I thought to myself, I’m really going to do it. I am going to run away. You may be wondering what warranted this dramatic reaction. The answer: long division. There really was a time where I thought that I couldn’t bear the painful process. If math is difficult for your child, you understand this line of thinking.
Math comes naturally to some people. And then there are those of us who struggle in this area. I made it through College Algebra, but you’d better believe I wasn’t going to choose a field that involved higher order math.
Why is Math Difficult for the Struggling Learner?
Math can be a tricky subject for the struggling learner because it holds very little “glue”. Glue meaning color, story, picture, humor, and meaning. Math is linear and logical. It is most often taught using worksheets, black and white flashcards, and rote memorization. We constantly run into kids who can’t remember math facts and processes. They are still struggling to add and subtract quickly. They get to division and still have not mastered multiplication. They are failing in algebra because they barely made it through eighth grade math. Without these math steps automating, it can become a very laborious process. Tony Buzan in his book, Use Both Sides of Your Brain, discusses how this linear way of thinking is not often natural for the brain. In all areas of life outside of the classroom, we know that the “mind is perfectly cable of taking in non-linear information which is non-linear. In its day-to-day life it does this nearly all the time, observing all those things which surround it which include common non-linear forms of print: photographs, illustrations, diagrams, etc.” Let’s use this non-linear way of thinking in the academic arena!
Math can also be problematic for kids who have a visual spatial issue. For example, they struggle to line their math problems up and always seem to be adding, subtracting, and multiplying from the wrong column. Borrowing can be a nightmare. They struggle with place value even though they have reviewed it a hundred times. If a child has not developed a strong midline, these tasks will be challenging.
Intervention
Until recently our focus has primarily been on reading and writing. These are important skills a child must learn to survive in our society. Because of the push for reading and writing intervention, we are finding that there is very little offered for kids struggling in math. Educators have been exposed to the importance of incorporating both kinesthetics and visuals in learning to counterbalance the black and white nature of teaching math. Those who have stepped away from traditional teaching methods are finding more success with children who struggle with math. This visual/hands on approach is used much more in the early elementary grades. Slowly, manipulatives and color are pulled out.
Beyond giving a child a stronger midline, we are seeing the great need for direct math help, especially after the elementary level. Can long division, adding and subtracting fractions, and algebraic formulas be taught visually? Yes! We have been tearing apart each of these processes and working them out in a visual manner – giving the black and white math facts color and story, assigning artificial meaning to aid in memorization, even personifying divisors in long division!
At first, we were reluctant to take this on; it is a lot of work! But we cannot deny the children and teenagers who need help in this area. It is doable, and incredibly rewarding when we see another student feel successful in math. We’re excited to share these strategies with you!
Reference: Buzan, T. (1990). Use Both Sides of Your Brain. Plume Books.