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'Ask the Learning Advisor'
Fifth-grader hates math
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[APRIL 28, 2005]
Q:
My fifth-grader hates math. He rushes through his homework. He makes
careless mistakes. He hates having to do all the steps necessary to
arrive at an answer. He wants to finish quickly and has little
patience when it comes to working out a problem. How can I help my
child become more interested in math?
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A: By fifth grade, math gets more challenging. It's also when
some students who may have tolerated math before decide they hate
the subject. But it's a critical year. If your son doesn't master
basic math skills now, he'll fall further and further behind. So
it's important that you help him see why math is important and also
help him realize that he can do it! Sometimes, kids turn off from
math because they can't see how they'll ever use it. Your job as a
parent is to help your son see that math is all around us. Did he
glance at the clock to see how many minutes remain before his
favorite TV program? That's math. Did he calculate how much he'll
have to save from his allowance so he can buy a favorite video game?
Math again.
He may try to convince you that calculators and computers make
math outdated. Quite the opposite. Assure him that these tools are
only as accurate as the people operating them. It's still important
to have strong math skills so we know what to do with the numbers.
And we need to be able to tell if the answers are correct.
Help your son see how math relates to the things he enjoys. Does
he like sports? Suggest that he keep statistics on a favorite
player. Does he like to be the first one to figure things out? Get
him a book of logic puzzles.
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Help him see how you use math in daily life. Put him in charge of
figuring out how many miles your car travels on a gallon of gas. Let
him do the research on something he wants the family to buy: How
much would you save if you bought it on sale?
Speak with his math teacher. Ask how your son is doing in class.
Does he pay attention when the teacher explains the steps for
solving a problem? Is he distracted by other students? Is he
frustrated because he doesn't have the basic skills needed? Once you
have an idea of the problem, you can all start to try to come up
with solutions.
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For more information about helping
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Advisor, go to
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a prompt answer by e-mail.
© Copyright 2005, The Parent
Institute.
"Ask the Learning Advisor -- Ideas for Raising Successful
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