Many people, including adults, struggle with math. Even when I was a child going through middle school, I experienced difficulty in math class. One thing that helped me was having a strong understanding with my math facts, or as we refer to it here at Mathnasium, Number Fluency. (Check out our previous blog posts for more information about the various Number Fluency skills: Counting, Wholes and Parts, and Proportional Thinking). Once I gained these skills, I flourished in my math classes. Math class became fun and interesting, something I looked forward to everyday. I also was aware that I had to work hard to comprehend a topic; that success was not easy, but it was attainable.
Recently, a study was done by Ellen Peters, from the University of Oregon, and Brittany Shoots-Reinhard, from Ohio State University, examining the relationship between math skills and the confidence that is required in decision making. Peters and Shoots-Reinhard found that people who had a strong understanding of numbers and were also confident in using them tended to make better decisions regarding health and finances. On the other hand, people who had the skills but lacked the confidence, end up struggling to make beneficial decisions.
“People who are better at answering…math questions make decisions differently than those who struggle with them. The highly numerate search for and think hard about numbers when they make decisions. Ultimately, they trust numbers more and have a clearer understanding of what the numbers mean for their decisions.”
For more information about this study, refer to the article at The Conversation. It’s not just the skills that are important, but being realistic in one’s abilities regarding numbers and math. They also provide some tips that can help build math confidence in children as well as adults.
Another way to help build your child’s math fluency and confidence, give us a call at (203)-757-1234 to set up your child’s free assessment and trial session!
