Parents: Are we sabotaging our own kids' math "ability"?

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"Many parents in the United States assume that (math ability)
is just some kind of aptitude -
some kids have it, some kids don't . . .
The result is most of our kids (in the U.S.) don't do really
well in Math . . ."

- Daniel Koretz, professor of education at Harvard

Two Minute Video Below

Glad to have discovered Daniel Koretz's interesting video discussing how parents influence their own childrens' perceptions about the latter's math ability. Koretz is also author of the book,"Measuring Up: What Educational Testing Really Tells Us." Here are a few notable quotes below:

"In this country, It's considered perfectly acceptable to be incompetent in Mathematics.
In fact, certain people are rather proud to be incompetent in Mathematics."

We know our kids model us as parents. Why do we encourage such low expectations in Math? Do we want to make our kids feel better, if WE think they're not "good" at Math by saying that we aren't good at math?

" . . .much of the variation in how well you do -
how well a student does in mathematics -
is a function of effort."

Have you ever heard a parent say, "My Jon is good at Math," and "My Samantha isn't, but
she's the creative one", at the age of four and five? Or, have you ever heard a teacher share this kind of "observation" to a parent, sometimes in front of student, no less?

We're mixing up "strengths and interests" with "ability." What gets lost in these conversations about our kids' strengths and abilities is EFFORT. The message that they may be hearing is either you got it, or you don't . . . so don't bother, if you don't.

"I think, part of the problem, are those parental attitudes. . . ."

Koretz continues by saying that parents need to press - "Press BY parents ON students" for "what really matters." I'm not sure if this last quote just was a poor choice of words, making him sound like Tiger Mom with a "do as I say" approach, but I think he really meant that parents shouldn't peg their own kids as not being good in Math based upon the parent's OWN lack of interest or understanding in Math. This further complicates things by giving their kids a "free pass" on effort (ie. I never understood it, so understand why you don't . . . ).

What do you think?

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Previously Posted. Sepember 26, 2011

Related posts The Daily Riff:

The Unintended Consequences of Grading Effort by Joe Bower

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Katie

I agree with some of this, but I don't agree that effort on the student's part is the main factor in the ability to learn math. I believe that far more crucial is the attitude/concept of how difficult math is (as portrayed to kids by parents, teachers, and the world they live in) is far more important.

Also far more important is a teacher who really can teach things in a variety of clear ways, and is willing/able to spend as much time with the student as necessary for them to UNDERSTAND the math skills. Too many teachers forget that all kids don't learn the same way, and too many teachers expect kids to have their own natural aptitude for math. (What adult without a natural aptitude for math would become a math teacher?)

If the student doesn't have the first, then they'll never be able to summon the will-power to put the necessary effort into it.

If the student doesn't have the second, then all of the great attitude and effort in the world won't do them a bit of good. And most kids do not have that kind of teacher. All they have is a book and a teacher who throws information at them and doesn't care if they didn't get it the first time, or if they don't understand it because they're missing skills from the year before.

But if a child DOES have that kind of teacher, and their world has convinced them that they CAN master math, then there are very few who would not put forth the effort to do so...especially since most of math is not something that requires far more understanding than effort anyway.