The question of why to teach mathematics and how to understand it is often asked guys who, to put it mildly, this subject is not given. But, alas, OGE and EGE in mathematics still have to pass, regardless of whether you understand it or not.

Why do you need math 1st grade?

If you have decided to become, for example, a journalist or political scientist, then the ability to calculate the integral or find a discriminant is really unlikely to be useful. But the systematic thinking that develops mathematics will help you in your work. In mathematics you will learn to think logically, to work simultaneously with a lot of factual material, to create and justify concepts, to express and prove your point of view.

How do you understand math? It is, like any language, a sign system. You will not be able to speak a foreign language simply by learning a dictionary but not knowing how to use the rules of grammar. A simple cut will not give you the desired result. Mathematics must learn to understand. From the first grade this subject is given on the principle of “from simple to complex. If something is missed in primary school, in high school “fast” to catch up material will not work.

What should I do?

Most parents, if a child gets a solid D or D in mathematics, are looking for a tutor or training course. In about 80% of cases, systematic extra tuition and a change of teacher (even if temporary) helps to solve the problem. So here the reason for low performance is that it is difficult for a student to keep up with the rest of the class or hesitates to ask a question if something is unclear, afraid of the teacher, there are gaps.

But what to do if the child is trying hard to understand mathematics, but he is not doing anything? And that’s where excuses usually start:

“No ability to do math 1st grade games.”
“He’s a pure humanitarian.”
“She’s a girl, why does she need math?”
“Mathematics is too difficult a subject.”
“Thank you, Marie Ivanna, we’ve been very useful in life.”
Alas, they don’t solve problems, but on the contrary, they make them worse. Mathematics is a compulsory exam in the 9th and 11th grades, and it is simply unreasonable to waste time on such excuses.

It’s not about abilities, it’s about the head.

According to child psychologists, children who do not have time for mathematics are similar in one thing: they are so afraid to make a mistake that this fear prevents them from gathering and solving the problem correctly. The roots, as always, lurk in primary school.

Undeveloped abstract thinking.
Bad reading skills.
Shyness.
Fear of getting bad grades.
Together, these factors prevent the child from understanding the rule and conditions of the task and result in failure, fear and misunderstanding. The child feels that he or she is impracticably stupid in terms of mathematics, and this feeling is reinforced by the disapproval of parents and teachers in various forms, from “You are retarded” to “You have the brain of a humanitarian”. A harmless school subject becomes an endless source of humiliation, fear, negative emotions.

Is it possible to correct the situation?

Psychologists recommend to act simultaneously in several directions.

First, it is necessary to find a teacher who is passionate about his subject and respectful of children, who can show that mathematics is not a boring set of numbers and incomprehensible rules, but a language spoken by the entire universe, with its own aesthetics and philosophy.
Secondly, humanistic children need to see sense in all their actions. As soon as they learn to see mathematics in the world around them, to apply its laws to familiar things, they will begin to make progress in the “hateful” subject.
Third, you can’t humiliate a child and say that he can’t do anything. If something fails, it is necessary to make attempts until it succeeds, using different ways of solving. The feeling of satisfaction from the fact that he himself coped with a difficult task or example, will give him confidence in his abilities, there will be a desire to try it again.
Fourthly, gaps in knowledge must be filled. How can we do that? To enroll a student in a preparatory course, the earlier the better, for example, 1.5 – 2 years before GIA or EGE. A large amount of material cannot be worked through and assimilated in a few months.
The proverbs “Not as scary as the devil is tiny” and “Fear has big eyes” are applicable to mathematics. This “monster” can well be tamed.

Why do I need to focus on profile math 1st grade right away?

Good mathematics scores are required when applying to some humanitarian specialties, especially if they are related to economics, marketing and management. It happens that future linguists also take this course. It all depends on the university and its profile. The only thing that counts only for profile mathematics is that it is not indicated everywhere.

By choosing a profile math,

you significantly improve your chances of a budget;
you can apply to more universities;
you’ll start to better understand other subjects, especially languages.
And, of course, you will be able to respond with dignity to stupid jokes about humanitarian workers and “one, two, three, and then – a lot”.