Helping Children Succeed

I'm reading Math Coach, A Parent's Guide to Helping Children Succeed in Math, by Wayne A. Wickelgren, Ph.D.

This is a wonderful book, directed at parents, on how to help children who need more instruction, who need to get caught up, or who need to be challenged.

He says it's not too late, even if they are in 5th or 6th, to catch them up by helping them at home in time for Algebra in 8th grade.

Here are some quotes that are especially appropriate for our intermediate grades:

"Most children can learn math much faster than the school system prescribes. That means that even if your child is currently behind, there is plenty of wiggle room for catching up, especially if you start early. Math education proceeds slowly in school before eighth or ninth grade, so those are the ideal years to improve your child's mastery of math or speed him or her ahead through the curriculum (though starting later is okay too)."

" . . .{by taking prescribed steps}, your efforts will change your child forever. Investing time in your child's education -- whether it's tutoring, consulting with educators, or helping your child set goals -- will show your child that you think education is important. Even when your child complains about doing extra schoolwork, rest assured that he or she is lerning, however, unconsciously, to value learning. It is a value your child will carry throughout life and, in all likelihood, into the next generation."

". . . even if your child is behind in math now, you can get him or her back on track with only moderate effort. If your child is not behind, you can propel him or her substantially ahead in math."

"It is the math prior to algebra that is taught especially slowly in the U.S. Thus, the pre-algebra years are the ones in which you can most easily speed your child ahead, or help him or her catch up in math, giving the child a chance to learn as much math as possible."

Wickelgren has some fascinating studies that show how soon children can grasp concepts of adding and subtracting from a group. And there is great information here on when children can begin sounding out words, although that is a different subject.

He discusses age-related limits to math learning (I was surprised to find that there are very few.) and biological barriers which are connected to processing math, and (one that I've always heard thrown out here) maturational limits.

Here's a great quote from Wickelgren, related to that last statement:

"Of course your child may have temporary trouble understanding certain math concepts, but the reason for that is unlikely to be a maturation issue. It could be lack of verbal skills."

". . . it is the verbal encoding of addition and subtraction that is often lacking in young children and not the nonverbal understanding of these concepts."

Did you get that?

"NOT THE NONVERBAL UNDERSTANDING OF THESE CONCEPTS."

Children can understand math if we find another way of showing students what the digits and symbols actually mean.

I'm loving this book!!