Math

      I've been known to say that if I had math skills, I'd be in business making money instead of in journalism. Math has never been a strong subject for me, and I remember coming face-to-face with Algebra the way a child might remember confronting a forest filled with hungry, wild creatures.

     I'm finding slight comfort in knowing that I am not alone.

     A new study finds parents' confidence in their ability to help their kids with math plummets when the kids start taking Middle School math.

     My own math confidence started low even earlier, and stayed there. The only lesson I learned was to fear exams, especially math exams, and I still do.

     Geometry I kinda got, dicing and slicing all of those various shapes made some sense. But Algebra started me down the path of Duhhhhh? And it only got worse after that.

     That study, by the way, compared several countries, and found that parents in Singapore are much more likely to hire tutors to help their kids than U.S. parents, with resulting better grades.

     Like the American kids in the study, I had help from my family, but that only went so far. Left brain/right brain? Whatever.

      My PC and other electronics take care of most of my math needs now, and that's just fine with me. I wonder if I would have had more confidence if I had those tools in school?