Baltimore, MD - 1 July, 2003 -

Are some students destined to struggle with mathematics because they’re inherently “not good at math?” According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and Sylvan Learning Center, the answer is no. A recent study from NCTM shows that everyone can succeed at math. “Parents play a critical role in helping their children succeed at math and enjoy the subject,” says Richard E. Bavaria, Ph.D., vice president of education for Sylvan Learning Center. “Parents can help their children master math and dispel the notion that math is difficult by talking math with their child as they use it in everyday activities whether it be shopping, cooking or dining out.” The math experts at Sylvan Learning Center believe that by combining traditional math drills and memorization of math facts and formulas with real-life examples and activities, math becomes more approachable and math discovery becomes fun. Using games and activities is a great way to encourage math discovery and enhance basic skills. Sylvan Learning Center offers tips and ideas to help children have fun and become successful at solving math problems: Play popular board games that require basic math skills. Chutes and Ladders and RackO develop number sense. “24” and Yahtzee help computation speed and accuracy, and problem solving skills are developed through games like TriOminos and Connect Four . Review previously learned math concepts before tackling new assignments. Starting with familiar concepts helps build your child’s retention and confidence. Ask your child’s math teacher for a schedule of math topics. Take time to develop two projects or exercises per week that will reinforce what your child is learning in class. Work with your child to solve math problems using multiple methods. This will help your child develop a fuller understanding of the computation concepts. Provide pictorial examples of math concepts. Draw or collect pictures of animals, objects or people to show addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and fractions. If your child receives an allowance, use it to formulate mathematics problems and teach them about saving. For older children, relate percentage problems to their allowance. Allow your child to plan the next family trip. Help him compute miles, cost of gas, expenses for food, hotel and entertainment. Encourage your child to do math aloud and to explain the series of steps used to solve the problem. Follow your child’s progress through her math book, tests and homework. Don’t let problems with math linger. Since math builds on previously learned concepts, it’s essential to identify and address problems early so they don’t compound (to use a math term). Assemble puzzles with your child. Puzzles help children learn spatial and visual organization. These are the basic lessons of geometry. A deck of cards can be a valuable math tool. Card games begin to teach the lesson of probability and reinforce addition and subtraction memorization for children learning basic math facts. Dice are helpful for younger children to practice number facts to six. If they are stumped, they can count the dots to find the sum. Relate math to your child’s favorite sport. Keeping score is a math exercise! Ask him to calculate the number of points needed for his favorite team to win. Encourage him to create multiple point combinations to reach that score. Play other car games like “guess my number.” This will reinforce logic skills with children of all ages. Dominoes are a great game for children of all ages. Smaller children can use them to recognize similar quantities while older children can explore the concepts of probability. Use Sylvan Learning Center’s online Math Activity Book to help sustain and renew children’s interests in math learning and discovery. Log on to www.educate.com/activities and download or print 30 days of math writing topics, trivia, questions and puzzles Learning feels goodTM at Sylvan Learning Center, the leading provider of supplemental education services to students of all ages and skill levels. With 24 years of experience and more than 960 centers located throughout North America, Sylvan Learning Center is the largest organization of its kind in the industry. At Sylvan, students develop the skills to do better in school and the confidence to do better in everything else. It starts with a proven process that works, called the Sylvan AdvantageTM. We identify each student’s specific needs, then Sylvan's trained and certified teachers provide individual attention and personalized lessons in reading, writing, mathematics, study skills and test-prep for college entrance and state exams. Regular progress reports keep parents informed. Sylvan Learning Center is a division of Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc. As previously announced, Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc. intends to transfer its K-12 business to a new private company, Educate, Inc., later this year, which will focus solely on K-12 education. Sylvan Learning Center will retain its brand name, Baltimore headquarters and dedicated management team, and will continue serving customers throughout North America. For more information regarding the Sylvan Advantage, call 1-800-31-SUCCESS or visit www.educate.com/info.

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