Tip of the day – What to do when your kid makes a math mistake
Monday, February 6th, 2012I recently realized there’s something I constantly do with my private tutoring students: use a question to direct their attention to an error.
Let’s say a student makes a mistake like, 5 + 4 = 8.
Instead of saying, “NO! That’s WRONG! 5 + 4 DOES NOT EQUAL 8!!!”
I’ll just gently ask, “What’s 5 plus 4?”
The student gets the feedback that they’re off track, and they immediately know what to address. It lets the correct immediately without getting emotional, feeling judged, or falling out of “the math zone.”
Try it with your own kid and let me know how it goes!
You are good.
Thank you!