Daily Tips for Families

Today's Tip for Families

11-05-2021

Share Techniques for Easing Math Struggles

Is your teen struggling with math? The situation may not be as complicated as it seems. Often, one or two changes will be enough to help your teen improve. The key is to take action as soon as possible.

Much of math is like a puzzle. It’s hard to see where the new piece fits until you look at the existing pieces. To help your teen solve math struggles:

Don’t let him lose too many pieces of the puzzle. Even if there’s no math homework due the next day, encourage him to do a few problems for practice. This will reinforce the concepts in his mind.
Encourage your teen to team up with another student who is strong in math. Brainstorm ways he could help this student in exchange for math help.
Remind your teen not to forget the reading. Math is more than numbers. There are hundreds of math terms. Your teen will have a hard time with geometry if he doesn’t know that a "plane" is not necessarily a flying machine. He should spend time reviewing math vocabulary.
Encourage your teen to take careful notes. In math, a couple of words, one wrong number or a misplaced decimal point can make a problem take on a whole new meaning. If your teen isn’t sure about his notes, have him check with his teacher after class.
Teach your teen to look for patterns. Patterns are what math is all about. Often, each problem in a particular set will feature a common element. If your teen learns to find the pattern, he’ll have gone a long way toward solving the problems.

Brought to you by:

Webster County Schools

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