How good are you at math? When you put that question to many people, most probably will tell you that math isn’t their strongest subject. Way too many people are scared of math and avoid it.

That includes many parents who convey this fear to their children and avoid talking about it with their child.

Some people feel that boys are better at math than girls. Actually many teachers, especially women, feel they aren’t as good at math as they should be. As a result, some will spend less time teaching it and settle for less discussion about it in their classrooms.

We even know that many pre-K teachers aren’t comfortable teaching math and science and that might contribute to their lack of support for math. Research shows that math scores have remained essentially unchanged since 2007.

We know that girls who have male teachers or women who feel they are good at math as their teacher do better in math. If girls were really not as good at math as boys, how could this be the case?

In order to increase math scores for both boys and girls and keeping our country competitive, we all need to look at our attitudes toward math. We all need to become teachers of math and we need to have this happen when children are very young. We need to be encouraging ways to learn math not just to learn numbers.

Young children learn by doing. They can’t just sit and listen. They need to learn using all their senses. They learn best when they play. That is what is absolutely wonderful about blocks. When a child plays with blocks, she learns about science as she balances what she is building. She learns math as she estimates in her thinking how many more blocks will fit in a specific space. Her literacy skills improve as she uses language to compare objects such as more, less, fewer or greater. Physical skills and social skills come with block play; the small body of the child is in constant motion as she plays with blocks. Social skills are developed as she plays with other children and learns to work together. None of this marvelous learning needs a label. It is all just part of what happens when a child plays with blocks.

Today we know that playing with blocks is important, something we can build on and encourage, and a skill that can improve your child’s learning for many years to come. Playing with blocks isn’t just for preschool age children; it is for all ages.

But we also have learned that we adults need to be involved. The adults who need to be involved are parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, teachers, neighbors and friends. These are the people in a child’s life who can present a positive view of math to the young child.

Get involved

We in Sequim are fortunate to have another BLOCK Fest coming to Greywolf Elementary School on April 25. This is a chance for children to learn about math and science by using blocks. It is a chance to interact with other children to improve their social and vocabulary skills. It is even a chance to play while learning.

It isn’t just for preschoolers; it’s for children up to the age of 8 or 9. It is for parents to learn how to encourage their children as they watch and work together. It is a chance for adults to compliment the child for her hard work to build the tower or the bridge. It is even a chance for the adult to ask questions which encourage learning such as “How did you make that corner?” or “I wondered what kind of animals would fit in the pen you made?”

It is even a chance to help the child make mathematical guesses such as “How many more blocks do you think it will take before you get to the end?” But it also is a time for parents to become more familiar with mathematical terms such as length, weight or volume. Helping the child learn about sorting, getting higher, balance, narrow, curves, triangles and patterns is encouraging learning math.

So come to Greywolf on Saturday, April 25, and learn about math and science. In one hour of playing, your child, girl or boy, will have a great beginning or a new lesson in math and science but so will you. Don’t miss it — call 5832-3300 to reserve your time. It’s great fun.

Cynthia Martin is the founder of the First Teacher program and director of Parenting Matters Foundation, which publishes newsletters for parents, caregivers and grandparents. Reach Martin at pmf@olypen.com or at 681-2250.