Advice For Parents

Mathematics is a difficult subject for many students. John Louis Von Neumann has said "If people do not believe that mathematics is simple, it is only because they do not realize how complicated life is". Children struggle with math because they don't enjoy it or they don't see how it is relevant to their future.

I think we are creating negative attitudes towards math at an early stage. Through monitoring brains of infants, researchers confirmed  that infants as early as 6- months in age can detect mathematical errors. Read the story here. I have seen many people who proudly say "I hate math". When hearing this, young children also think it is some thing great if they do bad in math. So unknowingly they begin to hate math. So, don't tell your child "math is hard" because they will believe you. Instead of that inspire confidence in them.

As a parent, you should encourage your child to spend time learning mathematics and pointing out how you use math in your everyday life - at home or at work. Even though math is difficult and requires a good deal of study time, parents should maintain a high level of expectations for their children to ensure success. Studies have shown that children perform better in subjects that interest them.

Encourage your child to be creative when solving problems. There is always more than one way to skin a cat and math isn't that different. Let your child explore alternative viewpoints - the teacher's way is not the only way.