3 Reasons why being Born a Good Test Taker is a Myth
We’ve all heard it before and may have even said it ourselves. “I am not a math person.” Parents have justified the reason their child needs a Math tutor by saying “ I was not a math person so Johnny isn’t either.” If you have challenges with Math it doesn’t mean that these challenges cannot be overcome. Here are three reasons why you may think you are not a “Math Person”
- No one is born a math person: No one comes out of the womb counting and/or being able to do calculus. These are things that must be learned. Even left-handed people who are thought to have the upper hand in math since they are predominantly right-brained may have challenges. Now, some people may catch on to concepts quicker than others, but everyone must first learn and master certain concepts in order to succeed.
- You must have a Firm Foundation: In order to succeed in Math, you must have a firm foundation. Students begin having trouble in Math in 4th and 5th grades when operations with fractions are introduced. After this, if they haven’t mastered the foundational components like multiplication, they usually get “lost in the sauce” so to speak. Confidence begins to wane and enthusiasm for Math disappears also. This does not provide a good learning atmosphere for more complicated topics like solving a system of equations. Does this mean, students can never “get it”? No!. Once they are taught the foundational material needed to understand more complicated concepts, then they too can become a “Math Person.”
- Teachers can influence attitude towards Math: When did you begin saying you weren’t a Math person. Did you hear your parents say they weren’t “Math people?” Or did you start thinking this in elementary school when your teacher clearly portrayed their disdain for Math. As people, we have the tendency to highlight what we are most interested in and show more enthusiasm for the things we enjoy most. If you had an elementary school teacher who didn’t show much enthusiasm for Math, this may have affected your perception about Math. Also, Math teachers have a bad reputation for being boring and disengaging. If you ran into a teacher with this disposition, this may have altered your attitude towards math too.
It is not too late for you to become good at Math. There are tons of math resources for you to learn material on your own. Also, Success Prep offers 1-on-1 tutoring that will help you first identify where your weaknesses are and then help you to develop the building blocks you need to succeed. So, the next time you think about saying, “You are not a Math person,” remember that being a “Math” person is up to you.
