Three particular insights stood out as Education Director of our Math learning centers. Our centers serve 2nd to 8th grades, and we are located in Newton, Needham, Wellesley, Brookline and Cambridge. I mention the locations because these communities have a very high education level and discretionary resources available to them compared to the rest of the nation so my insights may not be true in other regions.
Here are the three key insights I made over the fifteen years of assessing incoming students and working with them on their math skills.
Reading skills are much more advanced than Math Skills: Our centers’ community of highly educated parents have consistent reading practices at home, but not as much around number sense. Many young children are reading beyond their grade and are unlikely to show the discomfort or anxiety with reading that we see with math.
Weak Number Sense: Children often struggle to connect mathematical concepts in flexible ways. Many children view math as dry, procedural, algorithmic, and don’t experience the fun and joy of using numbers to make sense of situations around us. Kids with strong number sense have more fun with math and employ problem-solving strategies more flexibly and creatively.
Widening Gaps Over Time: While reading skills typically converge among peers as they progress in school, math gaps tend to widen. Example, the range of math skill level amongst 6th graders is much broader than that of 2nd graders. 9th grade math levels range from Algebra to Precalculus. Without early intervention and support in developing number sense, children may find it increasingly challenging to catch up as they advance through their education.
What to do?
Number Sense starts early. Developing number sense in young children is similar to developing reading skills.
Everyday, everywhere. Just like you have books all over your house, bring up number sense conversations throughout the day.
“Can I have 3 eggs to make the cake?”
“What shapes do you see ?”
“Do you see more girls or boys?”
“How many sisters do you have?”
“Can you show me 5 fingers? How about 6?”
“Which plate has more cookies?”
Just-right interactions. You don’t read Harry Potter to a 4 year-old. You read just-right books. Same for math. Know your child’s math developmental level and where she’s at. The right book engages a child, but the wrong-level book bores a child, or loses his attention.
Hands-on manipulatives. Picture books are the analogy to hands-on math manipulatives. Young children think visually, in terms of pictures. Number sense is best caught, not taught.
Have fun. You have fun reading. Keep your math talks casual, stress-free. Your math questions are micro assessments of what your child is ready for. Your questions help you know your child and ask better questions he’s ready for. Don’t set targets. Keep math a fun, everyday exchange of experiencing the world around us.
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