Most fourth graders are old hands at addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. This year, though, they are expected to put their computational skills to work on fractions, decimals, and complex equations. Students who have always enjoyed and succeeded in math will find this challenge exciting; children who have always struggled with math can quickly become lost. Yet, regardless of a fourth grader's math ability, she will be required to take the subject for several more years.
Academic concerns aside, numbers and computation are an unavoidable part of our adult lives. It stands to reason, then, that by working with your child to improve her grasp of math fundamentals, you will be doing her a tremendous favor! Following are some ideas to get you started.
TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE MATH SKIL LS
■ Milton Bradley's Quizmo has forty game cards on which your child can practice multiplication and division. Special markers are included.
■ Purchase a calculator with oversized keys for your child's use at home. This will encourage her to do computations for fun.
■ Suggest that your child do her math problems on graph paper, which has both horizontal and vertical lines to help in the spacing and alignment of tabulations.
■ Texas Instruments' Speak & Math is a computer game that provides multiplication, division, and word problems at three different levels.
■ Provide your child with her own set of carpentry tools, and encourage her to measure and build along with you. Working with tools encourages the development of those visual skills necessary for math success.
As you focus on providing those at-home experiences and learning tools that will bring about improvement in your child's school performance, I urge you to be diplomatic! Nine- and ten-year-olds are well aware of and, in many cases, quite sensitive about their academic shortcomings. An overzealous effort on your part may serve only as a blatant reminder of classroom struggles that your child would rather forget about when at home. So, instead of bombarding your learner with books, toys, and activities, try to carefully select one or two techniques that seem appropriate for her, and then suggest rather than insist that she try them out.
I also caution you not to expect overnight success. Your child's proficiency—or lack thereof—in each of her school subjects has been more than four years in the making. Given the fact that a subtle approach is most effective, it may take many weeks before either of you notices heightened interest, stronger skills, and greater confidence on your child's part. Any of these gradual changes will be proof that your efforts to help your child master academic material are, indeed, paying off!