I want you to fast forward to a time when your children are young adults and someone asks them the question, “What do you think of math?” How would you like them to respond?

Will their answer be: “I don’t really like math. I was never good at it.”

Or perhaps: “Math was a breeze for me. I loved calculus.”

And how did you feel when you read each of those statements about math? Did you relate to either one? If it was the first, then did you also feel pangs of despair that maybe your child would end up with the same attitude? And if it was the second, are you able to relate to someone who isn’t “good” at math?

What makes us good or not good at math? What’s the definition of “good” anyway? And why is it so easy for people to say they’re not good at math and for the rest of us to nod in agreement or understanding? Would this be the case if, while being handed the menu at a restaurant, we said we were not good a reading and then hand the menu back? Not at all. We’d consider it ridiculous.

One of my goals is to explore why so many people are afraid of math. But what I’m really interested in is preventing this math phobia from developing in our children in the first place. I believe it can be done.

Over the next several months I will be addressing these and many other related topics. I hope to provide you with insights into how kids learn, introduce you to ways to build mathematical confidence in our kids, and offer strategies to help those who have already fallen prey. I hope you will join me. But more than that, I hope you will share your experiences and insights. I truly believe that none of us is as smart as all of us. It takes a village.

Thanks for being here. ~

Karyn