math

How important is Maths to everyday living?

The world is evolving and only those who have what it takes will not be let out of the beauty we see every day.

There is no single technology today in the world we live in that does not have its foundation in the mother of all subjects – mathematics.

I used to think that everyone knew maths until a lawyer came to me and asked me to teach her maths, especially percentages. She didn’t take mathematics as a subject in senior high school because she struggled with it and it was not a compulsory subject. However, the realisation came when she had to sit logic test papers which involved maths, when she was applying for job positions.

Beyond her story, to be able to live successfully in this generation, we must have a sound understanding of mathematics. There is a way mathematics has been found to enlarge our mental reasoning capacity.

Mathematics skills that we teach children in primary stage is needed to progress successfully as they pass through further stages of education. From preschool to the end of primary school, children are setting the foundation for future life skills.

An educational study of 35,000 preschoolers by Duncan?? showed that the place of math skills training in early life cannot be over-emphasised. According to the research, students who start school with primary math skills have been found to excel more than students who had none.

Duncan stated:

We find the single most important factor in predicting later academic achievement is that children begin school with a mastery of early math and literacy concepts.

Although there are times when we see some exceptionally gifted children who have the capacity to take more complicated math no matter where they are coming from or what they have been exposed to.

Maths is all around us and in the first few years of a child’s life, he or she can use without knowing it even while playing games, sorting out crayons, trying to sort out the number of clothes he or she has, picking his or her candy sweets from the jar, trying to remember how many days a week has and the list goes on and on.

Elementary math skills helps in teaching logical and critical thinking, life skills, supporting continuing education and careers, etc. Having a good foundation in math has also been shown in making good healthy decisions because there is a way your math helps your mental capacity to reason things out. Primary math has also been found to help in strategic counting, magnitude comparison, solving simple word problems, number recognition, retrieval of basic arithmetical facts, etc.

Mathematics uses a universal language that is used all over the world.

The principles and basis does not change. It is always the same… evergreen. Children are said to be natural problem solvers. They tend to have this type of inquisitive mind that wants them to find answers even when we don’t help them. Take that step in giving your children the edge needed early in life. They will thank you later for it when they can successfully handle issues on their own.
goal-settings

Goal Setting with Your Child

The idea of setting goals is to provide them with the educational foundation to take flight in whichever direction their talents and desire take them, without pigeonholing them into the default career tracks of the aspirational upper middle class. We want to help them become the best possible versions of themselves—whatever that is.

For the last three years, as a family, we would sit down at the end of the year to talk about our achievements as a family and as an individual, then set new goals for the new year. That activity alone has created lots of motivation, enthusiasm, focus, direction and self-confidence for my children.

Why? Because they had activities, challenges and plans to look forward to during the year. Their accomplishments as well as ours, whether they were big or small, allowed for acknowledgements and celebrations.

It has taught my daughters the meaning and value of saving for expensive items, planning and managing their time and work, in order to complete and achieve certain tasks. It has allowed for the family to work together and encourage each other so we could achieve things together.

Be sure to set SMART goals.

S – Specific

M – Measurable

A – Action-oriented

R – Realistic

T – Time Bound

When helping your children set goals, whether it is to bring up a grade in math class, improving their basketball skills, or choosing a college, walk through the S.M.A.R.T. method with them.

Specific
Many times we make the mistake of generalising our goals. For example, instead of saying, “I want to improve in piano,” encourage your child to use the S.M.A.R.T. method to set a detailed goal:
“I want to improve my piano grade from a C to a B by the end of this term by practising an extra half an hour each day.”

Measurable
You will notice in that example the goal was to move from a C to a B, which shows the second part of the method. The goal needs to be measurable. General goals of “just wanting to improve” are not good enough. “Improving” can mean a lot of things and will make it easier to quit. Having a measurable goal helps them know when an improvement has been made. Then when a measurable goal has been met it can be celebrated and a new higher goal can be set.

Action-Oriented
When setting goals with your child make sure you think through and assign activities that will help him/her reach the goal. For example, if the goal is to improve a grade from a C to a B then an action-oriented goal could be to practise every day for at least an extra half an hour. Another action-oriented goal could be to always work on and complete homework before dinner (if possible). After you have helped your children set their goals, create the steps to attain them. Include checkpoints of progress, such as having them talk with their instructor or teacher.

Realistic
Goals also need to be both challenging and realistic. While goals will help instil motivation in your kids, setting unrealistic goals will only create frustration. Make sure their goals are attainable and beneficial — not only in the end result but in the process as well.

Time Bound
Finally, set a time schedule when the goal needs to be met. This puts a sense of urgency around the goal. Without this restraint, goals tend to go unmet.

Teaching your kids how to set effective goals will not only benefit them now but will prove to be a valuable skill when they are adults.

Goal-Setting-blocks-500x270-320x202

Goal

Goal Setting with Your Child

“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible”

Tony Robbins

The idea of setting goals is to provide them with the educational foundation to take flight in whichever direction their talents and desire take them, without pigeonholing them into the default career tracks of the aspirational upper middle class. We want to help them become the best possible versions of themselves—whatever that is.

For the last three years, as a family, we would sit down at the end of the year to talk about our achievements as a family and as an individual, then set new goals for the new year. That activity alone has created lots of motivation, enthusiasm, focus, direction and self-confidence for my children.

Why? Because they had activities, challenges and plans to look forward to during the year. Their accomplishments as well as ours, whether they were big or small, allowed for acknowledgements and celebrations.

It has taught my daughters the meaning and value of saving for expensive items, planning and managing their time and work, in order to complete and achieve certain tasks. It has allowed for the family to work together and encourage each other so we could achieve things together.

Be sure to set SMART goals.

S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Action-oriented
R – Realistic
T – Time Bound

When helping your children set goals, whether it is to bring up a grade in math class, improving their basketball skills, or choosing a college, walk through the S.M.A.R.T. method with them.

Specific

Many times we make the mistake of generalising our goals. For example, instead of saying, “I want to improve in piano,” encourage your child to use the S.M.A.R.T. method to set a detailed goal:
“I want to improve my piano grade from a C to a B by the end of this term by practising an extra half an hour each day.”

Measurable

You will notice in that example the goal was to move from a C to a B, which shows the second part of the method. The goal needs to be measurable. General goals of “just wanting to improve” are not good enough. “Improving” can mean a lot of things and will make it easier to quit. Having a measurable goal helps them know when an improvement has been made. Then when a measurable goal has been met it can be celebrated and a new higher goal can be set.

Action-Oriented

When setting goals with your child make sure you think through and assign activities that will help him/her reach the goal. For example, if the goal is to improve a grade from a C to a B then an action-oriented goal could be to practise every day for at least an extra half an hour. Another action-oriented goal could be to always work on and complete homework before dinner (if possible). After you have helped your children set their goals, create the steps to attain them. Include checkpoints of progress, such as having them talk with their instructor or teacher.

Realistic

Goals also need to be both challenging and realistic. While goals will help instil motivation in your kids, setting unrealistic goals will only create frustration. Make sure their goals are attainable and beneficial — not only in the end result but in the process as well.

Time Bound

Finally, set a time schedule when the goal needs to be met. This puts a sense of urgency around the goal. Without this restraint, goals tend to go unmet.

Teaching your kids how to set effective goals will not only benefit them now but will prove to be a valuable skill when they are adults.