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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 even if it isn’t going to be graded by a teacher. Students can learn this lesson the easy way in high school or the hard way in college when teachers may never grade homework. Think of how pyramids are built—a large stable base supports an increasingly narrower 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, but they still are relied upon heavily. “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? Math is not a subject that can be brushed aside until test time. It is important to do homework every day, even if it isn’t going to be graded. This is important for a college-bound student who will, more than ever, be working on her own without much outside pressure to complete daily work. It’s hard for her to earn an A on a final if she didn’t start studying for it until the night before. Save Time Reviewing Math classes often are full of formulas and rules that need to be memorized. It is a good idea to keep a running list. Some students may prefer to make this list right before the test as a way to study, but by then it often is too late to ask questions about an overlooked concept. It is a good habit to double-check this list with the teacher to ensure that important concepts aren’t left out. There should never be any secrets about what is covered on a quiz or test. Encourage Participation in the Classroom It always is important to ask questions. In math class, a student 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. As with any subject, remind your child that every question is worth asking. Encourage your child to use this as an opportunity to build confidence if class participation is a problem. Students who ask questions prove their dedication to their teachers. This is important if your child needs recommendation letters in the college admissions process. “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.” The Textbook is Your Friend Reading ahead can help to identify skills that will be needed in the future. Surprises aren’t necessarily welcome in math. It is difficult to learn Coordinate geometry if Euclidean geometry is forgotten. Study, Study, Study Lack of a daily homework assignment is no excuse for not studying. Especially if college is in the cards, start encouraging your teen as soon as possible to do practice problems and concept review on his own. Classes are taught in a generalized manner to an audience with varying levels of expertise. Tackle exercises that cause problems and check answers with those in the back of the book. If the answer is wrong, rework the problem. Just thinking about what went wrong won’t prevent the same mistake from being made the next time. Perseverance 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. Tell your teen to visualize a real-life situation in which he would encounter a similar problem. With math, there are often different ways to reach the same conclusion. Provide Support When high school math rolls around, it’s often hard for you to know how to help your child. That doesn’t mean there isn’t anything you can do. Have him try to explain his confusion. Verbalizing the thought process might allow him to recognize his mistakes. If this doesn’t cause the light bulb to go on, have him look back over his text’s description of the problem type. Study Groups Give your child an opportunity to invite classmates over for group study. A friend may be able to help your child understand a concept and vice versa. If the whole group is confused about the same thing, they may feel more comfortable approaching their teacher together. Even if your child is ahead of his friends, teaching the concepts will reinforce the ideas in his head. Don’t interfere with the studying, but keep an eye on the group so they use the time productively. By Jamie L. Scheppers High School Worksheet Complete the following without using a calculator to test your knowledge of the concepts involved. 1. (1/3 x 1/4) / (2/3 x 1/2) = 2. If 3m = 81, then m3 = 3. Which is larger: (√7 – 2)(√7 + 2) or (2 – √7)(- √7 – 2)? 4. If d = (c – b) / (a – b), then b = 5. An isosceles triangle has a base of 12 inches. If the perimeter is 32 inches, what is the area of the triangle? 6. A ball has a diameter of 6 inches. What is its volume? 7. If $12,000 is invested at 6 percent simple annual interest, how much interest is earned after 9 months? Answers 1. ¼ Dividing by fractions is the same as multiplying by the reciprocal. 2. 64 Divide and conquer by solving for m in the first equation and then plugging into the second. There is only one variable so this is not a set of simultaneous equations. 3. Trick question! They are equal. There is no need to solve for the actual values. To see this rearrange the binomial sets so that the √7s are all in the front. Here are the two binomial sets rearranged to show how they are equal.
This should remind you of the difference of two squares. (a+b)(a-b) = a2-b2. Also, you do not need to solve for the √7 since (√7)2=7. 4. (c – ad) / (1 – d) First clear the denominator by multiplying both sides by (a – b). Then distribute to remove the parenthesis and collect all bs on one side of the equation and then factor them out. Isolate b on one side by dividing both sides by (1 – d). 5. 48 inches If the perimeter is 32 inches, then the length of the sides is 10 inches. It is easy to find the height by recognizing that the larger triangle is made up of two equal right triangles. Draw a picture to help visualize. These smaller triangles happen to be 3-4-5 triangles making the height 8 inches. Because the area of a triangle is ½ base x height, the area of this triangle is ½ (12 inches) (8 inches) or 48 inches. 6. 36π The volume of a sphere is (4/3) π r3. The radius is half the diameter, in this case 3. Plug into the formula to find the answer. 7. $540 Remember, interest = (principal) (interest rate) (time). In this formula, the interest rate should be expressed as a decimal and the time is in years. For this problem, $12,000 is the principal, 0.06 is the interest rate and 9/12 is the amount of time in terms of years. |
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