Mathematics is a subject that tends to send chills down spines, cause bad memories of confusing tests in high school to resurface, and scare a lot of people off. Many write it off as too tough a subject, something that one has to be inherently talented at doing, a cut and dry ordeal.
The insecurity in math skills and lack of confidence in mathematical abilities experienced by many people stems largely from an unsuccessful experience with math at an early age. Studies have confirmed that “the strongest predictors of later achievement are school-entry math, reading, and attention skills. A meta-analysis of the results shows that early math skills have the greatest predictive power” (Duncan et al., 2007). In essence, having strong math skills in elementary school leads to higher success in upper education and success later in life. Additionally, a lack of success with elementary math can crush a child’s confidence in their mathematical skills early on. Studies have shown that “better qualifications (and the [mathematical] skills represented) were shown to be associated with better university marks and student confidence also produced a notable association with the marks achieved [in math]” (Parsons et al., 2009). So when a student is more confident, there is a direct correlation with better scores. These better scores, in turn, help to further that sense of confidence and build a thirst for learning math, and a cycle is formed that improves confidence, passion, and mathematical skills.
But math has so much more to it than memorizing formulas and crunching numbers. The practice of math is, at its core, one of problem solving, of training the mind to think logically, of drawing patterns and connections proficiently, of applying mathematical concepts to new situations. Math is so applicable to everyday life; people often make fun of math like trigonometry and calculus for not having any practical meaning in the real world, but the skills that are strongly developed while learning these difficult concepts, such as problem solving and cognitive thinking are, in fact, essential skills to have in the real world.
Personally, I have always loved math. My success with math from an early age has helped to boost my own confidence in my math skills, made success in high school math much easier, and has really fueled my passion for math. I have participated and won in several local, state, and national math competitions for the past several years, including MathCOUNTS, MathCON, AMC 8, AMC 10, NSML, DVC, ICTM, ARML, and AIME, and have completed AP Calculus BC as a sophomore. And it is my firm belief that any student, regardless of their socioeconomic background, can do exactly as I have done if their passion for math is fueled, if that confidence is established at a young age, and if that early success is achieved.
As a rising junior at Naperville Central High School, I have a front row seat to the academic benefits of living in an affluent suburb. The sheer amount of free tutoring services, homework help, and online resources that aim to aid struggling students here is astounding. At first, I too thought of joining one of these tutoring services in Naperville as another tutor, offering my services to what was already a thriving tutoring program. But the plentiful academic help already available to Naperville kids made me pause. Maybe my own skills would be more impactful in an area where resources aren’t plentiful, an area where perhaps free tutoring wasn’t as easy to find.
And so, I decided to start InFUNity Math, a free math tutoring program designed to help elementary school children in resource-poor areas. Math should be taught to elementary school children with vigor and enthusiasm- it should keep them engaged, it should build their confidence, it should sustain passion, and it should be fun. By teaching elementary school children in inner-city schools, by reinforcing math concepts, their elementary math skills will undoubtedly improve, and they will be set up for success in their future.
Diya Kannan
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