Comments on: What To Do If Your Child Struggles With Math http://absolutelee.com/http:/absolutelee.com/education/what-to-do-if-your-child-struggles-with-math/ The Science Of Getting Rich...Online Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:15:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 By: Daisy http://absolutelee.com/http:/absolutelee.com/education/what-to-do-if-your-child-struggles-with-math/#comment-198 Daisy Wed, 02 May 2007 14:25:29 +0000 http://absolutelee.com/http:/absolutelee.com/education/what-to-do-if-your-child-struggles-with-math/#comment-198 Agree completely. I did know my multiplication tables, but fractions were not completely explained to me until high school chemistry (stoichiometry). Only then did I understand that they are the same as division. Then the whole PEMDAS thing made sense. Algebra was unfortunately a mystery until I was forced to learn it for college Calculus. Fractions taught properly and learned well would have made my school life so very different. Agree completely. I did know my multiplication tables, but fractions were not completely explained to me until high school chemistry (stoichiometry). Only then did I understand that they are the same as division. Then the whole PEMDAS thing made sense. Algebra was unfortunately a mystery until I was forced to learn it for college Calculus. Fractions taught properly and learned well would have made my school life so very different.

]]> By: lee http://absolutelee.com/http:/absolutelee.com/education/what-to-do-if-your-child-struggles-with-math/#comment-199 lee Wed, 02 May 2007 15:57:54 +0000 http://absolutelee.com/http:/absolutelee.com/education/what-to-do-if-your-child-struggles-with-math/#comment-199 Daisy, Thanks. Actually, fractions even more than multiplication is where we're missing. A good student can learn their multiplication tables either by osmosis or other means, but it's much more difficult for that student to learn arithmetic with fractions. Daisy, Thanks. Actually, fractions even more than multiplication is where we’re missing. A good student can learn their multiplication tables either by osmosis or other means, but it’s much more difficult for that student to learn arithmetic with fractions.

]]> By: Steve Olson http://absolutelee.com/http:/absolutelee.com/education/what-to-do-if-your-child-struggles-with-math/#comment-200 Steve Olson Wed, 02 May 2007 18:55:50 +0000 http://absolutelee.com/http:/absolutelee.com/education/what-to-do-if-your-child-struggles-with-math/#comment-200 Lee, I agree on rote memorization of multiplication tables, but I disagree about grammar. Memorizing multiplication tables through 12 is a foundational math skill. There is nowhere to go without it. That just isn’t the case with grammar. You can learn perfect English by osmosis. The problem is you must be surrounded by people that speak and write proper English. I work with a man who immigrated from Germany shortly after the 2nd World War and didn’t know a word of English. He speaks and writes better English than I do and hasn’t been taught ANY English grammar. Teaching grammar at the Elementary and Secondary school level distracts kids from learning and understanding the proper applied use of the language. The problem for many of these public school kids is that teachers are the only people they communicate with that speak and write proper English. Anyway… My opinion. Lee,

I agree on rote memorization of multiplication tables, but I disagree about grammar.

Memorizing multiplication tables through 12 is a foundational math skill. There is nowhere to go without it.

That just isn’t the case with grammar. You can learn perfect English by osmosis. The problem is you must be surrounded by people that speak and write proper English. I work with a man who immigrated from Germany shortly after the 2nd World War and didn’t know a word of English. He speaks and writes better English than I do and hasn’t been taught ANY English grammar. Teaching grammar at the Elementary and Secondary school level distracts kids from learning and understanding the proper applied use of the language. The problem for many of these public school kids is that teachers are the only people they communicate with that speak and write proper English.

Anyway…
My opinion.

]]> By: lee http://absolutelee.com/http:/absolutelee.com/education/what-to-do-if-your-child-struggles-with-math/#comment-201 lee Wed, 02 May 2007 20:00:53 +0000 http://absolutelee.com/http:/absolutelee.com/education/what-to-do-if-your-child-struggles-with-math/#comment-201 Steve, Thanks! I might modify my stance somewhat on grammar, but not much. You would have to know how much German grammar your German friend knew before he came here. If he was educated in Germany before WWII, I would suspect he knew quite a bit. When you know the grammar of one langauge, it's a lot easier to learn the grammar of a foreign language. I completely agree with you that kids need to learn applied use of language, by which I'm guessing you mean how to write an essay and how to speak properly. My problem is this: a lot of the kids I teach know so little grammar that I can't even begin to talk to them about what they need to change. When I have kids write essays (we call that writing across the curriculum), some of them have such trouble with the mechanics of their language they can't even begin to express themselves. One more thing. I've never taught reading, but I suspect it's a lot more difficult in some cases than teaching mathematics. One of the huge influences on children is what they've heard at home before they even come to kindergarten. Both my wife and I have college degrees. We speak like educated people even when we're just discussing what we want to eat for lunch. A kid from a background like ours has at least twice the vocabulary that a kid from a lower socioeconomic family has. Math's different. In math kids start out on a more even footing. Anyway, fabulous comment! Steve, Thanks! I might modify my stance somewhat on grammar, but not much. You would have to know how much German grammar your German friend knew before he came here. If he was educated in Germany before WWII, I would suspect he knew quite a bit. When you know the grammar of one langauge, it’s a lot easier to learn the grammar of a foreign language.

I completely agree with you that kids need to learn applied use of language, by which I’m guessing you mean how to write an essay and how to speak properly. My problem is this: a lot of the kids I teach know so little grammar that I can’t even begin to talk to them about what they need to change. When I have kids write essays (we call that writing across the curriculum), some of them have such trouble with the mechanics of their language they can’t even begin to express themselves.

One more thing. I’ve never taught reading, but I suspect it’s a lot more difficult in some cases than teaching mathematics. One of the huge influences on children is what they’ve heard at home before they even come to kindergarten. Both my wife and I have college degrees. We speak like educated people even when we’re just discussing what we want to eat for lunch. A kid from a background like ours has at least twice the vocabulary that a kid from a lower socioeconomic family has. Math’s different. In math kids start out on a more even footing.

Anyway, fabulous comment!

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