Does the mere mention of algebra and long division make you break into hives? Man, I feel you. High school math scarred me, and though (fortunately) my son is naturally good with numbers, that shadow looms long. Aside from sending him by default to "ask Dad," I live in constant fear that my kiddo will ask me a question I can't answer. And all those frustrating math memories come flooding back.
And the fact that math has moved beyond memorizing times tables, many parents simply can't relate to a different teaching methodology from the one with which they grew up.
"[Parents are] so intimidated by math, and societally, math has such a negative image, and it's perpetuated in so many different ways, subtly and explicitly," said Lynda Colgan, an associate education professor at Kingston's Queen's University.
Through workshops and tip sheets created specially via the Ontario Ministry of Education, Colgan is helping parents in the province address their math phobia, lest it gets passed on to their kids. Research indicates time and again that kids whose parents involved in their kids' education fare better academically.
As role models, we need to highlight for our children the usefulness (and pervasiveness) of numeracy in everyday life—whether it's measuring ingredients for baking or calculating how much to tip in a restaurant.
Chair of the Education Committee for the Canadian Mathematical Society, Peter Taylor, stresses the need for kids and parents to find fun activities and puzzles they can do together. It's also crucial to keep up a dialogue with teachers, especially if math performance is suffering.
Spill it: Are you math-phobic when it comes to helping your kids?
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