I can’t do that …. YET
Change ‘I can’t do that’ to ‘I can’t do that …… YET’
When I introduce myself as a maths teacher I always receive one of two reactions, either people glaze over and change the subject or they spend the next half hour asking me for advice on how best to support their child with their classroom mathematics.
I have always loved maths and have taught children from primary all the way through to tertiary (A levels) as well as now working in teacher training and writing maths textbooks. There is a common theme that arises repeatedly and that is that pupils struggle with self confidence in mathematics. The reason for this is that there are few other areas of life in which you can be right or wrong.
So, with this in mind here are 7 key pieces of advice to follow as you navigate your way through your child’s mathematical education:
1) BE POSITIVE – try to avoid showing disinterest or suggesting it is ‘ok’ to not be good at maths. Saying the words ‘well I’m not very good a maths’ indirectly gives your child permission to do the same.
2) DON’T PANIC IF IT LOOKS UNFAMILIAR – although the systems used have changed the principles are still the same, encourage your child to show you how they work out the answer and if you don’t understand their method, look online. (There is a wealth of reliable sources of information about the new methods used, just choose a website you trust). Show your child your method, it may be they prefer it, or not. There is never only one way to solve a problem and by discussing the different methods available your child will develop their numerical manipulation skills.
3) HAVE A GO! – lead the way with your child by ‘having a go’. Only by making mistakes do we learn and if we never try anything new life will be awfully dull!. Encourage your child to try and try again, reward the mistakes as often as you reward the successes.
4) THE END DOESN’T JUSTIFY THE MEANS – your child is on a lifelong learning journey. Although they must sit GCSEs at 16, until then any tests should not be viewed as a final outcome – instead they are a snapshot of how your child is performing at that moment in time. Try not to become fixated on SATs results!
5) DON’T COMPARE your child with others, remember every child grows both physically and mentally at different rates, compare your child instead with their performance last week/month/year. The aim should be for each child to develop at their own speed. To be the best they can be.
6) MAKE LINKS – mathematics is not a linear subject but instead a web of ideas and systems that link together. Encourage your child to make links between what they are learning now and what they have learnt in the past and to apply their skills to real life situations.
7) HAVE FUN AND PLAY – it is easy and can be fun (honestly!) to embed some mathematical learning into your daily routine. With just a little creativity, board and card games can have a mathematical slant and you’ll be practising your maths skills before you know it! You can easily challenge your child to solve problems involving time and money every time you shop or travel anywhere.
Finally remember the ‘growth mind-set’ principal of ‘I can’t do that YET’.