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4 Steps To Help Students Improve Math
Growing up, many of us were told math was a subject you can either do or not. That's simply not true. With the right guidance, anyone can improve her math skills and even enjoy math if done correctly.
We have worked with students of all ages and grade levels over the years. We’ve found that a few simple strategies can help anyone improve their math skills.
Section: Find A Good Math Tutor
Math can be a difficult subject for many students. It's not just about numbers and formulas - it's about problem solving skills and keeping your cool under pressure.
The best thing you can do is find a good tutor who can help your child with their math skills. Even if they're doing well in school, there may still be some concepts they don't understand or are having difficulty with.
A good tutor will not only help your child learn the material better, but they'll also help them develop confidence in their ability to be on good terms with math.
Finding a good math tutor is important, but not always easy.
Math, it's one of those subjects that can make or break a student. It can be quite difficult for some kids to grasp math, and if not learned properly, math can be a battle that students just don't want to fight.
A good tutor will be able to help with their individual needs and work through specific problems they may be having.
They will also be able to teach them any new concepts they may need help learning in order to progress through their classes.
Here are some tips to help you find a great tutor:
Get recommendations from other parents, teachers and students.
Research online reviews of tutors in your area and ask for references from them.
Consider hiring an online tutor who can work with your child from anywhere in the world.
Get A Better Understanding Of What They're Learning In Class
One thing that many students struggle with when it comes to learning is understanding what they're learning in class. This can make it much harder for them when it comes time for tests and assignments because they don't fully understand what they need do in order for the work to count towards their grade.
If you're having trouble understanding what your child needs from class, you may want to ask their teacher what exactly they need to learn in order to complete each assignment.
You may also want to ask them if they could provide you with some extra resources that will help you better understand the material so that you can help your child with their homework when required.
Section: Use The Right Resources
You want your students to be as engaged as possible and you need the right resources to do so. You need to find materials that will help your students retain information and use it properly, but also help them learn how to use it effectively.
You want them to learn how to read music, understand math and other subjects, but you also want them to know how to apply those skills in real life situations.
A big mistake you can make is to assume that all your students have access to the same resources. This is one of the reasons why so many teachers are looking for ways to help their students improve their math skills.
When it comes to improving math skills, there are many different resources available for educators and students alike. However, some of these resources may not be as useful as others. It's important to be able to identify which resources are going to be most effective for each student's learning style and needs.
Fortunately, there are a variety of different tools and resources available for teachers who are looking for ways in which they can help their students improve their math skills without having to spend too much time on it themselves. You still can't go wrong with tried and true options like Khan Academy, which allows students to watch videos that explain how specific topics work in an easy-to-understand manner.
Section: Practice!
This might seem like an obvious one, but it's not.
Many teachers will tell you that students need to get a lot of practice with math. The problem is that many teachers don't know how to help students learn from their mistakes.
On the other hand, many students think that they're good at math because they get the right answer on a test. But if you ask them how they got that answer, many will say something like "I just guessed".
So students need to practice math problems; practice is key to improving your skills in math, because it allows you to see what works and what doesn't.
By the time students reach middle school, they are expected to have mastered basic math skills like arithmetic, fractions, decimals, and percentages. Once these concepts are mastered, it's important for students to continue practicing them so they don't forget them.
In order to keep these skills fresh in their minds, teachers should encourage their students to improve their math skills.
There are many ways to do this, but here are some of the best ways to practice:
Make sure your kids get plenty of opportunities to work with real numbers, not just numbers on a page or screen.
Use games and activities that require students to apply what they have learned.
Give students lots of practice with the same skill or concept until they master it!
If you notice that a student is having difficulty with a particular concept or skill, make sure he/she gets additional help from someone who knows how to explain things well and make sense out of confusion.
Whenever possible, use real-life situations as part of problem solving activities. This helps better prepare kids for the real world and gives them a chance to use what they've learned in ways that are authentic and meaningful.
Section: Get Help With Homework
We've all seen the statistics. The U.S. is falling behind other countries in math performance. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, only about 65% of American fourth graders are proficient in math.
The numbers get worse as students progress through school and by eighth grade, only 43% of students are considered proficient in math:
What can we do to help our students?
For teachers, it's important to remember that we're not alone in this fight against math illiteracy. We can work together to provide students with the tools they need to succeed in their careers and beyond.
Here are some tips that other teachers have suggested:
Work with parents: Parents play an important role in helping their children succeed at school. Helping them understand how they can help their children learn is key to improving student performance in mathematics.
Have open communication with parents about what works best for their child and ways that both parents and teachers can help each other succeed at home and at school!
Make sure they understand what you are asking them to do. Sometimes students don't get it and they can't figure out why they aren't making any progress or understanding the material. It's important for teachers to take time at the beginning of class and make sure everyone understands what the lesson will be about and how it relates to the previous lesson or assignment.
This helps eliminate confusion later on when students may struggle with an assignment or test question because they don't understand what is expected of them.
Break down problems into smaller manageable pieces so students can focus on one part at a time instead of getting overwhelmed by all the steps involved in solving an equation or question.
Don't give up. If you feel like you're not making progress, try again tomorrow or later in the week. Students need time to process new information before they can apply it to other problems.
Give them options. If there's one thing that frustrates people more than not being able to do something, it's not having any options available when they get stuck on something. So when you see a student struggling with something, offer up at least three different ways they could solve the problem (or just one if it's really simple). This will let them know that there are options out there and encourage them to come up with their own solution instead of just giving up after trying yours first.
Be encouraging and enthusiastic about their success -- even if it's small! Small victories add up over time, so when students solve even one problem correctly, celebrate.
The NCES is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the United States, and their data shows that math performance in the U.S. is a concern. According to the NCES, only about 65% of American fourth graders were proficient in math, and that number drops to 43% for eighth graders. These statistics indicate that there is room for improvement in math education in the U.S.
National Center for Education Statistics. (2021). The Nation's Report Card: Mathematics 2019 (NCES 2020-144). Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/mathematics/ on 18th February 2023.
This report from the National Center for Education Statistics provides detailed information on the math performance of American students in 2019, including the percentages of fourth and eighth graders who were proficient in math. It also provides breakdowns of the data by demographic groups, as well as information on trends in math performance over time.
Takeaway: With the right guidance, students can improve and even enjoy math.
"My students were excited about math, but they struggled to apply what they had learned. They were stuck in a cycle of misunderstanding and frustration."
It's not uncommon for teachers to find themselves in this situation — it can be frustrating when you're trying to help students learn something and they just don't get it. But there are some simple things you can do that will make a big difference.
"My students were excited about math, but they struggled to apply what they had learned. They were stuck in a cycle of misunderstanding and frustration."
Without a doubt, mathematics is serious business. In school, we either grow to love it or to loathe it. The outcome hinges upon key elements that most students sadly miss out on. Those elements lead to undeniable success in the subject.
While it might require a lot more work on the part of the student, increasing motivation can have huge benefits in their education. One of the best ways to do this is to make math relevant to the student, which means incorporating applications when possible, and making sure that subject matter makes sense.
In some situations, it may simply be beneficial to spend more time on certain topics until the student is ready for more advanced concepts down the road. Using these approaches, it's not only possible to help students improve their math skills and even enjoy them, but also to prepare them for future challenges—and as any teacher knows, that's key for building long-term success.