Foundation In Math

A solid math foundation is vital for children to succeed. Without solid math skills, children will probably have a lot of trouble in school and afterwards.

Students with weak basic math skills find the subject increasingly confusing and difficult (and get poor grades). You might notice that your child starts to develop math anxiety. When a child develops a solid math foundation, you`ll be amazed at how the stress caused by poor math skills disappears. You might even hear your child say that math is fun!

Building a solid foundation in math requires a systematic approach. Too many children do not get the broad introduction and ongoing practice that builds confidence and deep understanding. The primary mistakes that parents make in teaching/coaching math are:

having too narrow a focus. Parents tend to overemphasize arithmetic and overlook the other math areas. reviewing math concepts out of sequence. This article will discuss what is an adequately broad approach to teaching math and present how Time4Learning, an online learning system, provides such a foundation for each grade.

A strong math elementary math curriculum teaches these five math strands (yes, there are many other ways of grouping these areas into as few as four and as many as eight different areas but we like this approach): * Number Sense and Operations - Arithmetic and place value.

* Algebra - From the youngest age, learning to recognize patterns and sets ("pick the small red fish") creates the groundwork for working with unknowns and algebraic variables. * Geometry and Spatial Sense - When children build on their knowledge of basic shapes, they increase their ability to reason spatially, read maps, visualize objects in space, and eventually use geometry to solve problems.

* Measurement - Learning how to measure and compare is an important life skill that encompasses the concepts of length, weight, temperature, capacity, time, and money.

* Data Analysis and Probability - Using charts, tables, and graphs will help children learn to share and organize information about the world around them.