Maths Curse: Time to Break the Spell
Has your child fallen behind in maths? If they have – you’re not alone. A lot of children struggle with maths. It is worrying how many 7-year olds already have a feeling that they are “rubbish” at maths, do not like maths and are even afraid of it. And these are witty, creative and eager kids with inner abilities for mathematics. I remember a bright little girl who panicked every time she saw numbers. Her school was pushing her too hard, while the child needed a more gentle, gradual approach to learning.
The boys put maths and magic together to set up their own business project called PENNIFOLD AND PRINCE CO. If you want to know how it works go to www.mums-dads.co.uk/learning-maths-together.
Let’s see what’s going on. The primary maths curriculum is very broad and school resources are scarce so even the best schools cannot adopt an individual approach to fill in the gaps in each child’s understanding. At the same time, children are required to perform well. They are put under pressure by perpetual testing. All this creates maths-stressed children, who grow up with a negative attitude towards mathematics.
Another problem in my view is an absence of provisions for maths diagnostics. To be able to help a child without causing any further stress, it is important to have a clear idea of why they are struggling and what to do next. Most likely, the problem lies in their misunderstanding of some basic concepts. To continue pushing a child through the curriculum, without addressing gaps in conceptual understanding first, is to leave them alone in a “scary black box” called “maths”.
It appears that suffering and struggling with maths is a curse, affecting many children and passing from generation to generation. I often hear parents comforting children by saying “I also used to be bad at maths”, or even a teacher admitting “I couldn’t understand maths until I went to University”. Isn’t it time to break the spell? Believe in your child! All we need to do is to change to conceptual and more personalised teaching!
