Math Made Easier:
Why some Students have a fear of Math
NUMERO
I have added some extra notes on Maths to the Study Guide, and how to induce self-hypnosis and then use it to improve recording and recalling of memories.
Having problems with Math? Then try Numero!
The Study Guide (page 3) explains why some students have problems with numbers, and some of the things they can do to address those problems. Mathematics Made Easier suggests ways in which math performance can be improved, and added to your 'Memory-Skills'. Numero can help.
Numero was invented by Frank Drysdale O.A.M., in Western Australia, for his grandchildren – but it has proved so successful that its use has spread worldwide.
Here is what some experts say: Emeritus Professor Dr John de Laeter O.A. of Curtin University ‘NUMERO is not only fun to play for people of all ages, but it gives confidence in using the basic number skills in real-life situations… even 6-year olds can enjoy the game, but at its advanced level up to secondary level, and beyond’.
Paul Swan, Head of Education, ECU Bunbury, ‘Who would have thought that a simple card game could have had such an impact on mathematics, from primary school right onto secondary school and beyond’.
Andrew Newhouse, committee member, Mathematical Association of WA, ‘Numero is a strategy game and so is ideal for developing lateral thinking skills, and achieving confidence and self-motivation in their approach to learning’.
Numero is used extensively by older people, singly or in groups, to exercise their minds and brains – it helps to ward off the effects of aging. Income from the sale of Numero goes to the WA Alzheimer’s Association. For details about purchasing, use email numero@alzheimers.asn.au or the Internet http://www.fdc.com.au/numero
Su-do-ku is another brain teaser which helps with the use of numbers - I suspect it evolved from the old art of Magic Squares, which goes back thousands of years.
Scroll to the bottom of this page for the index and link to all the other pages in this web.
Storytelling and Mathematical Ability Linked
University of Waterloo scientist Daniela O'Neill has discovered that building strong storytelling skills in preschool years may be helpful in preparing children for learning mathematics when they enter school. As she says, 'Providing children with experience in storytelling may later enhance their ability to tackle problems in the mathematical arena. This is a nice finding because storytelling is something every parent can easily do and foster with their children without buying fancy toys and materials. Research is continuing to try and explain the overlapping abilities and skills'.
Professor helps students overcome Math Anxiety
Professor Richard Manning Smith (Bryant University, Rhode Island) says, 'Ultimately Math anxiety comes from lack of success in class... anyone can succeed at math if they can avoid the mental blocks that develop with math anxiety . (see Study Guide for how to deal with mental blocks). One of the problems kids have with math is that they are scared by the symbolic and cumulative nature of it. You can understand 16th century history without knowing about the 15rh century, but in math if you struggle with decimals, then you'll struggle with percents, if you struggle with percents, you'll struggle with algebra - and other maths subjects'. Always aim for 100% when taking a test. People who go into a test "knowing it cold" don't have mental blocks. Kids get mental blocks by walking into a test with insecurity. If they think they will get an 85 on a test, they are already admitting they don't know 15% of the material. This will make them foul up more because of nervousness. Don't let yourself fall behind in class. If you are trying and just don't get it, seek help from a teacher, a parent, or a friend. Don't let it reach a point where you are behind in understanding the material.' [This, and other related things, are clearly explained, and the cure provided, in pages 21 to 24 of the Study Guide]
SINGAPORE MATH
If your student is having problems with maths maybe it's in the teaching. The following is a report by Whitney Kvasager in the Herald News, New Jersey 6 Nov 2004. Many American schools have adopted the Singapore practice with dramatic results: Previously Singapore students ranked 1st and American students 19th in math trials. It is really just a commonsense approach to teaching with the student in mind.
'Singapore Math's success hinges on long term planning. Before teaching students a lesson, a teacher first presents to a group of other teachers, who critique the presentation and brainstorm what questions the students may ask and what troubles they could have with the material. The teacher then revamps the lesson and presents it again. Depending on how many times the teacher repeats the process, perfecting the lesson can take up to 12 weeks.'
'MATHS ANXIETY' HINDERS SIMPLE SUMS
Dr Sheila Ford of the University of Staffordshire, says 'There is a theory that maths anxiety is a form of anxiety in its own right which has an effect on performance... It doesn't just apply to people who are poor at maths. We think it interferes with working memory, the memory you need to do calculations. Anxious thoughts compete for memory resources (and create memory blocks).' Tricks to overcome the problem use up even more memory resources. ( presented to the British Psychological Society annual conference, University of Manchester - end May 2005) I suggest the relaxation and confidence building techniques in the Study Guide would be a great help at overcoming the problem.
The Mayo Clinic reported in October 2005 that up to 14% of students suffer from what they call Math Learning Difficulty. Special teaching strategies are required. The University of Missouri-Columbia has been developing successful strategies - the students choose the method by which the math is presented and which relates to their way of thinking.
UK School Inspectors have been critical of the teaching of maths. They have accused teachers of teaching students to pass the test or exam, but failing to pass on a basic understanding of the subject - how to obtain answers, but not what those answers meant. (18 May 2006) (See my comments on page 8) )
I have added an addition to the Study Guide which offers suggestions to students who are having problems with maths. For example, how to use self-hypnosis to improve recall.
In a report 18.10.2006, The Brookings Institute, a Washington Think Tank, pointed out that successful Japanese maths teachers tied maths lessons to real-life scenarios, whereas the majority of American teachers related maths to the student's lives as the teaching tool. Japanese scores are considerably higher than the USA.
Maths is everywhere you look - the shapes of clouds and trees, tiling patterns, the knots in your shoelaces, music, But we only recognize the maths we are taught in the classroom. Maths becomes much more fun when we see it in everything around us. Pythagoras, the famous Greek mathematician, believed maths governed the creation of the universe - perhaps he was right. Check on this website http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20061108/Feature1.asp
Understanding Maths Day by Day In the Study Guide I point out that we start our life using words to make ourselves understood, but have not use much for numbers and calculation, so it is never practiced and reinforced in memory, which, for many, leads to problems later in school. Linda Kent, Associate Professor of Mathematics Education, at the University of Arkansas, suggests a solution to this problem. She advises parents to start talking to their children about counting, even simple addition and subtraction, before they enter kindergarten. Then teachers have a basis on which to build and extend their knowledge. Get them used to working with money, and simple calculations. Ask them how they got the answer. There opportunities for parents are unlimited, if they just use their imagination to turn many every day tasks into number exercises.
Updated May 2008
More games to stimulate the mind and memory:
http://www.highindex.com/Games/Card_Games/Special_Decks/Authors/
How to Learn Faster, and Remember More. Energy, Pattern, and Resonance are the Keys to Memory, and Accelerated Learning. The Accelerated Learning Study Guide. Find out about the author of this program of Accelerated Learning. Order your copy of the Guide to Accelerated Learning. Should you listen to music while you study?
Page Seven: The sleep you get each night is important for your brain development, and memory – see what medical experts have to say.
Page Eight: Making use of the knowledge you memorize is part of the learning and understanding process. See what the Nobel Prize winning Physicist, Professor Richard Feynman, has to say about his experience.
Page Nine: Some students have trouble working with numbers, which are the basis of mathematics. The numbers game, NUMERO, has proved a winner worldwide in helping people think faster with numbers.
Page Ten: Want a photographic memory?. This page explains how you can improve yours.
Page Eleven: A Memory Pill? Food for Thought - dietary supplements that can boost brain power and memory.
Page Twelve: READING - Fluent reading is essential for Accelerated Learning Education - Poor Reading explained with exercises to overcome the Problem.
Page Thirteen: STRESS - Its affect on Memory: How stress helps or hinders mmory and examinations.
Page Fourteen: JOB SEARCH - CAREER PLANNING - What to consider when planning a career and its future prospects.
A Look inside the Study Guide:
Pages – 15 to 20 – are six ‘windows’ into the Study Guide, how and why it works.
Page Fifteen: Window One: Memory driven by Energy & Resonance
Page Sixteen: Window Two: Brain, Mind & Memory – a ‘Learning Machine’
: Window Three: Mind Maps & Memory Patterns
Twenty One: News Archive
Page Twenty Two: Training within Industry – Workplace Training – Vocational Training
Page Twenty Three: Truth & Memory - treat everything you see and hear with a healthy scepticism.
Page Twenty Four: Drugs & Memory - Prescription & recreational drugs.
Page Twenty Five: Violence: A growing problem in schools. Violence is Learned Behaviour. Video games and TV can teach violence.
Page Twenty Six: The Evolution of Scientific Thought:
Page Twenty Seven: An e-book on Understanding & Managing Stress
Links Page: Shared links between websites that have common goals and