ARE you really bad in math? Maybe you were just taught to have negative perceptions about it.
Parents mistakenly project their bias with statements like “sorry, anak. Mahina ang tatay/nanay mo sa math, namana mo siguro. (Sorry, kid. Your dad/mom is poor in math, you probably inherited it too).”
Unknowingly, some teachers may also contribute to the misconception by employing methods that focuses more on rote memorization and arriving at the result as fast as you can without injecting the fun of the process and mastery of learning.
Recently, more and more educators are teaming up with early childhood psychologists to discover new ways to make learning more effective and lasting for children.
Ma. Rowena Matti, chief executive officer of Galileo Enrichment Program, believes that in order to uplift Philippine education, an encouraging and positive learning environment must first be cultivated.
A master’s degree graduate of the Asian Institute of Management and a graduate of day-care administration degree in San Francisco State University, she advocates fun and meaningful approaches to academics especially in the fields of Math and English.
This is reflected on Galileo program’s five learning centers in teaching students namely tactile, flashcard, books, worksheets and computers.
Bright Kids Preschool Directress and Galileo’s Visayas partner, Sheryll Ong, expresses her view that confidence in their ability to learn is the number one factor in making children excel. She states that when a child believes he or she is capable enough to learn, lessons becomes easier and becomes a firm long-term foundation for future, more complex subjects. Through seemingly small rewards and achievements, kids can celebrate the steps they take.
To promote a healthy love for Mathematics, Galileo and Bright Kids Preschool hosted the “Math-alino Ako Quiz Bee” last January 21 at the City Mall Bacolod, which was participated by kids from primary and intermediate levels of different invited schools in Bacolod.
The event successfully promoted the importance of individual and group learning as well as the appreciation for intellectual growth in Math.
With informed parents/guardians and with the aid of more mission-aware educators, we hope that in the near future, no child will ever regard Math as hard anymore. And maybe, just maybe, adults will start changing their minds as well.