Math Woes

“The essence of mathematics is not to make simple things complicated, but to make complicated things simple.”

~ by  S. Gudder

Do any of these phrases sound familiar?

“The math I am learning in school is never going to be used in real life.”
“I hate math.”
“Math is too hard.”
“I do not have any math homework (translation: I don’t understand it)”

As a parent and educator, I have heard these phrases and more whenever the topic of math is mentioned. A firm grasp of mathematical concepts, though necessary, can be scary at any age. Here are a few suggestions and published resources that can help you get started.

Below are three ways to make math hands on, practical, and fun and by eating math.

• Use snack time to teach your student about sharing (fractions)
• Have your student help you make a meal using a recipe (fractions)
• Take your student grocery shopping, (with a list and set dollar amount) and have them keep track of how much is being spent (adding and subtracting money and budgeting).

I cannot promise that your students will love math, but together we can help take some of the sting out of learning math.