Numeracy

Maths with Mr. Bigger

Common Maths Questions – with answer help from Adam Spencer!

Why is maths important or valuable to everyone?

It always has been. Of all the skills we have to understand, explain and predict the world around us, surely mathematics is the most powerful. Don't get me wrong, poetry is cool, sport rocks, but compared to physics?! And the world that our children will grow into, with Big Data, the Internet of Things, apps, coding, stats, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning … yes you will be able to get by without mathematical aptitude, but gee you will have so many other options if maths is part of your skill set.

Aren’t some people just inherently bad at maths? Why should I push my child to study a subject they’re struggling with?

Some are better at maths than others, but, like any activity, with practice you get better. With practice anyone can play the piano better, learn to juggle, run faster, speak another language. Without practice you simply can’t do those things. It’s exactly the same with mathematics.

If I struggle with maths myself, how can I help my child?

If you know maths is a weak spot, don’t hide from that and just hope that miraculously your child never asks for help with their maths. Muck in right from the start. Get your child to explain fractions to you, or percentages, or areas, and go on the journey with them. Especially with primary school mathematics.