Increase Math Performance

Why are we not doing well in math? Are we afraid of Math or do we hate it? What makes us lazy whenever we sit down to solve problems?

Let us say, as students we are asked a simple question: What is the square root of 256? The question, of course, looks very simple. We confidently and happily write the answer as 16. To make it doubly sure, we use a calculator and find out that 16 * 16 = 256. We don't want to err at any cost, so we further try to find out the square root of 256 and determine with conviction that our answer is right. During an evaluation, the math teacher marks our answer wrong. All our confidence evaporates and we don't know why it is wrong. The teacher says that we have either forgotten or ignored one of the fundamental rules of arithmetic. Would we do that if we knew what the rules were? If we are not able to score correctly even on a question that appears so simple, what guarantee is there we will do better on other problems? This is what makes us afraid of math. The major cause of fear is though you know 2 + 2 is not 5, you are not sure if it is 4 because in the past you were considered wrong when you gave a correct answer. Did you know that over 25 skills in math are learned by a kindergarten child? When you ask an adult or a college student what are those skills, they are shocked to find out that they can't name them! If they can't name them, can they use them? Yes. They are using these skills daily but they don't know what they are! This is another reason why they are not doing well and are afraid of math! During nursery days no one told them that they were learning skills and at that age, they won't know what a skill is? Suddenly they are given a problem to solve and they are doubtful as to which skill to adopt? They would now have learned hundreds of skills and thousands of concepts but they are as ignorant about them as someone who has not attended school. This book helps you to overcome all these and more fears you have about math by equipping you with relevant and suitable skills. It gives you a complete overview of how to make math easy and meaningful. Please note that it is not a book of mathematics but a psychologist's view of why we are afraid of math and how to overcome such fears, anxieties, and hatred. As long as these fears are there, we may not be able to enjoy doing math and score well. This book provides an insight into how to make math easy for us, how to understand math, what kinds of thinking are involved in math, and how to practice math.