Article - "How to Reduce Anxiety and Nervousness on Math Tests"

from Math Worksheet Center...

http://www.mathworksheetscenter.com/mathtips/mathanxiety.html

Math tests can be overwhelming and threatening at the same time. The emotional aspect that goes with it that makes you feel like a failure and at that very moment you have a poor self image. Your brain races and you can't think clearly. Sweaty palms, dry mouth, heart palpitations and to top it all up, your mind goes totally blank instantly.

Have you ever been there? Most probably you have! Every one of us experiences this at least once in our lifetime when taking a math test. The good news is that there is ways to combat this.

Taking time to study beforehand will eliminate most of these systems, because the fear makes you nervous, and when you know your subject all fear will be gone. When preparing for your test make sure that you take every problem into account, don't leave anything to chance.

Set up a practice exam beforehand if you struggle with anxiety and stress. Many bookstores or even the Internet have them readily available. Work through them so that you can identify any problem areas with enough time to spare if you need to master something.

Divide your exam paper in three parts. Do the easy ones first, those are the ones that you can do in your sleep. Then move on to the second part, the ones that are a bit more difficult, and when they are finished work on the ones you battle with. It is no good to sit for an hour with something you can't do and miss the marks that you are able to do.

Start to speak positive over yourself, things like, "I am able to do this". If your attitude is positive you will be able to do anything. So work on the attitude and built your self esteem up, don't break it down with words like, I'm a failure, I can't do this, it's just too difficult. This will surely sink your ship.

When you feel your attention wander bring yourself back in focus. Don't daydream during your test; you'll have plenty of time afterwards to worry about the marks.

Use some relaxation techniques to relax those tense muscles. Deep focused breathing and some positive talk at the same time will help you to stay calm and relaxed. Do simple exercises like contractions of muscles. Start at the feet and slowly work your way up your body. Contract each part and let it go. The tenseness will be gone quickly.

Not all anxiousness is bad. A little adrenaline pumping through your veins can actually be the whip you need to get you through the test. Become excited about the test. You have worked hard and now's the time to be rewarded. All that is standing in your way is to do the test and then you can move on to a new level of learning, which is actually very rewarding in itself.

Life is full of tests. Some we fail and some we pass but with each one we learn something new. As you study for your test remember that the skills you learn today will be the stepping stones of tomorrow.

What about audio or DVD's. Get a math tutor on audio or DVD and listen to the solutions to the problems. This way it will sink in deep into your long term memory. Personally this has been something that really worked and helped me.

Remember to get a good nights rest, eat well and make enough time to study beforehand. Common sense will get you through!

Article - "5 Fun Ways to Learn Subtraction: Critical Thinking Activities"

from Math Worksheet Center
http://www.mathworksheetscenter.com/mathtips/learnsubtraction.html

Although subtraction is a relatively easy math concept to learn, there are at least 5 fun ways to learn subtraction. These fun ways allow learning subtraction to be more enjoyable, instead of completing the traditional mind numbing repeating worksheets. Most students find that when the math problems are related to their lives, creative, and challenging they will find not only can they subtract - they have the ability to apply subtraction to many situations.

The first fun way is through the use of an online computer program that uses virtual manipulatives by Utah State University. Their website is http://nlvm.usu.edu and is designed to engage student critical thinking skills as they apply subtraction concepts. An interactive activity is called color chips in which you use different color chips to illustrate the subtraction of positive and negative integers. This activity requires the students use their problem solving skills to solve subtraction problems.

Another fun way to practice subtraction is to play baseball math. In this activity the teacher draws a baseball stadium on the chalk board from an overhead view. Students are divided up into teams. Each team takes their turn coming to bat, solving subtraction problems. The team not at bat waits for their turn to bat, since there is no field to protect. Students are asked to solve a variety of subtraction problems to get a base hit, once the team member gets a hit he/she places at symbol or marker on first base. As long as the team is at bat they get to continue placing runners on the bases and advancing around the bags and scoring runs. Just like in baseball, 3 incorrect answers equals three outs. Then the next team comes to bat. This is a good way to review subtraction facts.

Variations of math baseball include: football, soccer, hockey, basketball, softball, and other sports.

A third fun activity is playing subtraction Jeopardy. In this activity students are given the answers and they have to come up with a subtraction problem that results in the answer given. This is an excellent problem solving interactive activity requiring the use of critical thinking skills to develop these problem answers. It also makes a connection to real world math situations for everyday choices when applying subtraction math for shopping, sports, activities around the home, and choices in life.

A fourth fun way to learn subtraction is by using paint by numbers kits. Students get to paint each numbered part of a picture when they solve an associated subtraction math problem. This teaches students not only the how to solve subtraction problems; it also teaches them how to use critical thinking and problem solving skills as they use the paint by number set to learn subtraction. This type of fun activity teaches them how to problem solve as they hone their subtraction skills and make connections to situations in the real world.

A fifth way is to have a simulated store in the classroom that sells various products, the use of empty containers and plastic foods allow the store to be used more than once. This activity has only one way students can purchase items, the total must result in a certain number or fall within a certain number range to purchase the products.

This creates a problem solving situation in which students must have a sound understanding of subtraction as it relates to other math concepts. These include connections with addition, division, and multiplication. And additional challenge can be by having the answers incorporate sales tax.

The key aspect in all of these fun activities is students' minds are engaged as they learn to solve and make connections as they subtract numbers for applications in everyday life situations.

Article - "10 Mega Reasons Why Subtraction is Important in your Life"

Math is like a family of four. Subtraction is just one of those family members. Subtraction is to take a number or an amount away from another amount or number. Picture a table with four legs. When one leg breaks that table will be of no use. This is what subtraction is to math. A strong leg that we cannot do without.

Career Choices

Some career choices require the knowledge of subtraction. To become a bank teller you definitely need the ability to subtract, or what about any career in sales. Without subtraction you are going nowhere fast. Everything in life is mathematically orientated.

Obesity

Obesity has become a major problem in this day and Era. Especially under young children and teenagers. One place where you will definitely use subtraction is when you lose weight.

Teamwork

What about a team. Sometimes you add players, but others times you take players off the field, always changing. That is subtraction.

Balance

Can you imagine how boring life would be without color? Just think off nature and water, like for instance mountains, the sea or even a lake. Without color it would be extremely boring. Subtraction brings color to your life. It helps to bring a balance so that both weights are equal and not one overpowering the other.

Dentists and teeth

As we grow up we will get certain teeth at a certain age. When the new tooth starts to push through the gum, the old one falls out, making way for the new one. When we get older we need more specialized help, and we go to the dentist and he "subtracts" the extra tooth.

Clutter

Do you know what clutter is? It's all that tiny little things you collect. If you leave it over a period of time you will have so much junk that needs to be thrown out. Instead of collecting you need to subtract from your closets all the clutter you have collected over time and make way for new stuff. This is something that you need to do regularly in order to know what you possess.

Knowledge

Do you realize all the knowledge you have gained through time. A little bit here and a little bit there and you are a wealth of knowledge. You are like a library. Full of books, audios' and DVD's but instead of lending and borrowing, you need to give away some of what you have learned to others. By subtracting from your well of knowledge you can enrich someone else with it by teaching them what you know.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming can be a fountain of ideas springing forth. Have you ever done brainstorming? Well, it can be very creative when two or more people get together and put all there ideas on paper. Then they pick out the ones that are the best. The others are then stored away for further use. But at that moment you are subtracting the ideas that are not so good and only using the good ideas.

Cleaning the garden

When you have a garden you need to maintain it so that it can be kept neat and tidy. So in other words you have to clean it regularly and take out plants that have grown too quickly or have multiplied. When you take plants out you are subtracting.

EM Games - Free Apps

The publisher of Everyday Mathematics, McGraw-Hill is once again offering five of its ten EM game Apps for free on the following dates:

October 10-12

October 24-26

November 28-30

The following apps will be free and available via the iTunes App Store:

Addition Top-It

Monster Squeeze

Equivalent Fractions

Beat the Computer

Divisibility Dash

NOTE:  Android apps will be 1/2 price.

To learn more about the game apps go to https://www.mheonline.com/apps/

Demystifying Math Struggles & Identifying Strategies To Help

Processing Breakdowns

Students with slower processing speeds or executive-function problems are often no different from their peers in math proficiency in first and second grade; but as they confront multistep computations in upper elementary school tests, their scores tumble because they lack the skills necessary to produce organized, efficient output.  These students aren’t losing their earlier skill base.  New tasks demand efficient processing in different domains.  The mathematics problems they now encounter need organizational skills involving planning and sequencing, as well as skills like handwriting, copying text, note taking, and other outputs requiring accuracy and efficiency.  These skills are often difficult for dyslexic students.  Students who struggle with processing multistep problems can improve their accuracy by employing several strategies that involve “walking” and “talking” problems through.

Woodin: An individual student can process auditory, visual information, and produce verbal and motor output with varying degrees of accuracy and at different rates.  This lack of integration across modalities can result in frustration.  Imagine how frustrating it must be for a highly verbal student whose pencil cannot keep pace with his racing thoughts, or the less verbally gifted student who finds it difficult to explain his written solution to a math problem—he can see the problem, he knows how to solve it, but he can't present it orally.  All these students benefit from teaching methods that provide organization and encourage the integration of information between visual images, language, and motor output.  When students can process information across these three systems, they can access information across a variety of contexts.

Students who have visual/spatial and handwriting problems have difficulty learning and expressing number facts.  Today, some educators suggest that students just use a calculator instead of learning their number facts, but this strategy bypasses essential skills and procedures.  Truly knowing these skills is important.  I have my students model large graphic organizers so they can easily manipulate numbers.  I have them literally walk through math computations drawn on the floor to gain an understanding of the organizational framework.  Students learn to sequentially process the information from these structures by moving their bodies over them as they describe each step.  The episodic memory of this fun activity is then used to solve a similar problem presented on paper when seated at their desks.

The video link provided above shows one way to tackle multistep mathematics problems.  Here the student plans and talks himself through the problem and then literally walks himself through it.  This exercise provides a consistent manner to rehearse the process verbally and, in turn, hear the process.  The student is also led to develop his internal language skills, or “inner voice,” necessary to describe newly acquired concepts and procedures.  This inner voice will help the student “talk” his way through similar problems in the future.  In interviews with dyslexic adults, all of them successful professionals in fields from science and medicine to law to and education, we learn that many find talking through tasks or mouthing out words while reading is helpful throughout their lives.

Seven secrets to get your child excited about math

When you balance your checkbook, buy shoes, measure distance or check the time, you're using math. Use these tips to help get your child excited about math.

Be an example

Many adults say they hated math in school, according to national polls. If you are one of them, be careful that you don't communicate that attitude to your child. Help him improve his attitude toward math by showing him that you are confident when completing routine tasks like counting money from a school fund-raiser, balancing your checkbook or completing your tax return. You can also point out the importance of math in different professions including architecture, medicine, fashion design, restaurant management and computer programming.

Help your child use math every day

Encourage your child to solve problems involving math outside of school. In the grocery store, ask her to figure out the price of four cans of tuna fish. In the car, ask her how long it will take to travel to your destination based on your speed. In the toy store, ask her to calculate the price of a discounted toy and how long it will take to save up her allowance to buy it.

Familiarize yourself with learning standards

It's important to know what math skills your child should learn in his current grade. You can access the learning standards for your child's grade on the Web site for your state department of education or ask your child's teacher to outline them for you. If you know what your child will be learning, it will be easier to complement those skills with activities at home.

Monitor your child's math homework

Do your child's math assignments only call for rote work or does the teacher include a creative "problem of the week" that tests students' understanding of mathematical concepts? Ask your child's teacher which techniques he uses to help students become more comfortable with math.

Pay attention to details

You can help your child with math homework by making sure she shows all her work when solving equations and checks for correct calculations and answers. It's a good idea to limit distractions and set aside the same time every day for homework.

Play math games at home

There are many games your child can play that involve math. Beginning in the elementary years, students can learn to enjoy math by playing games such as chess, dominoes, cribbage, checkers, Yahtzee and backgammon.

Read books that incorporate math

More and more schools are starting to integrate diverse subject areas in the curriculum so that students can make clearer connections. But how do you include math in a history or English class? One way is to read books in which the main characters solve a problem using math or logic. Examples include One Hundred Angry Ants by Ellinor J. Pinczes, The King's Commissioners by Aileen Friedman and Socrates and the Three Little Pigs by Tuyosi Mori.

The bottom line

We naturally encourage our children to read, write and speak outside of school, but often leave learning math skills to 45 minutes a day in the classroom. Like everything else, your child's skills and confidence in working with mathematical concepts will improve with daily practice, support and encouragement.

How is your child’s school teaching math?

Chances are your child’s math class is different than what you remember. Here’s our guide to some of the popular math curricula in schools today.

By Jessica Kelmon

Deciphering math buzzwords

Is your child’s class learning “old” math or “new” math, “Everyday math” or “drill and kill?” Does your child’s homework look like nothing you were ever asked to do? Don’t panic — though 2 times 2 is still 4, the way many schools teach math has changed since our school days. From teacher-led classes to student-centric approaches, here are some of the popular — and perhaps unfamiliar — curricula, with unique problem-solving strategies and teaching techniques, you may need to understand to help your child succeed.

Saxon Math

This popular, effective math curriculum blends conceptual thinking, hands-on activities, and real-world problem solving with more old-school methods like lectures and “drill and kill” rote practice. Using a “spiral approach,” Saxon builds on skills gradually over time by returning to a skill repeatedly, rather than teaching discrete skill-based lessons and moving on.

Grades covered: K-12

What it looks like: In class, teachers give scripted lectures, which means two second grade teachers in different states teaching lesson three will cover pretty much the same thing. In early elementary school, for example, the class has five daily math activities sprinkled throughout the day: morning routines (typically student-led, whole-class activities focused on real-world problems.); fact practice (including practice drills, flashcards, worksheets); lecture (introducing a new concept); guided class practice (often worksheets); and homework. On every fifth day, the teacher gives the kids a quiz or an oral exam to assess what they’ve learned that week.

Homework: You’ll see nightly homework that ranges from rote drills to conceptual homework (say, drawing a house floor plan that requires calculations) to real-world problems tailored to your child’s age. Students are encouraged to try many different problem-solving strategies, so don’t be surprised if your child’s homework involves guess-and-check strategies, drawing, building models, working backwards, making lists, or even acting out a problem.

Investigations in Number, Data, and Space

This inquiry-based curriculum emphasizes math thinking and reasoning over rote practice. Its aim is to teach problem solving in conjunction with discrete skills.

Grades covered: K-5

What it looks like: This “student-centered” curriculum encourages more small and large group activities and less direct instruction from teachers. Students spend time building creative representations (drawings, models, etc.) and engaging in “math talks” with other kids. Lessons are organized into themed units that last anywhere from two to eight weeks and include a series of investigations that may last anywhere from one hour to multiple days. On the first day of an investigation, the teacher introduces new concepts during a large group activity. From there, kids explore the concepts in smaller groups or pairs through a few in-depth problems or math games while the teacher floats around helping. The goal is for students to learn to reason through problems and explore different strategies. Each day, kids discuss what strategies they tried and what worked (and didn’t) to build their understanding. In addition, there are daily routines that include math writing, math skills drills, and data analysis practice.

Homework: Less is more when it comes to Investigations homework. You can expect to see fewer — but tougher — problems, and don’t be surprised if the “solutions” involve writing or drawing in addition to computing. Also, kids learn to use appropriate materials and tools — so when your child pulls out a calculator, that may be A-OK. The curriculum includes a “parent letter” that your child’s teacher is likely to send you at the beginning of every unit. These letters orient parents to what their children will learn in that unit, what homework problems may look like, and how best to help your kids with homework.

Math Expressions

This effective curriculum mixes old and new math with teachers presenting new skills in a lecture format and students grappling with concepts in hands-on activities. Organized around five activities — understanding, computing, applying, reasoning, and engaging — Expressions is the opposite of a “spiral curriculum.” It goes into depth on grade-level skills to build knowledge and fluency before moving on.

Grades covered: K-5

What it looks like: Every morning, classes start with student-led math-based routines about the calendar, money, counting, time, charts, etc. Later in the day, the math lesson kicks off with a quick group activity, followed by a teacher-led lecture where kids are encouraged to participate, not just listen. While teachers introduce skills and algorithms for the kids to follow, they also foster a discussion about different ways to find answers using math language and letting kids explore creative solutions. Teachers use visual guides to help kids conceptualize what they learn and students practice new skills in pairs, small groups, or individually using worksheets.

Homework: Nightly homework is the norm. While homework may involve new math language and drawing, old-school math problems, drills, and worksheets are typical.

SFAW Mathematics

Short for Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley Mathematics (SFAW), it’s a teacher-led approach that incorporates hands-on activities, abstract models, drawing, and open-ended questions to help develop kids’ higher-level math thinking.

Grades covered: PreK-6

What it looks like: Consistency is king for SFAW math. Every day, kids get clear, teacher-led instruction about the math skills they’re learning. In first and second grade, for example, the daily routine starts with a brief review of what students have learned, a hands-on activity to intro a new concept, another short activity (could be in large or small groups or individual) to connect the new concept to prior knowledge, then a lesson by the teacher for the whole class. The lesson is followed by individual or small group practice with the new concept using models, manipulatives, or worksheets, and a closing activity with individual work to check the students’ comprehension using journal prompts, questioning, or worksheets.

Homework: Since teachers select the materials that are most relevant to their class, homework will vary.

Everyday Math

One of the most widely used “reform” math curricula, it’s a blend of teacher-supported and student-centered instruction. Everyday Math focuses on building kids’ conceptual knowledge with hands-on activities, oral practice, and math games that link math to daily life while reducing emphasis on procedural knowledge and memorizing math facts. Skills are built and revisited over time, in what is known as a “spiral approach.”

Grades covered: PreK-6

What it looks like: Most days, math class is split between the teacher’s lessons, when kids listen and learn together, and small group or individual activities, when kids can learn through projects, games, hands-on activities, and work on open-ended problem-solving. There are also daily drills and mental math practice, as well as a daily review called “math boxes.” Communication is key, and students are encouraged to share their thought process and explain their math thinking so they can verbalize what they’re learning and learn from one another. And math games aren’t just filler or fun – they’re threaded throughout the daily lessons and considered a big part of your child’s learning.

Homework: You may not recognize your child’s math homework, but this curriculum at least tries to keep parents up to speed. (Still, many a parent has expressed frustration.) At the start of every unit, there’s a parent letter to help support classroom learning. In addition to explaining what will be covered, these letters explain math games to play with your child and provide an answer key for all of the unit’s nightly homework. And, since Everyday Math embraces smart use of tools and technology, using a calculator is almost always A-OK — and if it’s not, your child’s homework will have a no-calculator icon.

Singapore Math

Originally created in Singapore in the 1980s, this highly conceptual, visual, and sometimes physical curriculum (see a video of Singapore Math in action) was adapted for use in the U.S. after Singapore’s students skyrocketed to the top of the global list for math scores. Designed to build kids’ math thinking skills, the heart of the program is mastering a topic before moving on (so not a “spiral” method) — and friendly competition in the form of timed drills or “sprints.” Of all the curricula covered here, this is the least widely used but the only one supported with lessons on Khan Academy, which states: “We will (eventually) do all of the lectures in the Singapore Math curriculum (which we like).”

Grades covered: K-12

What it looks like: Each new unit begins with teacher-led conversations and group exercises that help students think about concepts in a flow from concrete to visual to abstract. This means your child will learn concrete, skill-building lessons through the teacher’s introduction and practice those skills with drills as well as sketching out the concept, and then move onto more abstract applications, like extrapolating that knowledge to solve related, real-world problems. Throughout each unit, there’s guided practice time, which may mean working in small groups, in pairs, or individually, and timed drills, which typically start with teacher and students chanting together: “On your mark, get set, go,” and then completing as many problems as they can in two minutes.

Homework: For elementary schoolers, nightly homework typically consists of a workbook practice page. Unlike old-school textbook homework where teachers may have assigned only the odd problems, the order of the problems matters: they build upon one another — and your child may discover a pattern as she works through the sequence of problems.

Kumon

True, this isn’t a school-based curriculum. However, millions of kids are using this drill-and-kill, mastery-based curriculum (not a “spiral” method where skills are revisited) either because they’re homeschooled or as a supplement to what they’re learning in class.

Grades covered: PreK-12

What it looks like: Whether your child is at a learning center or at home, worksheets are the heart of this program. At Kumon learning centers, instructors are there to answer questions and help guide your child through what is essentially independent work. Kumon prides itself on teaching, reinforcing, and drilling math facts in a logical way. Kids typically start with work that’s “too easy,” which they master, then move on to more difficult skills, concepts, and problems. In Kumon’s case, “mastery” is measured by whether your child needs help, how accurate his answers are, and how quickly he can complete the work.

Homework: Nightly homework is assigned in the form of (surprise, surprise) more worksheets, and parents may be involved to help on concepts, to time their kids’ practice, or check their work.
 

What the research says

Is there a "best" way to teach math? An interesting thing about math curricula is that right now, most studies about their effectiveness are conducted by the publishers that sell them. These studies are often submitted to What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), an arm of the Department of Education, which reviews studies that meet their criteria. But many studies are rejected, and the WWC reviews can be as clear as, well, mud, making the complex world of math curricula even more difficult to understand. As a result, there are very few studies that allow apples-to-apples comparisons of math curricula effectiveness.

A recent exception is a study with first and second graders with four widely used math curricula — Saxon Math; Math Expressions; Investigations in Number, Data, and Space; and Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley (SFAW) Mathematics — by the Dept. of Education published in October 2010. After the first year, the two clear winners were Saxon Math and Math Expressions. However, after the second year, when more schools and students were added to the study, the differences in effectiveness were less clear statistically; still, the study found positive effects from Math Expressions, and also implied that Saxon Math and Investigations in Number, Data, and Space were equally effective.

Many education experts believe we need a clearer understanding of which math curricula are most effective.  Arecent white paper by think tank Brookings argues that the government should be tracking which curricula schools use and urges philanthropic organizations interested in education reform to fund effectiveness testing for math curricula. Why? Because studies show that curricula matter — and because it’s difficult to sift through the local, minimal, and possibly slanted studies that do exist (which is why Brookings argues that one central entity should be doing it all). Also, once the expensive studies are done and effective curricula are identified, it's a relatively inexpensive solution to increase math scores in the U.S.: schools will just buy those books. In fact, an expert in the field recommends that parents lead the charge: be proactive, ask your schools and districts to pay attention to the research on effectiveness and share that information with parents and teachers.