Help your child with math w/o knowing the math.
This ‘help without knowing’ first demands that you understand what math is. Ask your child, “child what is math?” or perhaps ask yourself the same question, and I’d say what you both come up with should be different but will be somewhat the same, ‘math is something to do with numbers.’ Answers, of course, will vary depending on age and expertise, but the answer, math is about numbers has some merit. However, that’s like saying the English language has something to do with words.
So, what is math?
Math is a language! Math is a language! Math is a language! There I said it! Yup it’s a language not that different from English or Spanish or French or German. Tell your child that and look at their facial reactions and how they respond – a quizzical look or a ‘what are you talking about parent?’ Or if they disagree, then get comfortable as that’s the start of a tete-a-tete with you and your child. But to prepare you for that possible conversation, I first need you to get where I’m coming from when I say, ‘Math is a language.’
Let’s address the elephant in the room that’s never spoken about. The number one reason why students struggle in math? They