Math Confidence Strategies

Every so often, I hear from a parent that her/his student lacks confidence in math.  Fortunately, there are several remedies to this problem:

Fact fluency.  Being able to quickly recall sums, differences, products, and quotients frees up mental energy for multi-step skills and comprehending situations in which these skills can be used.  Reflex Math is a great tool for developing and maintaining fact fluency.  Your student's Reflex Math login information is in the front of her/his planner.  Our county's recommendation is at least three twenty-minute sessions weekly.  Some families have found it helpful to "schedule" three sessions per week on the family calendar. 

Knowing how to ask for help and seeing help.  Coming from someone who was extremely shy as a child and still struggles with a stubborn an introverted nature, this is much easier said than done.  Success can be found though, by taking baby steps.  First, help your student identify what specifically the student doesn't understand.  For example, is the student able to represent the situation with quick picture?  Does the student understand what a word problem is asking her/him to figure out or do?  Is s/he struggling to create an equation?  Does s/he know the first step towards solving the equation, or is another step the troublesome point?  Help your student formulate specific questions, and have her/him take ownership by writing them on a sticky note.  This will prepare your student to ask for help privately during Study Hall (8:00-8:25/2:35-2:50) or in class.  We all know how much better anything feels when we are prepared, especially when asking for help!

Talking math.  Spoken language naturally precedes written language.  How can we expect students to explain their thinking if they aren't able to communicate steps taken or correctly use vocabulary?  There are many ways students can talk math, from thinking aloud through problems while working on home learning to "playing school"--teaching a younger sibling, a parent, a pet, or even a stuffed animal what they are learning.

Hope this helps!