For decades teachers and parents have accepted the judgment that some students just aren't good at math. John Mighton-the founder of a revolutionary math program designed to help failing math students-feels that not only is this wrong, but that it has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. A pioneering educator, Mighton realized several years ago that children were failing math because they had come to believe they were not good at it. Once students lost confidence in their math skills and fell behind, it was very difficult for them to catch up, particularly in the classroom. He knew this from experience, because he had once failed math himself. Using the premise that anyone can learn math and anyone can teach it, Mighton's unique teaching method isolates and describes concepts so clearly that students of all skill levels can understand them. Rather than fearing failure, students learn from and build on their own successes and gain the confidence and self-esteem they need to be inspired to learn. Mighton's methods, set forth in The Myth of Ability and implemented in hundreds of Canadian schools, have had astonishing results: Not only have they helped children overcome their fear of math, but the resulting confidence has led to improved reading and motor skills as well. The Myth of Ability will transform the way teachers and parents look at the teaching of mathematics and, by extension, the entire process of education.
Really interesting concepts. Great ideals for teaching your kids math and breaking down imagined barriers. The author is a little to into teaching fractions, I would have liked a few other concepts presented to show proven success in his teaching method.
A clear and "idiot-proof" mathematical teaching method
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
John Mighton has, quite simply (not an intentional pun), clarified the mathematical teaching method. I speak as a primary school teacher (that's elementary, for you American folks) who found textbooks to be quite frustrating in their explanations. I mean, just how do you teach everyone what you already know how to do? He begins The Myth of Ability by outlining his frustrations with current teaching methods. Methods that punish the student for not knowing, when in fact there may be other things in play. He implores the teacher to think hard about whether the method of delivery in the lesson might just have a little to do with it. I know that feeling. Having explained something, to which I found remarkably clear and easy to understand, to then find those faces staring blankly back at me... well, I had to look further. He goes on to explain some of the strategies he uses for maths concepts, such as fractions and multiplication. If you look closely, the concepts are explained so as to leave nothing behind. Nothing is assumed. Therefore, students that might be a little fuzzy on some concepts that you may have covered six months ago, can have a refresher before moving on to a new concept. Mighton's JUMP method began as a tutoring system, but the achievement results were so good that it has been translated to the classroom. The whole system stems from his beginnings as a maths tutor himself, finding the available textbooks and methods quite frustrating (as I'm sure some of you out there do too). The backbone of this process is success. He quite rightly believes that if a child experiences success in maths, then they will be more open to further learning in the field. There are too many children turned off maths because we don't give them enough time to absorb the concepts. This method ties concepts together, and makes sure they have a good grounding before moving on. I highly recommend this method. You can find more information at the website, which is :: http://www.jumptutoring.org :: and can also download the fractions unit, which is recommended by Mighton as a starting point for all maths work with this method. (Who'd have though that students would be looking forwards to a fractions unit! Mine did... it's true!)
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