NEWPORT BEACH, CA / ACCESSWIRE / October 4, 2023 / Every year, millions of students sit down to take the SAT, a crucial exam that can impact where they will attend college. Yet, while they should be prepared, many will struggle, particularly with the math section. Most telling, teens aren't necessarily tripped up by geometry, but instead by doing fractions or multiplication. How is it possible that a high school student can be hindered by basic concepts they were exposed to back in elementary school? Below, Ramit Varma and Jake Neuberg, the Founders of the online math tutoring program Wonder Math, lay out why grades 2nd-5th are when every child's foundation in math is - or isn't - built.
Ramit explains that it helps to first understand the differences between how reading and math are taught. "Reading is progressive and built in a very linear fashion," he says. "It gradually gets harder. Every new skill builds on the one that came before it. For example, you can't read words with blended consonants like 'thatch' if you can't first read simpler words such as 'hat.' So, if a child has trouble with reading, it is immediately obvious. They can't move on to a more difficult skill without having a solid foundation based on what came before it."
Learning math is very different. Instead of being a linear path like reading, it is more like a house that is being constructed. The living room is addition. The kitchen is decimals. The laundry room is percents. In the beginning, one "room" or skill does not necessarily depend on the other to stand. However, in middle school and high school, they will all come together as part of the overall structure.
Jake says, "When you look at a second or third grade math program, you're building bricks in a foundation unit by unit. So, a child may be doing fractions and have no problem at all, but when they move to decimals, suddenly, they hit a wall. Math is a series of these sort of discreet walls that they need to jump over."
Unlike with reading, parents are often unable to see the signs that their children are struggling with math. Reading is a visual part of the real world, be it a sign, menu, storybook at bedtime, or birthday card. Math, on the other hand, appears to be more hidden even though in reality, it is all around us.
"All of this is why years later, high school students feel unprepared to do well on the math sections of college entrance exams," Ramit believes. "They never truly mastered foundational math concepts back in elementary school even though they were progressing through their education. By the time they sit down to take the SAT or ACT, their foundation is crumbling, and they are anxious and lack self-confidence in their math ability."
Wonder Math is solving the issue through storytelling, an innovative teaching method that helps young students cement foundational math skills. The online math tutoring company has built a national reputation for using experiential learning to target cracks in each child's math foundation and strengthen them. Stories, with their universal appeal, allow previously dry concepts to be presented in fresh, engaging ways and to ultimately show children how math is relevant in their daily lives.
"We avoid rote memorization and instead focus on context, which is infinitely more relatable for students," Jake explains. "We are showing kids that, yes, they can do math, and, yes, it is even entertaining."
Each Wonder Math live-expert educator guides groups of four students to master concepts that are typically introduced 1-3 weeks ahead of a school's curriculum. The emphasis is on discovery, resilience, and critical thinking, as well as fun, with puzzles, game-based elements, and "gems" that can be exchanged for real prizes.
"It is far easier and more productive to set a child up for success in math right from the beginning than it is to arrive in high school with cracks that must be filled," says Ramit. "At Wonder Math, we know that while a student may have years before they take the SAT, what they do today will impact their success. We are committed to helping more kids to become math fluent and to achieve everything they dream of in the classroom and beyond."
About Wonder Math
Wonder Math is the only online math-tutoring program that develops mathematical thinkers by teaching through active learning in the context of a story, making math fun, relevant, and easy to understand. Wonder Math protects a student's well-being by building their confidence in math topics at school. By fostering math competency, instilling a positive attitude toward math, and establishing a foundation of confidence at the critical ages of 7 to 11, kids will be brighter, more hardworking, resilient, and independent adults who are prepared to achieve a lifetime of advantages. To learn more about Wonder Math, please visit https://www.wondermath.com/ or contact:
Louise Brewer, Wonder Math
louise.brewer@wondermath.com
SOURCE: Wonder Math
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