by Lianne Castelino www.whereparentstalk.com

If you have elementary school children (or even older) chances are they’ve asked you for help at one point or another with math.  Now being a journalist, who is not shy to admit that I can barely count to 10 on my fingers, this question usually sends a shiver up my spine.

I vividly remember being that kid who did not always get match in school, who could at times tune out and when I got to calculus in grade 9 just wanted to vomit because I was convinced it was another foreign language and why were they torturing us?  In any event, I could pound out a story in seconds, who needed math…right?

There is hope.

There is help.

The help and hope are there for those who wish to accept it.

If you haven’t heard of Junior Undiscovered Math Prodigies (JUMP Math), then sit up and listen.  This method of teaching kids math, kids from 0 on up has yielded astonishing results.   Read, watch and learn about JUMP’s success:

I had the pleasure of meeting the founder of JUMP, John Mighton, for a story yesterday. During our interview I was struck by how unassuming and passionate he is about helping kids excel at math.  Mighton, himself, was one of those kids who struggled with math.  He told me that he actually abandoned the topic until his 30’s.  Then he become a math tutor of inner-city children and made discoveries about how kids learn math that empowered him to go earn his PH.D in mathematics.  He was awarded the Order of Canada in 2010.

JUMP Math was the subject of a recent New York Times article that proves through evidence-based statistics the stunning improvement kids in North America and parts of the U.K. have made in their math skills.   Many teachers have expressed how following this system of teaching math has led not only to better results in their students, but a feeling of empowerment in the way they themselves teach a subject that can be difficult to learn.

While it is growing in many schools across the continent, the JUMP math organization, a charity, is eager to liberate students and teachers mired in math hell.  However, many teachers across Canada don’t realize they can use the JUMP Math system in their classes without having their knuckles smacked.

Do it, do it, do it.  The scientific evidence, studies, and statistics speak for themselves.

Why put your child, and yourself through that hideous feeling of inadequacy about a subject when there is help available through the form of workbooks and guides that simplify numbers and number concepts.

Ever penny of JUMP Math materials sold goes to producing more materials — no royalties, no inflated salaries, no cash

Parents need to know about this program and then need to ask their kids’ teachers, their school principal and whomever else in their school setting about it.  Why suffer?

I am thrilled to have learned more about this program — my knowledge is less than 24 hours old, but I’ve since researched it and cannot believe I didn’t investigate it more deeply a long time ago.  I’ve stopped kicking myself and plan to get the workbooks for my three kids asap.

What’s more Mighton told me the program even works for adults — so guess who will be getting a workbook for herself?

Coming soon!  JUMP Math profile on Parents Talk on Rogers TV