The Problems of Math

Article from The Outlook
Friday, February 18, 2005

Parents of Jim Pearson students have the opportunity to enhance their math skills through several workshops that will be offered for the next few weeks. Second grade teacher and Math Teacher Leader Jerrie Mattox and Kindergarten teacher Barbara Thompson are teaching workshops aimed at helping the families of Jim Pearson students with math problem solving skills.

“It is one way to get parents involved with their children’s education,” Mattox said. “It is also a way to facilitate mathematical problem solving at home.”

She said they are using multicultural literature to teach the math problem solving skills.

Thompson said it is a way to teach the children how to think about math so that it is a part of their everyday life. It shows them ways that math is used in the real world.

The latest workshop was Thursday night from 5:30-7 p.m. and about 18 families participated in the workshop where they learned the concept of doubling. Mattox said there has been a pretty good turnout so far. They have had two workshops prior to Thursday’s.

“The first workshop averaged about 30 families,” she said. “The second one had only around 12 families but there were several other things going on around town that night.”

Mattox said the workshop begins with refreshments and a warm-up problem to get them thinking about numbers. Then they are read a story and throughout the story the teachers are asking math related questions.

“Thursday’s story is about doubling,” Thompson said. “The children are encouraged to express themselves using words or pictures, not just numbers to solve the math problem.”

She said it provides families a chance to work together on solving the problems. Some of the parents have commented about how much they have enjoyed the workshops.

“The children love it,” Thompson said. “It is children and parents learning together.”

Parent, Melissa Oliver, thought it was important for her and her son, Spencer, to learn how to work the problems together so they can work on challenging things in the future. She said it also provide for some quality time with her son.

Mattox said the workshops are made available through TEAM-Math. TEAM-Math is Transforming East Alabama Mathematics, which is in a partnership between Auburn University, Tuskegee University, and 12 school districts in east Alabama. It is funded by the National Science Foundation.

The workshops will continue every Thursday night through March 10 from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Jim Pearson lunchroom. Mattox said families are welcomed even if they didn’t sign up to attend.

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