Both parents and teachers can use printable math worksheets to help their children overcome a lot of problems they have with math.
I've been a professional educator for almost a decade, and even in that time, I've seen a lot of fads come and go. Nothing, however, has been able to substitute for good old fashion practice and drill. Unfortunately, a lot of the children I teach missed out in lower grades. I would guess over 70% come to me completely unprepared.
When I diagnose what their problem is, its virtually always the samethey dont know their multiplication tables, and/or they cant do arithmetic with fractions.
Most of the kids I teach, even in the upper classes, have a very poor understanding of even basic algebra.
As a parent, Im sensitive to what my own children are learning in school. Our school systems are opting for a more conceptual, child-centered learning style. Now, theres nothing wrong with that. Its just that sometimes the basics tend to get lost.
You see, math is more like a sport than history, for instance. So much of elementary math is skill based, instead of knowledge based.
There really are a very few things kids have to master in school in elementary math. I could write a list for you, and I suspect it would only be about twenty items long.
The problem is children are not made to master those skills. So, they progress from grade to grade with an ever growing deficit in their math skills. Unfortunately, I suspect that this concepts based education is only going to make this situation worse.
The Effect
Most of beginning algebra depends on being able to multiply in your head and also on doing arithmetic with fractions.
As an example, you might remember a concept called factoring. Factoring means breaking up into parts that are multiplied together to give you the whole. You can factor numbers, for instance. 6 factors into 2 and 3, because 2x3=6. You can also factor algebraic expressions. It is here that a lot of kids get lost because they cant multiply in their heads. Its almost impossible to factor if you have to reach for a calculator to find out what 7x8 is.
The same thing is true for being able to do arithmetic with fractions.
It gets worse.
Its been proven that success in science depends to a great extent on being able to do math well. So, usually a child who doesn't do well in math also doesn't do well in science.
What this does is insure that this child will grow up locked out of 80% of the jobs that are going to be created in the United States over the next two decades. According to the federal government, 80% of future jobs are going to be technical in nature, and computer based. If your child is not good at math, shes not going to be a candidate for this explosive job market.
Your child has to master math. Its that simple.
The Solution
Teachers are doing the best they can. The problem with education is really more at the institutional level. Remember when there were only three automobile makers? You were lucky if your car ran 80,000 miles. Nowadays thats nothing. This all happened because of competition. The same thing needs to happen to education.
Until it does, heres what you can do both inside the classroom, if youre a teacher or at home, if youre a parent.
One of the most effective ways to supplement a schools curriculum is through printable math worksheets. Printable math worksheets naturally address the problem with practice that I mentioned earlier.
Parents can use them to great effect at home. Theyre flexible and focused. Same for teachers in school.
In my classes, I use printable math worksheets to help remediate students. I can tell if theyre getting the concept down, and also I can monitor their progress.
You can find resources all over the web for free worksheets. Finding answers and teaching tips is another thing. For this you usually need subscription sites.
