9780130431691

Designed so that reluctant and anxious math students learn current and relevant cognitive therapy and math study skill techniques. For anyone who needs and wants to succeed in math. Softcover.

Preface

ix

Acknowledgments

xi

Introduction Limits

xiii

The Company You Keep

xiv

Part One Lay the Groundwork

1

(26)

The Mean Math Blues

3

(6)

You Are Not Alone!

5

(1)

You Can Make New Connections

6

(3)

A Place to Begin

9

(6)

How to Use This Book

10

(1)

Routes to Success

11

(1)

Taking Charge

11

(1)

Charting Your Progress

12

(1)

Preview: Pushing Your Limits

13

(1)

Pushing Your Limits

13

(2)

Challenge Your Beliefs

15

(12)

Challenge Your Negative Beliefs

17

(5)

Rephrasing the Myths Can Reframe the Experience

22

(1)

Pushing Your Limits

23

(1)

Preview: Mastering Math's Mysteries

24

(1)

Mastering Math's Mysteries: Counting

25

(2)

Part Two Change Your Thoughts

27

(36)

Thoughts In Charge

29

(10)

How Human Beings Work

30

(1)

Chart Yourself

30

(2)

Signs of the Mean Math Blues

32

(1)

Wish Lists

33

(1)

Advice for Struggling Math Students

34

(1)

Pushing Your Limits

35

(1)

Mastering Math's Mysteries: Patterns and Square Numbers

36

(3)

Neutralize Negative Math Thoughts

39

(16)

Thought Distortions

40

(4)

Editing Negative Math Thoughts

44

(7)

Pushing Your Limits

51

(2)

Mastering Math's Mysteries: Triangular Numbers

53

(2)

Intervention Strategies for Negative Thoughts

55

(8)

Intervention Strategies for Negative Math Thoughts

57

(3)

Pushing Your Limits

60

(1)

Mastering Math's Mysteries: Fibonacci Numbers

61

(2)

Part Three Know Yourself

63

(36)

Let's Talk Smarts

65

(10)

Multiple Intelligences

66

(1)

Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Model

67

(3)

How to Use Your Smarts in Math

70

(2)

Pushing Your Limits

72

(1)

Mastering Math's Mysteries: Adding and Subtracting Fractions

73

(2)

Your Learning Mode

75

(10)

Learning Modes

77

(1)

You and Learning Modes

77

(1)

Know the Modes

78

(3)

Pushing Your Limits

81

(1)

Mastering Math's Mysteries: Working with Halves

82

(3)

Who Can Do Math?

85

(14)

Five Approaches to Math and People Who Use Them

86

(7)

The Playing Field

93

(2)

Pushing Your Limits

95

(1)

Mastering Math's Mysteries: More on Adding and Subtracting Fractions

96

(3)

Part Four Do the Math

99

(112)

Getting ``In the Zone'' with Math

101

(10)

Flow

102

(5)

Getting ``In the Zone'' Creates a Positive Math Cycle

107

(1)

Pushing Your Limits

107

(1)

Mastering Math's Mysteries: Multiplying Fractions

108

(3)

Questions and All That ``Shy'' Stuff

111

(10)

Asking Questions

112

(3)

Me and Shy

115

(1)

You and Shy

116

(1)

Questions Can Unlock the Unknown

117

(1)

Pushing Your Limits

117

(1)

Mastering Math's Mysteries: Dividing Fractions

118

(3)

Choosing Classrooms and Teachers

121

(10)

Participate in the Process

122

(2)

Recognize Safe and Threatening Learning Environments

124

(4)

Pushing Your Limits

128

(1)

Mastering Math's Mysteries: Sum, Difference, Product, and Quotient

128

(3)

Making Math Memories

131

(14)

How to Take Math into Your Mind to Remember It Well

132

(4)

How to Store Math Well in Your Mind

136

(2)

How to Retrieve the Math You Have Stored in Your Mind

138

(3)

Just Do It

141

(1)

Pushing Your Limits

142

(1)

Mastering Math's Mysteries: Memory Devices for Fractions

142

(3)

Webbing

145

(10)

Webbing

146

(2)

Suggestions for Webbing with Math

148

(4)

My Webbing Experience

152

(1)

Pushing Your Limits

152

(1)

Mastering Math's Mysteries: Webbing

153

(2)

Skills to Bridge the Gaps

155

(20)

Math Student/Tutor Advice

156

(1)

Before Math Class

157

(4)

During Math Class

161

(2)

After Math Class

163

(6)

Pushing Your Limits

169

(1)

Mastering Math's Mysteries: Spatial Visualization

169

(6)

Creative Problem Solving

175

(20)

Polya's Four Steps

176

(2)

Mind Shifting at Work

178

(1)

Revisiting the Four Steps

178

(14)

Review Polya's Process

192

(1)

Pushing Your Limits

192

(1)

Mastering Math's Mysteries: Problem Solving

192

(3)

Tackling Test Tremors

195

(16)

Begin with Your Thoughts

196

(3)

Preparation before the Exam

199

(3)

Success Strategies at the Exam

202

(2)

Refocus after the Exam

204

(2)

Pushing Your Limits

206

(1)

Mastering Math's Mysteries: Dress Rehearsal Test

207

(4)

EPILOGUE Take Charge of Success

211

(3)

APPENDIX

214

(21)

Mean Math Blues Boogie

214

(3)

Bibliography

217

(4)

More Mastering Math's Mysteries

221

(6)

Answer Key: Solutions to Mastering Math's Mysteries

227

(8)

Index

235

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

Dear Reader, My fondest wish is that this book will assist you to succeed with math. Feel free to read it in any order that works for you. This is a book for you to control. The techniques and exercises are here to help you, not to overwhelm or discourage you. If you feel overwhelmed or discouraged, back off and return later. But do return. The rewards are many and great. I have included information I have found useful to math students during 30 years of teaching, so pick and choose. Refer to this book when you need a new and different strategy. Dawn Bigelow, a superb third-grade teacher I taught beside, told me that when she went to a conference she wanted to return withthree new ideas.More than three and she would be too overwhelmed to try them. Fewer than three and she had wasted her time going to the conference. Three was the magic number. When Dawn returned to her third-graders with three new ideas, she could easily incorporate them into the classroom system she already had in progress. You have a system in progress for learning. You only need three new ideas each time you come to this book. More than that and you will be overwhelmed. Fewer than that and you will be wasting your time. Modify your learning system slowly and surely. Incorporate winning ideas and strategies that fit who you are and what you want to accomplish. Skim over the Contents. Mark the topics that look the most promising. Chapter 2, along with the list below, can direct you according to your needs. Features of this book and their purpose are: Introduction and Chapter 1: Motivation to excite you and help you gather courage to confront the blues. Chapter 2: Explanation of routes through this book based on your needs. Chapters 3-6: Effective methods to control overwhelming negative thoughts and feelings about math (or life). Chapters 7-9: Self-discovery about who you are and how you learn best. Chapters 10, 13, 14, and 15: Study skills to use in math class. Chapters 11 and 12: Discussion of shyness and classroom/teacher issues. Chapter 16: Problem-solving strategies. Chapter 17: Test-taking strategies. "Pushing Your Limits," Chapters 1-17: Journal activities to help you question, ponder, plan, and evaluate your math life. "Mastering Math's Mysteries," Chapters 3-6: Practice with numbers and patterns. "Mastering Math's Mysteries," Chapters 7-13: Fraction practice to shore up skills that math students tend to avoid. "Mastering Math's Mysteries," Chapter 15: Practice with spatial visualization. "Mastering Math's Mysteries," Chapters 14, 16, and 17: Practice with strategies discussed in the chapters. "More Mastering Math's Mysteries," in the Appendix: More challenging math practice for the brave of heart. Solutions to "Mastering Math's Mysteries" exercises, in the Appendix. This book is not designed as a math textbook but rather to accompany a math textbook or to prepare you for a math textbook. The math exercises here are just for you to wet your feet. Because I know that every math student brings different experiences and needs, I had difficulty deciding which math topics to include. I chose fractions because they are universally avoided and disliked. The potential exists for you to feel terrific soon if you face them. Be patient with yourself as you wade into new territory. Being curious and willing to experiment can help you to swim sooner than you ever thought possible. Use a life preserver when you need it and never swim alone. My best, Cheryl Ooter

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Managing the Mean Math Blues

Managing the Mean Math Blues

0130431699

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

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