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Annie Murphy Paul is an expert on the science of learning.
Video transcript
“Research shows that kids arrive at school with widely varying familiarity with, and comfort with, math and numbers. And a lot of that has to do with how much numbers and math got talked about in their homes. And the kids who have that comfort level and that familiarity with numbers have a head start on learning school math. There are a lot of ways that you can work in number talk into everyday life. When you’re on the road, there are all kinds of numbers that you can talk about — mileage and estimating how long it will take to get somewhere. One thing I’ve done in my own home is that I mounted a thermometer outside, just outside our back door, and my kids literally run over in the morning to see what the temperature is. And we look in the newspaper and see what the high was going to be for that day, what the low was going to be, how that differed from the seasonal average. So, those are some ways that parents can easily work in numbers into everyday life.”
Check out Paul’s other insights and tips!
- Help your child ease test anxiety!
- Why testing is good for the brain
- Smarter studying — how your child can study more efficiently
Also … learn about containing your math anxiety!