Tag: <span>Math</span>

04 Jun

How Math Software in the Classroom Accelerates and Enriches the Learning Experience

Although the subject matter is practical, many students have trouble grasping mathematical concepts expressed in words without any visual math models to follow. Math software can help improve math skills by allowing them to practice with interactive visual elements that they can associate with complex concepts and numbers.

The best way to understand how software aids the comprehension of math concepts is by looking at how it applies to teaching fractions. Not all students instantly grasp the concept of solving fraction problems when presented in abstract form, for example: ½ + 2/3. Most teachers have difficulty teaching the topic due to the fact that fractions present a major conceptual leap for students. It helps to present them with visual fractions first, which allow them to see whole objects divided into equal parts.

By allowing them to transition from fraction models to solving abstract problems at their own pace, students will find that they have a deeper foundation in the subject, which will help them consolidate more complex concepts like mixed fractions and operations between fractions.

At the same time, visual math models are not the only way that educational software helps in the teaching process. Another way that math software helps is by providing the student with constant feedback. Unlike a teacher who collects dozens of papers and needs time to correct them, educational software spots mistakes instantaneously and does not let misunderstood concepts linger. With immediate and constant feedback, having the software aid the student can greatly speed up the learning process.

In addition, the software goes beyond telling what is right or wrong. Rather than telling the student to “Try again,” effective math software for teaching fractions and other mathematical concepts offers strategic feedback to target specific conceptual and procedural errors. Additionally, as educators would know, it doesn’t help to simply feed the answers to students. Effective educational software is also designed with this in mind, letting students figure out the answers on their own and reinforcing the correct method.

While software can be used as a tool for tutoring, it can also enrich any math curriculum. Math software suitable for classroom instruction should be able to record each student’s performance and allow teachers to make recommendations for advancement or remediation at a glance. This way, teachers can monitor students’ progress and assist them accordingly.

With the boom of interactive media and more and more time being spent on computers, students now also have a chance to learn though the same channels that they use for entertainment and to communicate with their peers. Using software to aid classroom instruction can make a great difference in how students pick up the concepts.



Source by Jack M Patterson

05 May

Free Your Child From Struggling: Use Math Worksheets

I believe in the importance of mathematics in our daily lives and it is critical that we nurture our kids with a proper math education. Mathematics involves pattern and structure; it’s all about logic and calculation. Understanding of these math concepts are also needed in understanding science and technology. Learning math is quite difficult for most kids. As a matter of fact, it causes stress and anxiety to parents. How much stress our kids go through?

Parents and teachers are aware of the importance of math as well as all of the benefits. Taken in the account how important math is, parents will do whatever it takes to help their struggling children to effectively manage math anxiety. By using worksheets, it can play a major role in helping your kids cope with these stressful. This is a good way to show our children that practicing their math skills will help them improve. Here are some of the advantages using math and worksheets.

Practice makes perfect.

Learning math requires repetition that is used to memorize concepts and solutions. Studying with math worksheets can provide them that opportunity; Math worksheets can enhance their math skills by providing them with constant practice. Working with this tool and answering questions on the worksheets increases their ability to focus on the areas they are weaker in. Math worksheets provide your kids’ the opportunity to analytical use problem solving skills developed through the practice tests that these math worksheets simulate.

Pleasant and Attractive

Using current word processing programs and computers allow worksheets to be created using colorful graphics that children will find very enticing. This makes them more comfortable and relaxed the worksheet can look more like a game than a test. Using this colorful format, kids are able to feel eager to learn. The most exciting part is now they are developing online worksheets that have animated graphics. These can be access on a website from anywhere they have computer access which makes it an attractive solution to entertain your child while learning.

Track Record

Another advantage of these math worksheets is that kids and parents will be able to keep them to serve as their references for review. Since worksheets are easy to correct, students will be able to identify the items and areas that they had mistakes so that they will be able to correct those deficiencies. Keeping record is really a good thing; As a parent, you will be able to go back through them and assess their strong and weak areas. Keeping track you will be able to track your child’s progress as empirical evidence.

Free Math Worksheets Online

The internet had endless possibilities to assist your child’s math skills. There are many websites host worksheets built into games that can test them on multiplication, fraction. Moreover, they are organized according to types of worksheets suitable for your child. Math can be challenging and exciting; it is a field wherein it there needs to be diligence and dedication. No matter how we avoid math, it is everywhere. Not all children are blessed with gifted math skills but no matter what how hard math is, there are still ways on how to help our kids to learn. It is essential that you find good resources that will make teaching effective and easier.



Source by Sara Mays

05 Apr

Basic Math Facts – Exponents

Exponents comprise a juicy tidbit of basic-math-facts material. Exponents allow us to raise numbers, variables, and even expressions to powers, thus achieving repeated multiplication. The ever present exponent in all kinds of mathematical problems requires that the student be thoroughly conversant with its features and properties. Here we look at the laws, the knowledge of which, will allow any student to master this topic.

In the expression 3^2, which is read “3 squared,” or “3 to the second power,” 3 is the base and 2 is the power or exponent. The exponent tells us how many times to use the base as a factor. The same applies to variables and variable expressions. In x^3, this mean x*x*x. In (x + 1)^2, this means (x + 1)*(x + 1). Exponents are omnipresent in algebra and indeed all of mathematics, and understanding their properties and how to work with them is extremely important. Mastering exponents requires that the student be familiar with some basic laws and properties.

Product Law

When multiplying expressions involving the same base to different or equal powers, simply write the base to the sum of the powers. For example, (x^3)(x^2) is the same as x^(3 + 2) = x^5. To see why this is so, think of the exponential expression as pearls on a string. In x^3 = x*x*x, you have three x’s (pearls) on the string. In x^2, you have two pearls. Thus in the product you have five pearls, or x^5.

Quotient Law

When dividing expressions involving the same base, you simply subtract the powers. Thus in (x^4)/(x^2) = x^(4-2) = x^2. Why this is so depends on the cancellation property of the real numbers. This property says that when the same number or variable appears in both the numerator and denominator of a fraction, then this term can be canceled. Let us look at a numerical example to make this completely clear. Take (5*4)/4. Since 4 appears in both the top and bottom of this expression, we can kill it—well not kill, we don’t want to get violent, but you know what I mean—to get 5. Now let’s multiply and divide to see if this agrees with our answer: (5*4)/4 = 20/4 = 5. Check. Thus this cancellation property holds. In an expression such as (y^5)/(y^3), this is (y*y*y*y*y)/(y*y*y), if we expand. Since we have 3 y’s in the denominator, we can use those to cancel 3 y’s in the numerator to get y^2. This agrees with y^(5-3) = y^2.

Power of a Power Law

In an expression such as (x^4)^3, we have what is known as a power to a power. The power of a power law states that we simplify by multiplying the powers together. Thus (x^4)^3 = x^(4*3) = x^12. If you think about why this is so, notice that the base in this expression is x^4. The exponent 3 tells us to use this base 3 times. Thus we would obtain (x^4)*(x^4)*(x^4). Now we see this as a product of the same base to the same power and can thus use our first property to get x^(4 + 4+ 4) = x^12.

Distributive Property

This property tells us how to simplify an expression such as (x^3*y^2)^3. To simplify this, we distribute the power 3 outside parentheses inside, multiplying each power to get x^(3*3)*y^(2*3) = x^9*y^6. To understand why this is so, notice that the base in the original expression is x^3*y^2. The 3 outside parentheses tells us to multiply this base by itself 3 times. When you do that and then rearrange the expression using both the associative and commutative properties of multiplication, you can then apply the first property to get the answer.

Zero Exponent Property

Any number or variable—except 0—to the 0 power is always 1. Thus 2^0 = 1; x^0 = 1; (x + 1)^0 = 1. To see why this is so, let us consider the expression (x^3)/(x^3). This is clearly equal to 1, since any number (except 0) or expression over itself yields this result. Using our quotient property, we see this is equal to x^(3 – 3) = x^0. Since both expressions must yield the same result, we get that x^0 = 1.

Negative Exponent Property

When we raise a number or variable to a negative integer, we end up with the reciprocal. That is 3^(-2) = 1/(3^2). To see why this is so, let us consider the expression (3^2)/(3^4). If we expand this, we obtain (3*3)/(3*3*3*3). Using the cancellation property, we end up with 1/(3*3) = 1/(3^2). Using the quotient property we that (3^2)/(3^4) = 3^(2 – 4) = 3^(-2). Since both of these expressions must be equal, we have that 3^(-2) = 1/(3^2).

Understanding these six properties of exponents will give students the solid foundation they need to tackle all kinds of pre-algebra, algebra, and even calculus problems. Often times, a student’s stumbling blocks can be removed with the bulldozer of foundational concepts. Study these properties and learn them. You will then be on the road to mathematical mastery.



Source by Joe Pagano

06 Mar

The Biggest Secret to Mastering Math

Whether we realize it or not, math is used on a daily basis. For some, mathematics is a part of one’s everyday job, while others use math less sparingly throughout the workday. Math is used in cooking, baking, shopping, banking and paying bills. Mastering math is an essential part of life and it is imperative that students be taught math so that they can support themselves in all facets of life.

A lot of kids and students excel in creative subjects such as English and Art, while many struggle in mathematics. While mastering math can be a daunting subject, it is a necessity and must be learned regardless of one’s career goals.

Math is all around us and we typically deal with mathematics on a daily basis whether it is realized or not. Many students are afraid of math because they see it as intimidating and scary.

Would you want to know what is the biggest secret to mastering math? There is only one way to empower students into mastering math: it is to make it fun and relatable.

Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing can be confusing to some so it’s important to keep it simple. For example, teachers and trainers can aid chocolate to instruct students on addition and subtraction and can aid pictures of pies and pizzas to explain multiplication and division.

If you’re relating to a mother or tutor, try to exploitation cooking as a fun way to teach math. Make a pizza with your student and have them apply different toppings in 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 etc. By using pizza as a fraction, you are keeping the student interested but also are showing them that mastering math is important in everyday life. Regardless if students excel in math or not, many wonder when algebra or long division will come in handy and not having answers may leave them frustrated.

Providing students with real life situations and examples is an impressive way to keep math on their minds. Try setting up a role playing game or have your students act out situations that deal with math such as grocery shopping or buying clothes.

Having students act out shopping with one another breaks up the monotony of the day and gives students something to look forward to during the day.

Coming up with a trivia or classroom game with students keeps math pleasant and encourages class participation.

Math is imperative to all of our lives. No have a bearing how much a scholar likes or dislikes math, it is chief with the purpose of they realize how much math will affect their lives.

Computers and Science are often based around math, so students must know that if they are interested in these subjects, they must learn and mastering math.



Source by Arthur Sender

04 Feb

How to Make Bass Guitars – The Math Behind Finding Fret Placements

In order to understand just how to make bass guitars with frets, which play in tune, you have to make a bass with a certain bit of knowledge in mind. There’s a little bit of a mathematical trick to it, but the formula for it is very easy to know and understand. Once you learn to keep it in mind, you can pretty much make a bass or any guitar with the frets in the proper place for precise tuning, and this is the most important thing. After all, you can make the most beautiful instrument in the world, but if it sounds like crap, then it’s junk, plain and simple. Would you like to know what this mathematical formula is?

The trick to knowing how to make bass guitar frets to be in the proper place calls for a little rule known as the “18 rule”. This is used to make guitar frets to be put into the proper positions for the best tuning on basic acoustic, electric or bass guitars. Basically, you just keep one number in mind – write this down… 17.8167942. Now, this is kind of a mouthful of a number to use to verbally explain this aspect of how to make a bass guitar’s frets to be in their proper places, but it’s close enough to 18, thus the name of the rule. This is the number you will be using as the main calculator of fret placements.

Using this number to find out how to make bass guitar fret placements known, you first measure the distance between the nut (otherwise also known as the “zero fret”) at the base of the head stock, and the bridge on the body of the guitar. This is the “effective length” of the strings, the free vibrating area of their lengths. Now take this measurement and divide by 17.8167942, and you’ll have the distance from the nut to the first fret. Now that that’s found, you then measure from that first fret to the bridge, and divide by 17.8167942 again, and you’ll have the distance from the first fret to the second, and so on, and so on, and there you have it – the 18 rule!



Source by Jesse Robinson

05 Jan

Gender Differences In Learning Style Specific To Science, Technology, Engineering And Math – Stem

There are gender differences in learning styles specific to science, math, engineering and technology (STEM) that teachers of these subjects should keep in mind when developing lesson plans and teaching in the classroom. First, overall, girls have much less experience in the hands-on application of learning principles in lab settings than boys. This could occur in the computer lab, the science lab, or the auto lab – the principle is the same for all of these settings – it requires an overall technology problem-solving schema, accompanied by use and manipulation of tools, and spatial relation skills that very few girls bring with them to the classroom on day one in comparison to boys.

Let’s look at some of the reasons why girls come to the STEM classroom with less of the core skills needed for success in this subject area. Overall, girls and boys play with different kinds of games in early childhood that provide different types of learning experiences. Most girls play games that emphasize relationships (i.e., playing house, playing with dolls) or creativity (i.e., drawing, painting). In contrast, boys play computer and video games or games that emphasize building (i.e., LEGO®), both of which develop problem-solving, spatial-relationship and hands-on skills.

A study of gender differences in spatial relations skills of engineering students in the U.S. and Brazil found that there was a large disparity between the skills of female and male students. These studies attributed female student’s lesser skills set to two statistically significant factors: 1) less experience playing with building toys and 2) having taken less drafting courses prior to the engineering program. Spatial relations skills are critical to engineering. A gender study of computer science majors at Carnegie-Mellon University (one of the preeminent computer science programs in the country) found that, overall, male students come equipped with much better computer skills than female students. This equips male students with a considerable advantage in the classroom and could impact the confidence of female students.

Are these gender differences nature or nurture? There is considerable evidence that they are nurture. Studies show that most leading computer and video games appeal to male interests and have predominantly male characters and themes, thus it is not surprising that girls are much less interested in playing them. A study of computer games by Children Now found that 17% of the games have female characters and of these, 50% are either props, they tend to faint, have high-pitched voices, and are highly sexualized.

There are a number of studies that suggest that when girls and women are provided with the building blocks they need to succeed in STEM they will do as well if not better than their male counterparts. An Introductory Engineering Robotics class found that while males did somewhat better on the pre-test than females, females did as well as the males on the post-test following the class’s completion.

Another critical area of gender difference that teachers of STEM should keep in mind has less to do with actual skills and experience and more to do with perceptions and confidence. For females, confidence is a predictor of success in the STEM classroom. They are much less likely to retain interest if they feel they are incapable of mastering the material. Unfortunately, two factors work against female confidence level: 1) most girls will actually have less experience with STEM course content than their male counterparts and 2) males tend to overplay their accomplishments while females minimize their own. A study done of Carnegie Mellon Computer Science PhD students found that even when male and female students were doing equally well grade wise, female students reported feeling less comfortable. Fifty-three percent of males rated themselves as “highly prepared” in contrast to 0% of females.

It is important to note that many of the learning style differences described above are not strictly gender-based. They are instead based on differences of students with a background in STEM, problem-solving, and hands-on skills learned from childhood play and life experience and those who haven’t had the same type of exposure. A review of the literature on minority students and STEM finds that students of color are less likely to have the STEM background experiences and thus are missing many of the same STEM building blocks as girls and have the same lack of confidence. Many of the STEM curriculum and pedagogy solutions that work for female students will also work for students of color for this reason.

Bridge Classes/Modules to Ensure Core Skills

Teachers will likely see a gap in the core STEM skills of female and minority students for the reasons described above. Below are some solutions applied elsewhere to ensure that girls and women (and students of color) will get the building block STEM skills that many will be missing.

Teachers in the Cisco Academy Gender Initiative study assessed the skill levels of each of their students and then provided them with individualized lesson plans to ensure their success that ran parallel to the class assignments. Other teachers taught key skills not included in the curriculum at the beginning of the course, such as calculating math integers and tool identification and use. Students were provided with additional lab time, staffed by a female teaching assistant, knowing that the female students would disproportionately benefit from additional hands-on experience.

Carnegie-Mellon University came to view their curriculum as a continuum, with students entering at different points based on their background and experience. Carnegie-Mellon’s new frame of a “continuum” is purposefully different than the traditional negative model in which classes start with a high bar that necessitates “remedial” tutoring for students with less experience, stigmatizing them and undermining their confidence. Below is a list of ideas and suggestions that will help ALL students to succeed in the STEM classroom.

1. Building Confidence

How do teachers build confidence in female students who often have less experience than their male counterparts and perceive they are behind even when they are not?

1) Practice-based experience and research has shown that ensuring female students have the opportunity to gain experience with STEM, in a supportive environment, will increase their confidence level.

2) Bringing in female role models that have been successful in the STEM field is another important parallel strategy that should be used to assist your female students in seeing themselves as capable of mastering STEM classes: if she could do it, then I can too!

3) Consistent positive reinforcement by STEM teachers of their female students, with a positive expectation of outcome, will assist them in hanging in there during those difficult beginning weeks when they have not yet developed a technology schema or hands-on proficiency and everything they undertake seems like a huge challenge.

2. Appealing to Female Interests

Many of the typical STEM activities for the classroom appeal to male interests and turn off girls. For example, curriculum in robots often involves monsters that explode or cars that go fast. “Roboeducators” observed that robots involved in performance art or are characterized as animals are more appealing to girls. Engineering activities can be about how a hair dryer works or designing a playground for those with disabilities as well as about building bridges. Teachers should consider using all types of examples when they are teaching and incorporating activities in efforts to appeal female and male interests. Teachers can also direct students to come up with their own projects as a way of ensuring girls can work in an area of significance to them.

Research also shows that there are Mars/Venus differences between the genders and how each engages in technology. Overall, girls and women are excited by how the technology will be used – its application and context. Men will discuss how big the hard drive or engine is, how fast the processor runs, and debate the merits of one motherboard or engine versus another. These are topics that are, overall, of less interest to most females.

The Carnegie-Mellon Study took into account the differences of what engages female students and modified the Computer Science programs’ curriculum so that the context for the program was taught much earlier on in the semester and moved some of the more technical aspects of the curriculum (such as coding) to later in the semester. Authors observed that the female students were much more positive about getting through the tedious coding classes when they understood the purpose of it. Teachers should ensure that the context for the technology they are teaching is addressed early on in the semester by using real world stories and case studies to capture the interest of all of their students.

3. Group Dynamics in the Classroom

Research studies by American Association of University Women and Children Now have found that most females prefer collaboration and not competition in the classroom. Conversely, most males greatly enjoy competition as a method of learning and play. Many hands-on activities in technology classes are set up as competitions. Robotics for example, regularly uses competitiveness as a methodology of teaching. Teachers should
be cognizant of the preference of many girls for collaborative work and should add-in these types of exercises to their classes. Some ways to do this are by having students work in assigned pairs or teams and having a team grade as well as an individual grade. (See Reading 2 on Cooperative Learning.)

Another Mars/Venus dynamic that STEM teachers should be aware of occurs in the lab there male students will usually dominate the equipment and females will take notes or simply watch. Overall, male students have more experience and thus confidence with hands-on lab equipment than their female counterparts. Teachers should create situations to ensure that their female students are spending an equal amount of time in hands-on activities. Some approaches have been: 1) to pair the female students only with each other during labs in the beginning of the class semester so that they get the hands-on time and their confidence increases, putting them in a better position to work effectively with the male students later on, 2) allot a specific time for each student in pair to use the lab equipment and announce when it’s time to switch and monitor this, and 3) provide feedback to male students who are taking over by letting them know that their partner needs to do the activity as well.

4. Moving Female Students from Passive Learners to Proactive Problem Solvers

The main skill in STEM is problem solving in hands-on lab situations. For reasons already discussed regarding a lack of experience, most girls don’t come to STEM classes with these problem-solving skills. Instead, girls often want to be shown how to do things, repeatedly, rather than experimenting in a lab setting to get to the answer. Adding to this issue, many girls fear that they will break the equipment. In contrast, male students will often jump in and manipulate the equipment before being given any instructions by their teacher. Teachers can address this by such activities as: 1) having them take apart old equipment and put it together again, 2) creating “scavenger hunt” exercises that force them to navigate through menus, and 3) emphasizing that they are learning the problem solving process and that this is equally important to learning the content of the lesson and insisting that they figure out hands-on exercises on their own.

Research has also shown that females tend to engage in STEM activities in a rote, smaller picture way while males use higher order thinking skills to understand the bigger picture and the relationship between the parts. Again, moving female students (and the non-techsavvy student in general) to become problem solvers (versus just understanding the content piece of the STEM puzzle) will move them to use higher order thinking skills in STEM.

Finally, many teachers have reported that many female students will often want to understand how everything relates to each other before they move into action in the lab or move through a lesson plan to complete a specific activity. The female students try to avoid making mistakes along the way and will not only want to read the documentation needed for the lesson, they will often want to read the entire manual before taking any action. In contrast, the male student often needs to be convinced to look at the documentation at all. Boys are not as concerned with making a mistake a long the way as long as what they do ultimately works. The disadvantage for female students is that they often are so worried about understanding the whole picture that they don’t move onto the hands-on activity or they don’t do it in a timely fashion, so that they are consistently the last ones in the class to finish. Teachers can assist female (and non-tech-savvy) students to move through class material more quickly by providing instruction on how to quickly scan for only the necessary information needed to complete an assignment.

5. Role Models

Since the numbers of women in STEM are still small, girls have very few opportunities to see female role models solving science, technology, engineering or math problems. Teachers should bring female role models into the classroom as guest speakers or teachers, or visit them on industry tours, to send the message to girls that they can succeed in the STEM classroom and careers.

Bibliography

Medina, Afonso, Celso, Helena B.P. Gerson, and Sheryl A. Sorby. “Identifying Gender Differences in the 3-D Visualization Skills of Engineering Students in Brazil and in the United States”. International Network for Engineering Eucation and Research page. 2 August 2004: [http://www.ineer.org/Events/ICEE/papers/193.pdf].

Milto, Elissa, Chris Rogers, and Merredith Portsmore. “Gender Differences in Confidence Levels, Group Interactions, and Feelings about Competition in an Introductory Robotics Course”. American Society for Engineering Education page. 8 July 2004: [http://fie.engrng.pitt.edu/fie2002/papers/1597.pdf].

“Fair Play: Violence, Gender and Race in Video Games 2001”. Children Now page. 19 August 2004: [http://www.childrennow.org/media/video-games/2001/].

“Girls and Gaming: Gender and Video Game Marketing, 2000”. Children Now page. 17 June 2004: [http://www.childrennow.org/media/medianow/mnwinter2001.html].

Tech-Savvy: Educating Girls in the New Computer Age. District of Columbia: American Association of University Women Educational Foundation, 2000.

Margolis, Jane and Allan Fisher. Unlocking the Computer Clubhouse: Women in Computer. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2003.

Taglia, Dan and Kenneth Berry. “Girls in Robotics”. Online Posting. 16 September 2004: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/roboeducators/.

“Cisco Gender Initiative”. Cisco Learning Institute. 30 July 2004: [http://gender.ciscolearning.org/Strategies/Strategies_by_Type/Index.html].



Source by Donna Milgram

06 Nov

Things To Look For In A Math Tutorial Center

Finding a good math tutor in your area may not be a walk in the park for you have to go to an established and specialized center that focuses on Math subjects. There are a great number of qualified centers but you have to be keen in choosing the right program that would fit your kid’s abilities.

A specialist center for this kind of tutorial will help your kids acquire skills and knowledge required regardless of any curriculum followed. It uses its own curriculum that takes care of core mathematical topics and bridges the gaps in understanding that make it hard for the normal learner. Its staff consists of tutors and professionals trained and certified in this particular teaching method.

If you want a quick way to find the right help that your children need, keep the following questions in your search for a tutorial centre:

1. Do you focus on math? – It’s important that their tutors specialize in this subject since their effectiveness is diluted when pressed to teach different subjects.

2. Do qualified teachers lead students through the program? – The teachers should lead the instruction and not leave a lot of it up to a computer program or practice worksheets.

3. Do you allow flexibility in your program schedule? – While there is a recommended schedule, it’s good to know that it’s not a rigid one so your children can do more or fewer sessions depending on the need.

4. Do you customize lessons for each student? – For instruction to be thoroughly effective, tutors should customize it to address particular weaknesses while also building on strengths. They don’t expect all their students to fit in one instructional continuum.

5. Do you have a variety of media and methods to fit different learning styles? – The center should acknowledge that there are different types of learners so its tutors go beyond the usual worksheets and computer programs. They use a combination of guided practice, manipulatives, as well as math games to engage their students and develop in them a better appreciation of math.

6. Do you offer special sessions for preparing students to take standardized tests, including university placement exams and high school exit exams? – The center you choose should stick to its code of individualized instruction so that sessions could specifically cater to your children’s strengths and weaknesses. It doesn’t offer the usual large review classes that don’t really lead to successful results.

With these things or questions in mind, you are sure to find an effective tutorial center for your kids.



Source by Edwin G Marx

07 Oct

Why Are Indians Good at Math?

Historical Background

India has made significant contributions in the evolution of Mathematics. Aryabhatta, Brhamagupta and Bhaskara II are some of the famous mathematicians from ancient India. Concept of zero and the decimal system came from India. Significant work was done in the field of algebra and trigonometry. There is Vedic Math which teaches various computation techniques through sutras(rules). The growth and development by the mathematicians would have trickled through to the general population, making them interested and adept in computations.

Socioeconomic factors

Another factor is the Indian socioeconomic circumstances. Historically, engineers and doctors were the only professionals who had a prospect of lucrative jobs. Number of seats in colleges for these two streams was limited. In order to get admitted to engineering or medical school, a student has to pass very difficult entrance exam with stress on Math and Science subjects. Only the best of the best can get admission to a reputable college or university. This led parents, students, teachers and the school system to focus on doing well in math and science.

Rigor of Math

Kids learn multiplication from early childhood. Every evening, you recite multiplication tables. This practice makes kids good at mental math. As they grow older, they start learning math rules and formula. Indian methodology is based on learning and practicing. Kids are made to solve many problems in each of the mathematical concepts so that it becomes second nature to solve the problems. Unlike the US system, Indian education system does not put much importance on creative thinking and deep understanding of the subject. There are pros and cons of this approach. Pro is that there is less fear of math – You get mechanized about computations and problem solving. Being good and quick on basic math makes it easy to learn higher concepts. The disadvantage is the lack of innovation and creativity. But in a country with a population of over a billion and not enough educational or job opportunities, being good in giving a test is essential for the short-term goal of getting into the race.

Computer Industry Boom

This knack towards math and science and the knowledge of English language became great assets when the Computer and software industry blossomed. US had need of tons of software engineers. India had its potential base ready. Young graduates grabbed this opportunity and took classes in learning programming languages, databases and other technologies. Being good at math generally leads to being good in programming and analytical thinking. People who did not get into engineering colleges and did graduation in Math or Physics also started doing diplomas and masters in Computer applications. Year after year there are hundreds of thousands of Indians who come to US, get jobs in IT industry and make US their home. When they have family and kids, they apply the Indian method to their kids who go to US schools. Children of Indian origin living in US excel in math and science. This trend applies to kids from other Asian countries as well.

Math in US

In my opinion, US math books are very well-written and illustrated. They explain the concept, history and application of a particular topic. This gives a kid well-rounded education rather than learning the formula. However, the trouble is the lack of rigor. Be it physical fitness or mental fitness, a strong discipline, regular drill and successive goals for improvement and achievement are needed. Mathematics inherently needs practice. When you solve a math problem, it is either right or wrong – there are no grades like average or fair. In order to solve a problem correctly and quickly, one needs rigorous workout. If the teachers do not instill this discipline, students get more incorrect answers than correct. They get into the vicious circle of ‘I am not good at math-I hate math-Why do we need math’ and so on. If the teachers can guide the students towards a regular math work program, the circle can be reversed. They start solving problems, get excited about it and develop an interest in the subject. It will build math confidence and the fear will be gone. After all, school math is no Rocket Science! If students in India can be good at math, students in other countries can be good as well.



Source by Bina Mehta

07 Sep

Homeschool Math – 6 Key Techniques to Know on How to Teach Math and What to Use?

If you struggled with Math at all when you were growing up, you probably don’t feel adequate to teach home school Math. The truth is, though, that we use Math all the time in our day and you can use those opportunities to share Math with your children. Help your children develop a love for math using these tools:

1. Play games – Card games and board games are great tools to use to teach number concepts. You don’t have to say anything about numbers or math, just play the game and have fun.

2. Use your time in the kitchen to work with numbers. Have your children count silverware, cut pizza into fractions, measure liquids and solids in a recipe, skip count items that come in packs, subtract items from a group as you eat them, and count anything else that they may see there.

3. Show them in daily life how math affects them. Show them how to look at a calendar and count the days until a special day. When they receive money help them know the value of the coins or dollars and show them how to count it. You can even divide the money into different envelopes with them.

4. Teach them that counting by one is not the only way to count. They can use skip counting to count by twos, threes, fours, fives and more. We have made up our own skip counting songs with popular children’s songs that we know. Now my 6 year old knows how to skip count by two, three, four, five and six, not because he is a super intelligent child, but because those numbers have been put to music in a fun way.

5. Read books that enforce math concepts. Books like “How Much is A Million” and “How Much is a Billion” can show children how enormous numbers can be in a fun and entertaining format. For younger children there are many counting books that you can get from the library that teach them about numbers.

6. Use the calculator to show them how large numbers are added. They certainly need to know how to do the basic concepts of math operations, but they can also have fun using a calculator occasionally for large numbers.

Use as many senses as possible to teach math. Different children will understand certain concepts of math using different methods than others. You can use workbooks, manipulative, math games, real life, computer software, and more. Attitude is everything. If you have a positive attitude about Math, then they will be more likely to accept that attitude.



Source by Heidi Johnson

11 Aug

Math Tutoring – 3 Basics Steps to Master Reading Mathematics Formulas

Understanding how to read mathematics formulas requires a basic understanding of the formula vocabulary and how to recognize formula reading patterns. We will focus on how to read Mathematical formulas and learn how this formula reading pattern can be used with formulas from different subjects (i.e. Algebra, Geometry, Chemistry, Physics). Knowing how to read Mathematics formulas is essential for maximum understanding and easy memory recall.

It is my hope that you will see a pattern with reading formulas across different subjects. Why is seeing a pattern across subjects so important? Students often feel like they are learning something new each time they are introduced to a Math formula in another class or course. Fact remains, the same methods you use to read formulas in Algebra are the exactly same methods used to read formulas in Trigonometry, Physics, Chemistry, Economics, etc. So the key is mastery of reading formulas in Algebra.

Step 1: Understand what a formula is. What is a mathematical formula? An equation (i.e. F = ma) which expresses a general fact, rule, or principle.

Step 2: Identify and learn the basic Mathematics equation vocabulary and use as often as possible while doing problems. A good mathematics educator (e.g. tutor, mentor, teacher, …) will help you engage this vocabulary as you are working on your problems. This vocabulary is useful when reading Math instructions, doing word problems, or solving Math problems. Let’s define a basic set of basic Math formula (equations) vocabulary words below:

Variable – a letter or symbol used in mathematical expressions to represent a quantity that can have different values (i.e. x or P)
Units – the parameters used to measure quantities ( i.e. length(cm, m, in, ft), mass (g, kg, lbs, etc))
Constant – a quantity having a fixed value that does not change or vary
Coefficient – a number, symbol, or variable placed before an unknown quantity determining the amount of times it will be multiplied
Operations – basic mathematical processes including addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*), and division (/)
Expressions-a combination one or more numbers, letters and mathematical symbols representing a quantity. (i.e. 4, 6x, 2x+4, sin(O-90))
Equation – An equation is a statement of equality between two mathematical expressions.
Solution – an answer to a problem (i.e. x = 5)

Step 3: Read formulas as a complete thought or statement-do not ONLY read the letters and symbols in a formula. What do I mean? Most people make the repeated error of reading the letters in a formula rather than reading what the letters represent in the formula. This may sound simple, but this simple step allows a student to engage the formula. By reading the letters and symbols only, one cannot associate the formula with particular vocabulary words or even the purpose of the formula.

For example, most people read the formula for area of a circle (A = “pi”r2) just as it is written – A equals pi r squared. Instead of just reading the letters and symbols in the formula, we propose reading formulas like A = “pi”r2 as a complete thought using all the descriptive words for each letter: The area (A) of a circle is (=) pi multiplied by the radius (r) of the circle squared. Do you see how the formula is a complete statement or thought? Therefore, one should read formulas as a complete statement (thought) as often as possible. It reinforces what the formula means in the mind of the reader. Without a clear association of Math formulas with their respective vocabulary, it makes applications of those formulas near impossible.

Example of formulas and the subjects where they are introduced:

PRE-ALGEBRA – Area of Circle: A = “pi”r2
The area (A) of a circle is pi multiplied by the radius (r) of the circle squared
o A- area of the circle
o “pi” – 3.141592 – ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle
o r- the radius of the circle

ALGEBRA – Perimeter of a Rectangle: P = 2l+ 2w
Perimeter (P) of a rectangle is(=) 2 times the length(l) of the rectangle plus 2 times the width (w) of the rectangle.
o P- perimeter of the rectangle
o l- measure of longest
o w- measure of shortest

GEOMETRY – Triangles Interior Angles Sum Theorem: mÐ1 + mÐ2 + mÐ3 = 180
The measure of angle 1 (mÐ1), plus the measure of angle 2 (mÐ2) plus the measure of angle 3 (mÐ3) of a triangle is 180 degrees.
o mÐ1 – perimeter of the rectangle
o mÐ2 – measure of a side
o mÐ3 – measure of the width

Knowing the units for each quantity represented in these formulas plays a key role in solving problems, reading word problems, and solution interpretations, but not merely reading the formulas.

Use these steps as a reference and learn how to read Mathematics formulas more confidently. Once you master the basics of formulas, you will be a Learner4Life in different subjects that use Math formulas!



Source by Avery Austin