Monticello Live

Heather Carter, a state Mathematics Specialist and Monticello resident, has authored a book for parents of kids in grades K-5 that deals with the challenges that parents face as they try to help their kids with math.

The book is entitled 1+1 Still =2.

She said, “Math is a beautiful thing, IF you understand it, but it is a TERRIFYING thing if you don’t! I was one of those who didn’t understand it until later in life. The reason I didn’t understand it was because I was never taught how numbers worked and why certain formulas and strategies worked. I just did what most people did and memorized the steps the teacher did on the board. It got me the right answer and that was really all I was interested in at the time. It worked until I got into more advanced mathematics classes and that is when it started to fall apart for me.”

Heather’s job as a Math Specialist is to provide training for math teachers in this area of the state. She explained, “Arkansas joined 44 other states in a move to adopt the Common Core State Standards for Math and English Language Arts a couple of years ago. That move was an absolute game changer as far as the methods teachers are using in the classroom in every subject, not just math. But parents seem to be most uncomfortable with the math. I have spoken to several groups of concerned parents at different schools and they all have the same complaint: They do not like the changes in math instruction because the math their kids are bringing home looks like a foreign language! Even though I believe with all my heart that these changes are in the best interest of the kids, I empathize with the parents because I know that all they want is to help their child. The last thing we want as educators is to make parents feel like they aren’t competent enough to help their kids with math or that the way they learned it in school is not good enough. That is when I decided to write this book for parents. I felt I had to provide a resource just for parents that has real examples with explanations that would make them feel confident in helping their child, while also explaining why all the changes are going to pay off big for their kids.”

Heather said her number one goal was to write a parent-friendly guide that was informative, humorous and NOT full of technical vocabulary. She noted, “No parent wants to or has time to read a technical math manual!” She even went one step further and in addition to writing a book. Heather has also created a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/hcmath) that is strictly devoted to parents and their questions about math. Parents can ask Heather questions and even post pictures of a homework problem they are having trouble understanding. It’s basically a FREE math hotline for parents!

Heather said, “So many people have such a negative attitude toward math. I want to change that. Elementary kids understand math more than ever before because of this change in instruction. I want parents to be just as successful when helping their kids.”

A paperback copy can be purchased through Heather’s website:

www.store.1plus1stillequals2.com. The book is 16.95 plus tax.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 7th, 2013 at 7:35 am and is filed under Announcements. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.