Math. Many of us dread it, whether we’re children or adults. We’ve told ourselves that we’re “no good at it”, when in reality that’s just not true. We can all learn math, and nobody – child or adult – need be afraid of it. Some common reasons why we stumble with mathematics are…
– Missing the Basics
There are essential basics to mathematics that we’ve either forgotten or never learned. We can overcome this by reviewing textbooks from the previous year, or if a child is struggling, by asking a teacher for additional help.
– Low Confidence
If we tell ourselves we can’t do it, then of course we’ll never be able to! If anyone, adult or child, continues to beat up on themselves over their ability in math, this self-defeating attitude will manifest into reality. They won’t be any good at math because they truly believe they aren’t. They instead need to tell themselves, “I can become good at math, through practice and study.”
– “It’s boring.” “It’s too complicated.” “It takes too much time.”
A lack of interest is a large obstacle, but not one that cannot be overcome. Teaching a child how math can be used in the “real world” is the first step to defeating these attitudes. Math is essential these days to obtaining a good job. Ask the child what they would like to be when they grow up. A doctor? They will absolutely need math for those med school classes. A lawyer? College will be much easier if they aren’t struggling through those algebra courses. Math is also logic-based, and lawyers are all about logic. Do they want to work with computers? Any job relating to computers requires math. Learning where math can take them will help to instill a passion in a child.
