March 2010

News/Events

March 3 – World Math Day. Be part of this international competition. Get the details online or here at BEST Tutoring.

March 4 – March Forth with Math.  It’s Robot Day. Learn the Math that drives technology. March 1 thru 7 is METS week in Missouri, so watch your email for what’s happening; you won’t want to miss out.  The M is for Math because “Math Rocks!”

March 16, 17, 18 – Spring Break Chess Camp.  Join us at Planet Fun to learn some good moves for ages 6 to 14.  Each camper gets pizza, snack, a chess scorebook  and a FULL day of play!

March 27 – 28 – RC Race Across St. Peters at the Home & Garden Show.  Stop in for more details and a registration form.

Happy March Birthday to Heidi and Prachi!

5 Part Series: Myths That Can Cause Math Anxiety
Myth #4: IN MATH, WHAT’S IMPORTANT IS GETTING THE RIGHT ANSWER.

If you are building a bridge, getting the right answer counts for a lot, no doubt. Nobody wants a bridge that tumbles down during rush hour because someone forgot to carry the 2 in the 10’s place! But are you building bridges, or studying mathematics? Even if you are studying math so that you can build bridges, what matters right now is understanding the concepts that allow bridges to hang magically in the air – not whether you always remember to carry the 2.
That you be methodical and complete in your work is important to your math instructor, and it should be important to you as well. This is just a matter of doing what you are doing as well as you can do it – good mental and moral hygiene for any activity. But if any instructor has given you the notion that “the right answer” is what counts most, put it out of your head at once. Nobody overly fussy about how his or her bootlace is tied will ever stroll at ease through Platonic Realms.

For more information, please visit http://www.mathacademy.com/pr/minitext/anxiety

Tips and Techniques: One Major Math Tip Per Grade Level

Use these tips to check your child’s progress in the math classroom.  Students should be comfortable handling these grade-level and below grade-level questions by the end of the year.

If your child has finished: [Ask the following questions for your child’s grade-level and below]

Kindergarten: Find half (1/2) of even and odd numbers.

First Grade: Know combinations of numbers that make 10.

Second Grade: Be “fluid” with single-digit addition.

Third Grade: Mentally and visually add 1/2s and 1/4s.

Fourth Grade: Know times tables “by heart.”

Fifth Grade: Order Fractions using benchmark numbers.

Sixth Grade: Be able to mentally calculate percents by using “friendly” numbers.

Seventh Grade: Be able to convert fractions to decimals to percents.

Pre-Algebra: Effortlessly add and subtract positive and negative numbers.

Algebra: Be able to solve simple equations “by inspection.”