From Math Mystery to Math Mastery - Part 1

“Mom, does Sissy have math homework tonight?” my 4 year old asks as we are setting the table for dinner.“Yes, honey, she has a sheet of problems to do.”“ Oh NOOOOOOO!!!!!” she cries, “it is going to be another terrible night.”I looked at her forlorn and troubled face and my heart sunk. I knew what she meant. Math homework with was tedious, frustrating and often deteriorated, in spite of my best efforts, into a loud unsuccessful mess. It was affecting the whole family. And very little math was actually being learned. My daughter had good teachers. I used to teach school and I am a good teacher. She is a smart girl, and yet none of that mattered. She could not seem to understand the concept of a number let alone how to add, subtract, multiply or divide them. She would learn a process and do it by rote but never incorporated the learning so she could easily apply it to slightly different operation or life’s consistent math problems.I had no idea how to help her and I was frustrated and concerned. Her self-esteem was suffering and there seemed to be no clear explanation. Let’s fast forward to her 12th grade report card. Yes, there it is – and A in Calculus!Amazing – I would have never imagined that 10 years before. She is succeeding in college, confident, bright and enjoys math.Okay, how did she get there?to be continued…..