Hey hey!
I hope you’ve had a great week full of beautiful fall weather and that as the temps cool off, you’re kids are still turning up the heat on Club Month! I’ve already welcomed some awesome new members into both clubs, but today I want to talk to you about the club that I, personally, think is the most beneficial: The 30-5 Club.
I started the 30-5 Club because I know exactly how intimidating it can be to stare down a full page (or two) of problems. But I also know how good it feels to be done with them. Most importantly, I’ve seen firsthand that the kids who do all the problems, every day, have a better handle on math. Unfortunately, there’s just no way around it.
The American Psychological Association agrees “When students practice solving problems, they increase their ability to transfer practiced skills to new and more complex problems. This is true in childhood … and adult years.” You can read more about how practice benefits learning here.
Does practice make perfect? No, but it certainly does help with mastery. And while I hope math is your student’s favorite part of the day, if it’s not, then perhaps working toward the goal of the 30-5 Club helps them see that consistency helps improve their confidence and their scores.
And please remember, for this Club Month Challenge, you can remind them that it may not be 30 problems a day for the rest of their lives. This may be a one-time achievement for them. My hope is that it makes a difference for them, though, either in their confidence, their attitude toward math, or their grades.
Can’t wait to have your kid(s) in the club!