gone on, take a bite…..
Few subjects are more polarizing than math and many kids struggle with math . The world seems to be divided into those who get it and those who don’t. And if you ask kids why they are not good at math, the answer invariably is that they “just don’t like it”.
After doing some research on the internet, my conclusion is that this is less a matter of personal aptitude or enthusiasm, and more a matter of the learning environment.
The key reasons appear to be:
Missing important key concepts
Unlike most other subjects, math builds up from concepts from the ground up. If those concepts are not understood clearly, math will become increasingly difficult to understand. (For example, the multiplying of 2 negative numbers gives a positive number)
The good news is that most concepts are relatively simple to understand, especially with the right teacher.
So, the aim here is to try to identify which are the areas in our understanding where we struggle with math . There is help on the internet, but it might be best to work with a tutor to identify gaps in your understanding.
Math has a language, and you have to learn it
Just like understanding basic concepts, there is a special vocabulary associated with math, and you need to be at least halfway comfortable with the language. Words like denominator, sum, remainder, multiple etc. So it is worthwhile identifying the words you are not comfortable with and asking for help to have them explained.
Bad teachers (or parents) can do a lot of damage
Bad teaching in math seems to hurt the student in 2 ways. The fundamental concepts may not be explained well. But the bigger damage they do is in terms of confidence and the student may feel lost and unable to catch up.
Lack of confidence in math is a killer. Failure then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
So, if you are falling behind or struggle with math , find someone who can help you and can explain the math properly. But there are also a lot of good videos out on the internet and they can be really helpful.
And please avoid parents if possible. They are rarely good math tutors, no matter how good they think they are.
Practice
Once you have found someone who can help you, there is no way around doing some practice. Where possible, find real life examples to make it less abstract.
And don’t forget to keep some simple examples and notes so you don’t forget the trips and tricks.
I also researched some sites which might help you. See my article on free websites for math
Before you know it, you wont struggle with math. Good luck
Further study
http://student-tutor.com/blog/the-reason-your-student-is-struggling-in-math/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/victoria-yore/3-reasons-kids-struggle-w_b_10970172.html
https://www.education.com/reference/article/why-students-struggle-mathematics/
