (at least 10 minutes later) and repeat the process for another 5 - 8 minutes.
If you are introducing a new concept or operation, you do three problems before letting the child do one. This three to one input session should continue for a few days for each new concept. Every child is different but they all need input when presented with new information. You can reduce the amount of problems you are doing to only two, then the child does one until you see he is proficient in the new concept. At this point, go back to - the parent does one and the child does one - type protocol.
It is best to make sure the child sees all of the operations he has been taught each day to maximize retention, but it is not necessary to do 18 problems (exaggeration I know) a day of each! This "operation review" procedure can be accomplished with any textbook, but drill books work best. Just put a paperclip on each page of a specific operation i.e. addition with and without carrying, subtraction with and without borrowing and beginning multiplication.
The protocol for a child that has mastered several math operations is: parent does one, child does one of each type of operation that the child has mastered. Then parent does three problems and child does one problem for the new operation being taught. This should be done twice a day, with each session lasting 5 - 8 minutes.
Understand? I hope so! This technique can revolutionize your child's attitude about math. www.littlegiantsteps.com
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