Very Weak In Maths

[rohit786]

I am very weak in maths , what to do? Don't know to start from where. Plz suggest . How can one become atleast good in maths like trignometry,calculus etc.

[MarkFL]

Suppose you wanted to learn to play a musical instrument. What would you do?

In a nutshell, the normal course of action is to gain access to the instrument of choice, and then set out to learn to play it by first studying the basic techniques and practicing those techniques until they are mastered. Then one moves on to ever more advanced techniques, practicing on a regular basis.

The same is true for mathematics. It is a skill that requires time, work and regular practice.

I would suggest getting a textbook that is at the level just above where you are proficient now. Carefully read the text of each section, make sure you understand the examples and concepts, then work the exercises. If you have problems with the exercises, come here and post your question along with how you think you should proceed and where you are stuck, and someone will be glad to offer help and perhaps insights not found in the book.

[colerelm]

Just keep practicing man.

[Erimess]

Just keep practicing I think is over-simplified. And I think just leads to memorization, which is part of the problem. There are some things that will get memorized just from doing, but you want an underlying understanding of it as well. Without that, the memorization means nothing.

I am very visual about math, and most people are visual learners, but I don't think the average person "visualizes" math. So I think trying to do so will help most people, so they get a feel for what is actually going on. And the best way to think through something is one piece at a time, by picking it apart. You start with the small and easy, until that makes sense, and add to it slowly.

[greg1313]

Hello

I am a math teacher in California who works with people who are weak in maths.
(I i grew up in UK where we called it Maths too)

Most people are weak because of lack of practice, as people have suggested on here, however I also discovered that students don't practice because they simply forget the work when they get home.

So to fix this I have spent the last few years videoing myself teaching lessons, I have 100's

Trevor Doyle, Math Teacher
Mountain Oaks School

[Erimess]

Most people are weak because of lack of practice, as people have suggested on here, however I also discovered that students don't practice because they simply forget the work when they get home.

Most people are weak because they don't understand it to begin with. If you don't understand it, practicing something you don't understand over and over isn't going to help a lot - that's just regurgitating a process. I doubt seriously they're forgetting they have work to do when they get home, but I'd believe they'd forget how to do it. That in itself implies they're just trying to memorize something rather than trying to understand it. People need to learn, not memorize.

And if you want to sell something, why not offer a free demonstration first? Like showing a video on the site so people can see what it is that you're doing and whether they think it'll work for them. Cause quite personally, I'm leaning towards just calling this post commercial spam.

[jthiret]

Most people are weak because of lack of practice, as people have suggested on here, however I also discovered that students don't practice because they simply forget the work when they get home.

Most people are weak because they don't understand it to begin with. If you don't understand it, practicing something you don't understand over and over isn't going to help a lot - that's just regurgitating a process. I doubt seriously they're forgetting they have work to do when they get home, but I'd believe they'd forget how to do it. That in itself implies they're just trying to memorize something rather than trying to understand it. People need to learn, not memorize.

I completely agree with you here. Sadly, the memorization/regurgitation cycle is how the majority of students are "taught" to learn (k-12) and when they get to college it changes completely. The are expected to utilize the understand/apply cycle. Some of the classes in college should be implemented prior to pre-algebra classes in highschool and middle school. The ones in particular that I refer to our logic and critical thinking. I believe this would help a lot.

So to respond to the original question on in this topic maybe taking a step back from just diving into the normal mathematics learning path and spend a little time studying logic, abstract problem solving, history of calculus, and critical thinking. All of these concepts are essential in fully understanding what is at the heart of mathematics. Some may learn these things as a natural process of learning math and some learn math from the process of learning logic. So find what makes the most sense, and you have not encountered before. Then start learning through natural mental progression.

[suresh123]

According to me the weakness lies in your brain.Math needs practice,solving continuously sums,never say die attitude and dedication.These things can make you not even good in mathematics but it can make you best in it.And for teachers I want to say that the children have fear that maths is very difficult subject but this fear just resides in their mind.There is only need to teach them in a good manner and they will understand it.Maths requires practice.Practice is the only key of perfection in Mathematics.

[Erimess]

You have a great talent for over-simplification. From several posts I've seen, it just sound like if you sit down and keep practicing problems, you'll become good at it. Absolutely not true.

According to me the weakness lies in your brain.

What an over-simplication. 'Nuff said.

Math needs practice,solving continuously sums,never say die attitude and dedication.These things can make you not even good in mathematics but it can make you best in it.

Wrong. Someone bad at math is not going to become "best" in it just by regurgitating it over and over. They need to LEARN it first, then practice it to get more comfortable with it. Then practice it sometimes to keep it fresh. Not to mention that sometimes it's practicing too much that kills someone's brain and makes them hate something. Then we make them take more when they already hate it. People aren't machines.

And for teachers I want to say that the children have fear that maths is very difficult subject but this fear just resides in their mind.

People are not born with a fear of math. It has to come from somewhere. And I teach. And I'm perfectly aware that people have a fear of math - I see it every day. But the fear doesn't just exist for no reason. Elementary math does not have to be that hard. I never feared it - I guess someone forgot to tell me it was hard and make me afraid of it. There are ways of starting out kids young learning math in fun ways, without ever even telling them they're learning math. If they can then have some successes with it early on, perhaps they wouldn't be so afraid of it.

There is only need to teach them in a good manner and they will understand it.

Yeah, well, it appears not much of anyone is doing that. But again, it just isn't that simple.

Practice is the only key of perfection in Mathematics.

The "only" key... so not only is math the only subject that requires practice, now practice is the "only" way to learn it. You know, when you really learn something and truly understand it (and different people learn differently), many times you can bring it back several months later and still be able to do it, because it made sense. If all you do is practice and never learn, several months later it's going to all be gone, not to mention that you won't have the skills necessary to learn the next thing. Not that I'm putting down practicing - most people have to sit down and do it - I just don't think it's that simple, and that too much practice can be just as bad. Again, we're not robots.

There are people I see who can regurgitate all sorts of things, including all kinds of complicated stuff, but they are really, really stupid people who have no idea how to actually think about anything.

If anyone studying in ICSE board ,they can take help from here. icse sample papers

If it weren't for the fact that these practice tests appear to be free, I'd wonder if this was just spam. On the other hand, there is that ad for Tutor Vista that keeps popping up in my face being annoying, so maybe it's spam after all.

[MarkFL]

According to me...

You have posted enough links to that site now, which I have removed all except the one quoted. I have asked you repeatedly not to post links to tutorvista, and these latest links are just one step removed.

I am asking you now to quit posting links even remotely related to that site...please and thank you.

[mathmaniac]

Math is so simple.
Start with counting numbers 1,2,3.... then you get to addition,subtraction,multiplication,divison......
Then you need to learn the BODMAS and properties like associative property,closure property,distributive property....
Then you get to fractions and decimals,then to negative integers.
You learn to do powers and roots and get to irrational numbers and then to complex numbers
In the middle of counting numbers you encounter words like factors,multiples,primes,composite numbers,division lemma,HCF,LCM.....etc
This is the story of numbers,it is progressive,once you start you can never stop.
I did it this way.

The same applies for Algebra and Geometry.

[Crimson Sunbird]

And the higher up you go, the more interesting it gets.

[mathmaniac]

This rohit786 has no interest in math,if he had he could've replied to us by now.He just posted this single post and he is gone,vanished
I see a lot of people in this forum like him,joined months before but just one or two posts.Something has to be done with them.
You cant teach "Lionel Messi" mathematics coz he may not be interested

[MarkFL]

It's just the nature of forums...the vast majority of members join, make a few posts (if any), then are never heard from again. It's just the way it goes. Every now and again you may get one that returns, and it is nice for them if their account still exists, so we don't prune users because of inactivity.