How parents can help kids embrace math for future career success

(BPT) – What do construction of the St. Louis Arch, overseeing the grocery service counter and the management of big data have in common? The answer is simple: math. Without the level of knowledge that math provides, the Gateway Arch might not have been completed, the grocer would not be able to manage its daily operations and every business that relies on data would grind to a halt.Math is everywhere. But just saying the word “math” is likely to produce groans from both adults and children. Math often gets a bad reputation for being complicated to learn, uninteresting or a skill most people won’t need in their lives. For many young learners, math starts out fun. But along the way, concepts become more abstract and math anxiety sets in. Left unchecked, this can harm long-term learning and even impact kids’ future careers in a growing number of STEM fields. But experts say parents can help children develop a positive math mindset and embrace math as a core lifelong skill.Why math is critical for future job success As demand for STEM jobs grows, parents continue to recognize the key role math plays in their children’s career paths. According to the 2020 edition of the Future of Jobs report by the World Economic Forum, roles such as data analysts and scientists, AI specialists, engineers, software and application developers are set to experience a notable increase in demand.According to a recent public opinion poll conducted by SMS Research Advisors for Cuemath, nearly 85% of U.S. parents with children ages 4 to 18 feel that strong math skills are “important” or “very important” to their child’s future career success. Yet, nearly three quarters (74%) don’t have a strong belief that their child’s school has adequate math learning resources.Looking beyond school resourcesOnly 26% of parents feel strongly that traditional schools are providing adequate math learning resources for young students. This leaves an enormous gap in the number of students that will be prepared for future STEM careers. To reduce math learning gaps, as well as the anxiety that math can instill in younger learners, parents can work with tutors, online and digital resources and customized learning programs that help students get back on track. Especially popular are supplemental online learning platforms that teach math visually and focus on real-world examples rather than math theories common in traditional education environments.What parents can do Helping children overcome math anxiety can be challenging for parents who don’t feel comfortable with math themselves. A lack of confidence in their ability to help with math homework or understand the K-12 math curriculum is driving parents to seek outside help from sources like Cuemath.Cuemath uses a simple teaching method to remove the fear of math in children and allow them to enjoy learning. At Cuemath, teachers demonstrate how math concepts work through a combination of adaptive and visual learning techniques, making it easier for students to grasp concepts deeply and intuitively. The program differs from traditional tutoring approaches that emphasize memorization and rote mechanics. Building a child’s reasoning power helps them learn how to make decisions on their own and increases their confidence and skills over time.Parents looking to build their child’s math skills and ready them for the in-demand jobs of the future can sign up with Cuemath to access on-demand classes and individual learning provided by more than 10,000 math tutors. Cuemath follows U.S. Common Core Standards and is accredited by STEM.org.Parents and students can learn more at www.cuemath.com/en-us/.