You Can Teach Your Children Math! (Especially your daughters)

by Angela McIver, PhD

I started Dinner Table Math as a way to empower parents to build strong confident math learners at home.

After studying how children learn math (I got my PhD in this field), I've come to the conclusion that the elementary school curriculum does not provide the necessary foundation for success in middle school math and beyond. 


When I interview successful math students (those who are prepared to take the most rigorous math courses in high school), I have found that most have either participated in after-school math programs or tutoring while in elementary school or, they had parents who spent time teaching them math at the dinner table (or in the car, or at bedtime, or while walking to school.....).


Recently, an article by Dr. Barbara Oakley in the New York Times, Make your daughter practice math. She'll thank you later validated my belief that parents are key to building strong math students - particularly girls. Dr. Oakley - an engineering professor- is the author of the book Learning how to learn, and helps students learn to build the tenacity necessary for doing hard math. 


My goal is to empower every parent to support their children's math development in as little as 10 minutes a day. 


Check out our Dinner Table Math Hacks for fun ideas that can be implemented at the dinner table and believe in your power to succeed!


#KidsdoDinnerTableMath   #dinnertablemath   #math   #mathproblems   #mathchallenge #mathgames 


What elementary instruction misses about fractions

By Angela McIver • 04 Oct, 2023
As I was meeting with my team this morning to refine our unit on fractions, we discussed how even the brightest students become confused about fractions over time.
Mathnasium vs Kumon vs Trapezium Math: Which Program is Better?

Mathnasium vs Kumon vs Trapezium Math: Which Program is Better?

By Katy Hellman • 23 Mar, 2023
Looking for the best kindergarten math enrichment program? Here’s a guide to help you determine which one is best for your child’s learning needs.

Why We Skip Count: And Why We Time It!

By Angela McIver • 22 Apr, 2022
As a former middle school math teacher, one of my biggest challenges was teaching pre-algebra to students who had not developed automatic recall of basic facts. The students who struggled most in my classes were those who could not quickly do math in their heads. Most elementary schools do a poor job of developing this skill.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Parent Teacher Conferences Make this Year Great for your Child and Their Teacher

By Angela McIver • 19 Nov, 2021
For many teachers, the upcoming parent teacher conferences will be the first face-to-face meetings with parents in almost two years. Here are some Do’s and Don’ts as you prepare for your parent teacher conference.

Reimagining Schooling in a Post-Pandemic World

By Angela McIver • 07 Apr, 2021
It’s been more than a year since U.S. schools closed and children were relegated to remote learning from their bedrooms and kitchen tables. And, while much attention has been given to what students have lost, little attention is given to what has been gained. If there is one thing the pandemic has taught us, it’s that education models can no longer be based on a one-size-fits all approach. As educators move to re-open schools, School Boards across the country must use what they’ve learned to encourage Districts to reimagine schooling for every student.

How the Pandemic Saved Trapezium Math Club

By Angela McIver • 20 Jul, 2020
The new year started off with such optimism. . . At math club we had commissioned a new Mathemagic play to be debuted in March. We were excited about the Spring Monstermathathon and had solidified our plans for summer camp. But, two seismic events turned everything upside down and forced us to change direction, resulting in the decision to close Trapezium Math Club ... and then to re-open it!

What Math Instruction Can Gain From Reading Research

By Angela McIver • 17 Feb, 2019
I often ask these students to describe what’s going on in their head when they are struggling with a math problem. I interview students who struggle in math. The students I interview range in age from elementary and middle school to adult learners in job training programs. I give students simple elementary math problems and ask them to explain how they would solve them. While these interviews have fundamentally changed the way I think about how we should teach math to struggling students, my biggest “aha” moment didn’t come from the interviews, but from a day of volunteering in my youngest daughter’s kindergarten class many years ago.

Mulan and the problem with elementary math

By Angela McIver • 04 Feb, 2019
When I run professional development sessions for teachers, I often ask them “What do you own?” What I really want to know is, “What skill or math content do you own as a teacher and can say - with confidence - that your children will have mastered by the time they leave your class?”

The Top 3 Math Skills Students Should Master (But Don't) in Elementary School

By Angela McIver • 07 Dec, 2018
I used to believe that older children who struggle in math do so because they did not master what was taught in elementary school.

Why so many students struggle with math after leaving elementary school

By Angela McIver • 30 Nov, 2018
I set out to develop a math program for elementary students that challenged them beyond expectations, with lessons and activities that make students want to learn more.
}(jQuery,window.dmAPI));} jQuery(document).ready(jQuery.DM.dmcs['dmcs-3604481'] );
Share by: