STRATEGIES & SHORTCUTS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS Research shows that math is one of the hardest subjects to learn and retain, so it is important to exercise good study habits and remember that math is best learned by doing. This means doing homework or studying even if it isn’t going to be graded by a teacher. Think of how pyramids are built—a large, stable base supports an increasingly narrow structure. This is how math works. Skills learned as a child never are forgotten or tossed aside. They may not be thought of in the same visual way with apples for arithmetic and pizzas for fractions, but they still are relied upon heavily. The order of operations is a good example of one such skill that is necessary throughout life. “Math is one of those subjects where each lesson is built upon the lesson before,” says Richard E. Bavaria, Ph.D., vice president of education for Sylvan Learning Center. “It is important for children whether, they are in grade school, middle school or high school, to stay engaged in their math lessons every single day.” Here are a few strategies and shortcuts to help your child get ahead in the math classroom. Keep Up With the Pace How can students learn new concepts if they don’t master the ones that precede the new material? Not very easily, that’s for sure! Math is not a subject that can be brushed aside until test time. Constantly ask how he is doing on his math homework assignments. If he doesn’t ask questions while studying, ask why. Is he too shy or embarrassed to ask for help? Are the problems too easy? In the latter case, encourage him to work ahead. Write Things Down Middle school means algebra, and algebra means multiple-step problems. No child enjoys getting the wrong answer when he thought he did everything right. Often it’s something as simple as a negative sign accidentally overlooked. If your child writes down every step of a problem, it is easier to see where he made his mistake by going back over the process. This saves time and allows your child to recognize whether the error was due to carelessness or a more serious lack of understanding. Make a Table or Chart Problems that involve pattern recognition, rates of growth or predictions can be simplified by entering the information into a table. Often there are formulas that allow your child to arrive at the correct answer in less time, but he should learn the formula and understand how it works. Draw a Picture This is a good strategy for logic and geometry problems, especially those with multiple steps. Stick people or simple Xs work for people and objects. It is not necessary to make this a work of art worthy of the refrigerator door. “Drawing a picture or making a table or chart helps to further reinforce a concept,” Dr. Bavaria says. “It is another way of visualizing the material in a narrative way.” Encourage Participation in the Classroom It always is important to ask questions. In math class, a child could miss out on skills that will make next year’s math or science classes easier. “When children talk about something they are learning, they are giving themselves another opportunity to cement the concept in their mind,” Dr. Bavaria says. This is an opportunity to build confidence. Chances are that other students will be thankful that someone finally spoke up and asked the question everyone else was thinking about. Asking questions shows teachers that a student is taking control of his success. “By actively participating in class, a child’s skills or lack of skills become more evident to the teacher,” Dr. Bavaria says. “Teachers are trained to listen and make an assessment based on what children have to say.” Perseverance Never let your child give up. If the correct answer escapes your child’s grasp, try an easier problem of the same type before coming back to the difficult one. Don’t be afraid to break the problem into smaller parts, and if that doesn’t help, re-write the problem or try to think of it in a different context. Visualize a real-life situation where your child would encounter a similar problem. The important thing is to find something that works for your child. With math, there are often different ways to reach the same conclusion. Encourage your child to share these alternate methods with his teacher. The ideas may be able to help others in the class. By Jamie L. Scheppers Junior High Worksheet 1. 9-2 x (5-3)2 + 6 / 3 = 2. 45 is what percent of 9? 3. The price of a dress is discounted from $125 to $100. What is the percent decrease? 4. If Susan got scores of 85, 86 and 90 on three tests, what is her average score? 5. The ratio of apples to oranges is 3 to 4. If there are 135 apples, how many oranges are there? 6. What is the probability of throwing an odd number on a fair 6-sided die? 7. (3x2 + 5x) (x – 1) = Answers 1. 3 Use PEMDAS: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction, or Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. Completing the problem in this order will give you the correct answer. 2. 500% Plug the known values into the following equation Part = percent x whole. In this case, 45 is the part, 9 is the whole and the percent is missing. 3. 20% Percent decrease = (amount of decrease / original whole) x 100% In this problem, the original whole was $125 and the decrease was $25. 4. 87 Average = sum of terms / number of terms 5. 180 Set up a proportion and solve for the unknown by cross multiplication. 3 / 4 = 135 / x 3x = 135 x 4 x = 180 6. ½ or 50% Probability = number of favorable outcomes / number of possible outcomes 7. 3x3 + 2x2 + 5x Use the FOIL method for this problem: First, Outside, Inside, Last. First: 3x2 * x = 3x3 Outside: 3x2 * (-1) = -3x2 Inside: 5x * x = 5x2 Last: 5x * (-1) = 5x The last step is to combine these back together: 3x3 – 3x2 + 5x2 +5x 3x3 + 2x2 + 5x