Remember when we were told in math class that we had to learn how to write out problems because we would never have a calculator in our pockets? Now we do, so we can solve math anytime we want to. Do we really need to require children to fret over memorizing their math facts anymore? Stay tuned for this and other educational myths busted. Myth #1: Memorizing math facts is tedious and unnecessary.Children at a young age soak up information like a sponge, so it is a lot easier to learn your math facts early in life. Memorizing information allows for the brain to focus on higher level thinking skills in order to solve more difficult problems in life. Math skills build on each other so if you don’t have the basics down, it makes math much more difficult. Make learning math facts fun and engaging so that your child wants to learn them instead of dreading them. Yes you could use a calculator for all parts of a problem, however, the calculator only answers the question it is program to answer. If you make a mistake entering the numbers and don't realize it, the calculator is going to give you the wrong answer. If you use Siri to find the answer, remember Siri is also only able to answer what it was programed to answer, so it can be wrong too. (Remember, the young people who use the calculators for everything now, will be the ones programming the computers of tomorrow.) Myth #2: High school students who struggle with reading should avoid reading and go to audiobooks.Michael Jordan was kicked off his high school basketball team. One would say he struggled when it came to high school basketball. Michael didn’t quit working on basketball skills. Instead he worked harder so he could get on the Chicago Bulls. If you struggle with reading, you should increase the amount of reading you do instead of decreasing it. If it helps you can use audiobooks as long as you are following along with the book as it is read to you. Don't just let the audiobook do it for you if you struggle. Studies have shown that we don't retain information as well as when we are interacting with the reading. Myth #3: Reading fluency is the most important skill in reading.Decoding words is only part of reading. How fast or slow you decode means nothing if you don’t comprehend what you are reading. Reading is an interactive activity where you ask yourselves questions to gauge how much you understand what you are reading. At first this might come from others who are asking questions as you are reading, but eventually you start to ask questions without being told to. Anyone who can read is able to increase their speed over time with practice. Myth #4: I hate (fill in the subject) so I can’t help my child with it.Have you ever thought “I can only help my child until this point because I don’t get the new math”? This is a myth. Instead it is a great opportunity to expand your knowledge and create memories with your child at the same time. Children need to see their parents overcome their struggles, so they can learn that it is ok to struggle, but it is not ok to give up. Instead of throwing in the towel, look up the skill online and work together to figure out the answer. Myth #5: Discovery learning is the best way to learn for children.Discovery learning is not a new topic even though it seems like it to parents of the Common Core generation. Discovery learning happens when teachers assign projects to complete, word problems in math, or science experiments. Parents are at a loss when helping their children learn because spelling lists, math homework, or textbooks are not coming home for them to look at and discuss. If children don’t have background knowledge of a topic, it is hard for them to be able to figure out where to look for information. Instead, when left to their own devices, children who don’t know what to do become behavior problems and fall farther behind their peers. Myth #6: Children learn best when they control what they learn.There is a certain amount of truth in that when a child gets interested in a topic they should follow their interests and learn more about it. However, there is a certain amount of basic knowledge that needs to be learned in order to be successful. Humanity tends to drift towards knowledge that aligns with their interests, passions, and current reality. Leaving a child to have complete control over their learning when they don’t understand all of the ramifications involved is just plain dangerous. Myth #7: Using a colored strip will help my child read.Special education teachers have used colored transparent slips of plastic in order to highlight words or lines of writing to help struggling readers read. This can help at times, but it can also make it worse for struggling readers. There is a disorder called Irlen Syndrome which happens when the eyes take in too much light and distorts the image the eyes see. It has nothing to do with a person’s eyesight. In fact most eye doctors don’t know anything about Irlen Syndrome so they will dissuade parents and patients from pursuing getting checked out. In order to filter out the light, an Irlen Screener/Irlen Diagnostician will try several colored overlays (clear colored plastic sheets of paper) or combination of overlays to help the client restore the distorted image. Special education teachers on the other hand, randomly pick colored strips without understanding how they work. Myth #8: I am not a teacher so I can’t teach.As any parent should know, they are their children’s first teachers. You spend the first year of life teaching your child to walk and talk. Then you are constantly teaching your child how to be competent and productive adults.
You don’t have to have a teaching degree in order to be able to teach. You just have to know more information than the person you are teaching. You also have to have a level of patience to teach because it will take the learner some time to learn the material. The point is you can help your child learn. Most homeschooling families will tell you that they learned right alongside of their children as they taught them the curriculum. These are just a few of the educational myths out there.
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