'When Math Sucks' - 'Why and How Kids Learn and 'Our Failing Education System...'
By Brian Vass
Funky Math Founder and Author of 'When Math Sucks...'
How do I know your child without meeting them?
First, I am a father. I have children, and I think the characteristics of my children going through their teen years reflected at least some of the characteristics of yours. I certainly am far from believing every child is the same, but finding the similarities is a good practice as well.
Second, I have taught kids for over twenty-five years. Even though many of them were failing math when I first encountered them, I saw how smart they were. This led me to question how they learned, and why the school system's way of teaching didn't reach them.
I became passionate about this because I believe in the genius of every child. I began developing systems to teach kids differently, systems I now use in my tutoring company to unlock the mysteries of learning math, and that I now teach other teachers how to apply.
I think it is a shame that a child goes to school today and doesn't perform academically, when there is the potential to do so. There are always excuses--ADD, ADHD, Gifted, Behavior Problem, Learning Disabled--but I feel if your child is failing math there is only one reason: the system has failed!
I know kids are more than capable of passing math. Why do I believe this? I know it because
The curriculum is made so that
Your child CAN SUCCEED.
Often this is quite a revelation to parents. Still, do you think the math curriculum is created so that the child can't succeed? Of course not, but that brings us to ask,
WHY isn't your child
getting a GOOD GRADE in math?
It certainly isn't that the math is too difficult.
It might be because it's too boring! There are a lot of teachers who know the importance of engaging students beyond skills and processes and exercises on the board, but there are a lot that don’t.
When a kid says, "I don't like math," they might be really saying, "It's too boring!" Or again fully interpreted, “It’s organized in a way I don’t understand.” We need to hear this.
We need to LISTEN to our children.
When a student comes into my math-tutoring program, they are often very discouraged. It is very discouraging to belong to a social system (the school) that has evaluated your performance as inadequate. Beyond that, it can be demoralizing to discover you need a tutor. (Kids really understand their self-efficacy –
Kids KNOW they can do math!
A tutor’s job should be merely to remind them of their self-efficacy, and to bring out their strengths and capabilities of performance worthy of their individual talents...
The above is part of the first chapter of 'When Math Sucks...', an education transforming book about life changing learning strategies for parents, students and teachers.
When Math Sucks...
by Brian Vass
buy it today