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Why do kids struggle with Geometry concepts in Math I, Math II, Math III?

Apr 23, 2018 | Apex Middle Creek

<p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: sans-serif, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Geometry is the branch of mathematics that deals with the properties, measurement, and relations of points, lines, angles, surfaces, and solids. In layman’s terms it is math applied to pictures. Many people say it is creative rather than analytical, and students often have trouble making the leap between Algebra concepts and Geometry concepts. They are required to use their spatial and logical skills instead of the analytical skills they are accustomed to using for Algebra concepts.

<p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: sans-serif, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Most Geometry problems are given in terms of pictures. It is probably one of the first times in a student’s Mathematical career that the problem has not been completely spelled out for them. If they do not pick up on the subtle clues given in the picture, they are not able to decode the problem. The information they need is all there, they just don’t recognize it as useful. Vocabulary plays a critical role in this process. If you don’t know what a bisector is and what it does, how are you going to be able to solve a problem involving one?

<p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: sans-serif, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Another common struggle we see is that students are impatient with the decoding process. One picture in a problem can contain many steps before you get to the final answer. Just because you are looking for the value of one angle does not mean you can ignore the rest of the picture. There is usually a progression of finding one piece of information that helps you find another that helps you find another, and so on until you get to your final answer. Students need to know how and where to start the problem, so they can work their way to the answer. They also need to be patient as they work thoroughly through the entire process.

<p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: sans-serif, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Many kids are surprised by the amount of Algebra there is in Geometry. Come to find out that we use Algebra everywhere in Geometry, especially with the problem solving. If their Algebra skills are weak after completing Math I, it is going to be very troublesome when they get to Math II next year. The same goes for Math II (algebra and geometry skills) weakness going into Math III.

Why do kids struggle with Geometry concepts in Math I, Math II, Math III?

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