1st Quick Step: Don’t teach your child math.

Help them with learning habits instead.

G’day math students (and some parents).

I know, I know, this is Quick Steps for Math Students, and here I am talking about parents teaching you. Yeah, but I thought I’d start with a topic that ‘pushes everyone’s buttons’ (that’s Psychology for getting everyone in a tizzy, aka UPSET).

Many math teachers tell parents a version of, “Do to not teach your child the math. Leave the teaching to me”.

Last week I was in a bank, and the person helping me knew I worked in math education and was venting at not being able to help her daughter with their grade 6 math. “I want to help my daughter but the teacher informed all parents not to help.” I told her that I agreed with the teacher, and she asked me why. Part of my conversation with that grade 6 math mother is below.

#1 I’m in agreement with the teacher, as I too tell my parents to not teach their child math*.

#2 Your teaching method may be easier for you, but if it’s not the teacher’s method, it won’t reinforce the way the teacher wants your daughter to do it, and your daughter may be resistant to it. Plus, some teachers have a “my way or the highway’ attitude when it comes to marking tests.

#3 If your way is a trick or shortcut, so quicker to do, the probability is high it will not be remembered as it may be a different way.

#4 I finished off by recommending she help her daughter with learning habits (e.g. how to reduce careless errors on tests, organization). They’ll be more receptive 😊.

*Note my request for parents to not teach, is borne of a different purpose, as my objective is to have my students get better at math on their own, with the intent to become independent learners. To aid this process I tell my parents:

1) Fundamentals are the foundation!

Remind your child to make it a habit to understand the fundamentals taught each day, as all math in that day’s lesson builds on that. And that mastery aids in remembering.

2) Work on their learning habits

For example: organization, homework, scheduling/structure, steps to master the fundamentals, how to understand the teacher, importance of showing work. It’s better to teach them learning habits and skills, as those shape their character, plus are transferable to other courses and activities.

See you in the next Quick Steps, eh?
EH

What’s EH? Initials for my name, Edison Hopkinson.
What’s ‘eh’? ‘eh’ is a part of Canadian culture - it’s how many of us finish off sentences. Have a good day, eh! Math’s going well, eh! So not so much a question, but more a statement. Well, I guess it could be a question, Great day mate, eh? Bye for now, eh.