Taking the Misery Out of Math
Whether your child is mathematically talented of just average, the more comfortable she feels with mathematical concept and computers, the less likely she is to develop anxiety around those subjects. Here are some tips gleaned from the experts to help your child sharpen her abilities and gain self-confidence.
Be sensitive to your own attitude toward mathematics and computers. Even if you had bad experiences with math in school or are afraid of computers, you can encourage your daughter to succeed where you failed. Introduce her to other women who use math or computers in their work so she will see that these are not necessarily masculine discipline. If possible, enroll in an adult math or computer class to increase your knowledge.
Make sure to buy your daughter puzzles, blocks and construction toys because there will develop spatial visualization skills that are so important in higher mathematics. Encourage your daughter to explore her environment and learn how things work. In the toy store, spend time selecting toys that encourage children to develop curio9usity about the way things come apart and are put together.
Spend as much time on the development of your child’s mathematics skills as you do on her reading skills. Engage in sorting games with a very young child so she will understand similarities, differences, and the concept of grouping. You can also play card games with a young child. Involve order children in mental arithmetic games. Make mathematics fun by asking them questions like how many hamburgers they eat a week, a month, or a year, or how many times a day their heart beats. Illustrate the importance of mathematics in daily life by asking them to figure out your change in the store or calculate the tip in a restaurant.
Have the same academic expectations for your daughter as for your son. Realize that in an era of divorce and unstable economics, your daughter must be well prepared for a career, if you are planning to buy a computer, realize it should be for your daughter as well as your son. If you already have a home computer, examine your software. You may want to purchase some programs more appealing to your daughter.
Be sensitive to the sexual equity issues in your child’s school. Are the teachers as encouraging to girls as to boys about mathematics and computers? Are they acknowledged, or does the teacher spend most of her energy on the boys? Do girls utilize the computer room in their free time or do the boys dominate? Are girls strongly represented in your school district’s advanced math courses? Work through your principal, your local parent-teacher organization, and your community to examine these issues and effect change.