3 Ways To Improve Your Math Skills
If you are struggling with math, you can improve your math skills with a little more focus, practice and effort. Dedicating yourself to your math skills, and working with a math tutor, can be a great way to improve your math skills. Here are three things you can try on your own, combined with working on a tutor, to start making math class easier to handle.
#1 Start By Mastering The Building Blocks
With math, you need to know each step along the way. You need to know each building block to progress. If you are struggling with your math skills, work with a tutor to figure out what building blocks you are missing. Then, go back and learn those building blocks. Have someone teach you the concepts that you are missing. Work on practice problems that will help you master those building blocks and learn the theories behind each step of the process. When you have a solid foundation, you will be more equip to tackle the tough problems that are currently tripping you up. Always take the time to learn each new concept you encounter; math is about your overall understanding of the concept, not just the specific problem that you are working on right now.
#2 Figure Out Your Errors
Next, when you miss a problem and get it wrong on your homework, a test or a quiz, don't just look at the correct answer and move on. Sit down and spent time re-working each problem that you missed. Figure out where in the process you made an error. Write down and make a list of what type of errors you made; you may find that you have a pattern of making similar types of errors.
Then, work that problem again so that you know how to get to the correct answer. Make a practice worksheet of similar types of problems, and work those as well. Take the time to figure out your mistake and learn how to get to the right answer. Just seeing that you did something wrong doesn't teach you how to do something correctly. Take the time to figure out how to each problem correctly.
#3 Keep Track Of Terminology
There is a lot of specific terminology that you need to know and understand in order to succeed in math. Math is its own language, with specific terms and definitions that you need to understand. Write down all of the terminology that you need to know, and create flash cards with each term, definition and examples of what that term means. Use that to create your own personal mathematical dictionary. Use this dictionary and build on it over time as you advance through math. Having your own personal dictionary will provide you with reference whenever you need it, and writing down terminology and coming up with your own definitions and examples will help you master the concepts you are learning.
Improve your math by making sure that you understand all the necessary building blocks for where you are right now in your math journey, always figure out where you made an error when you get a problem wrong, and keep track of all math-related terminology that you learn by building your own personal math dictionary.