What Your Student May Be Missing

Some curriculums emphasize a process oriented approach through practiced repetition while others aim to give students an experiential approach to learning through a self-discovery of math's underpinnings. Both methods can leave students lacking the skills to effectively use math. If your student finds themselves feeling like a machine cranking out problem after similar problem make sure they are doing more real-life application exercises followed by doing some writing on why a given process yields a given result. On the other hand, if your child has a general sense of the magnitude of numbers, spatial relationships, and the connection between similar figures make sure they know their multiplication tables, can add/subtract/multiply/divide fractions, as well as graph lines, etc. In conclusion, you want to aim for a balanced approach: an overall understanding of why math works the way it does as well as having the process-oriented skills to execute and solve those math problems.