The New Math Homework

By Karen Parkman, Intern, Spring 2012

Growing up with an engineer as a father meant I always had help with my math homework, all the way up until I left for college. Whether it was Algebra, Geometry, or Calculus, he knew the concepts and would help me work through tough problems. Math never came easily to me, but my dad managed to convince me that it’s an imperative skill no matter what field of study I chose. I remember him snatching the calculator out of my hand when I used it for simple math problems and telling me to at least try to do it in my head before relying on technology. Eventually the lesson sank in, and today I unconsciously do little things to keep my basic math skills sharp. When I need to calculate the tip at a restaurant, or cut a recipe in half, I do it in my head—just to be sure I can still do it on my own.

Not all students leave high school with this sentiment, regardless of the quality of their education. From my personal experience, it seems like many students’ antagonism towards math comes from their serious skepticism of its relevance in the ‘real world.’ I felt the same way when calculating the arc of a parabola junior year of high school—a skill I no longer remember and haven’t had to perform since. But math is still an incredibly important vehicle for learning problem-solving skills, which will aid students directly or indirectly throughout their lives.

PBS is attempting to familiarize children with numbers and bring mathematical thinking into their everyday lives through their PBS KIDS Lab site. They’ve recently made additions to the site that are meant to provide math support for children and their caregivers by offering home activities, parental instructions, and math tips for families to use in their daily lives.  The idea is to convince kids that math is not confined to the classroom, and give parents the opportunity to help students understand concepts like counting, addition and subtraction, and identifying shapes at home in a natural and playful way. The additions to the site are still new, but this is a learning strategy that makes a great deal of sense to me. It makes math seem both useful and less intimidating, which it can sometimes be in a classroom setting, and gives parents resources to get involved and provide support.

Hopefully the visitors of PBS’s site will build enough confidence to learn to enjoy math and improve their test scores. It makes a huge difference when parents participate in the learning process. With some support at home, even the most devoted reading enthusiast can develop a healthy appreciation of numbers.