What do successful math students do Successful math

What do successful math students do?

Successful math students…

1… Know that practice makes perfect. • A quarterback perfects a pass by practicing it over and over again. • A basketball player improves his free throw percentage by practicing it. • How does a baseball player improve his batting average? Batting practice! • What helps a student get better at math? PRACTICE! • You won’t learn math just by watching your teacher…you have to practice every night! Try every problem on every homework…give it your all.

2… Understand that studying for math = doing math. • Go back over the review sheets. The answer key with all work shown will be posted on e. SV. • The best way to prepare for a test or a quiz is to practice, practice. • Re-work your homework problems. • Find more problems in the textbook or on the textbook website. • Go to the scheduled extra help sessions prepared with questions.

3… Explain their work. • You’ll know you really understand the material if you can explain it to someone else. • Show and explain it to your parents. • Teach a friend. • Talk it through to yourself. • Volunteer to show your work at the board in class.

4… Know what good work looks like. • Write the problem. • Show every step of your work in a neat and organized manner. • Your ability to show process is extremely important.

Good work looks like this…

Not like this….

5… Use all of the resources available to you. • Use your teacher. – Ask questions in class. Go to extra help. Visit e. SV. • Use your friends. – Call and ask them about questions you don’t understand on your homework. Work and study together. • Use your family. – Ask your parents and siblings to help you or to check your work. • Use your workbook. – Study the model problems. Complete extra practice problems at the end of each lesson in your workbook.

6… Be organized. • Write your homework down in your agenda every day. Include test and quiz dates too. • Write the complete heading on all class notes and homework assignments. • Keep all of your class notes and homework assignments in your notebook in order by date. • Keep a separate notebook for math class. • Make sure your homework is in your notebook, complete and ready to be checked the next day. If you place a tab or post-it on the homework page, it will be easy to find.

7… Know that math is not a spectator sport. • Come to class every day…on time. • Be prepared. Bring your workbook, notebook, calculator, and at least two sharpened pencils to class each day. • Look, listen, and take notes every day in class. • Ask questions. • Participate in discussions. • Make sure to check the e. SV when absent from class to get missing class notes and homework assignments.

8… Know that math is like a snowball that never melts! • It grows and grows, but it won’t ever go away! • You’ll learn new math every year, but you still have to remember every bit of math you learned before to understand the new stuff. • Don’t ignore your errors. Correct every mistake on your homework and on all of your quizzes and tests. • The more you do now, the easier it will be later.

9… Understand the “Bulldog Factor” • Be determined! Be persistent! • If at first you don’t succeed, try, and try again. • It’s okay to struggle, but it’s never okay to give up.

10… Know that there is no such thing as a “Math Gene” Even if you hear your parents or grandparents say, “I was never any good at math either, ” we know that being a successful math student is within your reach. All you have to do is follow our advice! And always try your best!

That’s what successful math students do! • In just 10 simple steps, you will be a successful mathematician for the rest of your life! • You CAN do it!