Maths and home educated teenagers

How many people say, 'I couldn't possibly teach my teenager any algebra or geometry. I never understood them myself at school.'?

Seems a fair comment. But wait! If you didn't understand these concepts in school, why do you suppose that your child might do any better? Your child has some of your genetic make-up, and problems with mathematical concepts may just run in the family.

Moreoever, if you didn't understand your high-school maths classes, did you enjoy them? Did they inspire you to find out more about the mathematical world... or did they engender in you a hatred of the subject? More likely the latter.

How much maths do you really need?

As an adult, have you needed geometry and algebra and so on? Have you even needed to do complex long division or to multiply fractions? I doubt it! The only reason you would need to know these things is if you're going to teach them in school.

I happen to be someone who DID like school maths - I loved algebra and calculus and all those things, but I knew well that I would never use them in real life. I even studied maths at university, and worked for some years as a computer programmer. I needed to think logically - but I never needed any of those maths skills I had enjoyed so much in my high school years. When I've needed to calculate prices and sizes of carpets, or balance my bank account, I use a calculator or computer software. Yes, I need a conceptual awareness of numbers and accounting at a basic level, but those were skills which weren't covered in my school, or my degree. I learned them in about five minutes when I opened my first bank account.

So...

If you're panicking about home educating your teenager because you don't have much of a grasp of high school maths, stop right now. Brainstorm with your teen just what kind of maths he might need for his chosen career - if he's thought about that. Discuss what kinds of things he would like to know. Think about the kinds of problems he might need to solve, either now or when he's older. Help him with strategies for problem-solving and involve him in your budgeting, baking, shopping and house decorating.

The more he thinks of maths as a part of everyday life, the more likely he is to be intrigued and want to know more. It's only when we become afraid - or bored - or totally bemused - that we back away from something and become unable to learn.

Many ways of learning maths with home education

And if your teenager does enjoy maths, and already knows more than you do? Well then, whatever you have been doing so far is obviously working for him. No two children learn in the same way. There are several different maths curricula available, and text-books of the kind used in schools. If your child is learning algebra from one of these, or from a TV programme, or a web-site devoted to this, or a game such as 'Algebra-blaster' - then encourage him, and ask him to teach you! If he reaches an impasse, and is struggling to understand a new concept, do one of two things: put it aside for later (see below), or find a friend or relative - or even pay a tutor - who can help.

What happens when - out of the blue - your teen (or younger child) suddenly asks, 'Mum, how do you do simultaneous equations?' - or, as happened to me - 'What are sines and cosines?' Yes, these questions do occur even in a totally unstructured, unschooling environment. Your child might read something about these things, or find a relevant puzzle in a magazine, or get stuck on some concept in quite a different concept.

I thought, when we started home education, that it would be helpful that I have a good background in maths. But it's not necessarily an advantage when my children have difficulties understanding. Some things which seem 'obvious' to me are not at all obvious to others. We have different learning styles, and different personalities - it might have been better if I were able to understand why maths is so difficult for some people.

If, incidentally, your child - at any age - DOES ask about simultaneous equations, and you've no idea where to start, try this page where I outline the concept and go step-by-step through a simple example.

Learn maths together, or browse the Internet

So when your child asks a question, don't worry if you don't know the answer. If you have a good maths text book, you should be able to find the relevant section. If you don't understand the topic, see if you can learn together. Home education should be educational for the parents as well as the children! When your child asks the question, then is the time to try and help him find the answer because he has the motivation to learn. Alternatively there are some excellent web sites devoted to this topic - I have listed a few below. Or you can call your friendly local maths expert. But take your child's question seriously, and don't tell him it's far too complicated!

Drill and busywork do more harm than good

Do children need continual drill in order to learn? No. Extensive drill does nothing, other than making students angry and bored. Nobody ever learned from busywork. If your child understands a mathematical concept, he can work one or two examples to show that he understands. Working fifty examples won't teach him anything else, other than the idea that maths is boring. If he works one or two examples and gets them wrong, he needs to look back at the teaching material, or find another book that explains in a way he understands, or re-think his strategy. Then perhaps he can try a couple more examples.

But whether he understands or not, working through dozens of the same kind of question will not help. If he cannot understand a topic after several attemps and different approaches, it may simply be that he's not ready for it. Put it aside, work on something else, and come back to it a few months later. What seemed impossibly difficult may suddenly 'click' and become easy. Coming to it freshly may provide the inspiration that's needed, which months of drill would destroy.

So... your teen will not necessarily learn maths if he goes to school, and he will - if he doesn't have much aptitude for the subject - most likely learn to dislike and avoid it if coerced to take classes, or do multiple examples. If he isn't learning from one method, try another - or put it aside for a while. Browse your library for interesting books that cover different angles of maths. Perhaps you would enjoy puzzle books, or high level model-building. Or take a programming course. Or look at maths in music and art. All education should be fulfilling and worthwhile, and also enjoyable, fitting in with the child's interests and motivation, as well as his abilities and aptitudes.

If all else fails, but your teenager needs maths skills for his future career - or perhaps a qualification in maths in order to go to the college of his choice - he can learn what he needs when he's older. He can take an adult education course when he's 16 or 18, do an extensive 'maths skills' class with other people who find it difficult, and probably learn more than he would have learned in several years at high school anyway.

Taken from : http://home-ed.info/maths/maths_HEteen.htm