What do doctors, lawyers, and architects have in common? For one thing, they are among the hottest youth careers in the world. And they require an important understanding of mathematics in the workplace on a daily basis. Despite this, many young people are not encouraged to take advanced math classes to help them prepare for success in future careers.
A telephone survey of 1,000 12- to 17-year-olds commissioned by Texas Instruments reveals that 4 out of 5 teens believe statistics are essential to achieving their goals of becoming doctors, scientists, officials, and lawyers, but only half plan for development. Math classes are beyond the basic requirements of their schools.
Research has shown that 80 percent of young people want to pursue a career in medicine, sports, science, education, business, military, military, law, or buildings — many of which require advanced college degrees that focus on math and science.
"Parents need to understand the importance of encouraging their children to pursue a higher education while still in high school," said David Mamma no, founder and publisher of Next Step Magazine, which offers career advice to over 860,000 young people. " Of jobs and their plans to take small math classes may lead students to not prepare for college classes or get the job they want in the future. "
“No matter what career young people choose, solid mathematics education is important because it develops analytical and thinking skills. Students need to do challenging math lessons every year in high school, said Mamma no.
He advised parents to work with their children starting high school to plan their curriculum. Parents can seek out resources to help teens understand the importance of math and plan their activities, such as MomsForMath.org, NextStepMagazine.com or Career Voyages.gov.
Some tips from Mamma no include:
Make Mathematics Fun. Gather statistics on things that young people are already interested in - hobbies, TV or movies. A good place to start is with Texas Instruments ’program“ We All Use Math Every Day TM, lessons based on programs featured in the hit CBS TV show“ NUMB3RS. ” Free classroom activities are available at BWF, cbs.com/numb3rs.
Offer Encouragement. The challenge for young people is to take advanced mathematics courses, even though they may not be doing straight A's. Parents can make a difference by simply applauding young people for the effort they put forth to participate in those classes. Strengthening the daily use of math at home, while shopping, budgeting, baking or gardening can also help increase students' interest in math.
Include. Get young people to participate in school or community programs such as science competitions or math competitions that intelligently rejuvenate them and sharpen their analytical skills.
Find Examples of Job Opportunities. Find local experts and ask about teaching opportunities such as hobbies for young people. Young people can “cover” an official at work to see what kind of information is needed in that field.
Set Example. They may not want you to know, but teenagers look to their parents as role models. Let your teenagers see that you are interested in math, and show them how you use it every day — at home and at your own job. Acknowledge that your child's math skills can outweigh yours, and that is a good thing. Also note that they learn a lot of math in different ways, and this often involves the use of technology or teaching tools that you may not be familiar with. Talk to your youth teachers to better understand these new developments in teaching mathematics. They will probably accept interest.
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