ASK THE TUTOR
Dear Tutor: “I have heard many reports about the academic performance of United States children lagging behind that of their peers from other countries (especially in math and science). What steps can I take as a parent to insure that my child can excel in these areas?”
Answer: Alas, those reports are true. Despite the best efforts of parents, educators, administrators, and government, children in the US are not reaching their potential when it comes to learning math and science. I like your question, because instead of fixing blame, it seeks a solution. The good news is that there are many ways parents can help:
- At the top of the list is to have high expectations. People perform better when more is expected of them; so do children. Fight to keep tests from being "dumbed-down". Expect your children to do more than go through the motions.
- Start new concepts concretely and move gracefully and gradually to the abstract. There are techniques that help a parent or educator know whether or not a student is learning; one is the ThreeStep Approach pioneered by Montessori (see www.shillermath.com for a simple explanation).
- Use all the senses. Have students run, jump, sing, throw, and dance to learn math concepts. Use manipulatives with different textures, weights, and color.
- Don't teach. Instead encourage learning through discovery. Students who discover new ideas for themselves remember and apply these ideas much more effectively. Good luck on your path to math success!
Click here to meet this month's guest columnist Larry Shiller of ShillerMath.
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