![]() ![]() These are skills you can draw on throughout life. It drives you to dig deep into your inner resources and find the grit to keep going. Maths isn’t always arduous, but at times it will test how you deal with adversity, frustration, and feeling embarrassed, incompetent, inadequate and overwhelmed. Pursuing mathematical mastery can provide a sense of academic achievement, but at a deeper level, it teaches you a lot about yourself. It will challenge you not just intellectually but also emotionally and psychologically. Mathematics is a subject that requires sustained focus, discipline and dedication to succeed. To get to the top, sportspeople need a compelling reason to keep training, eating well and maintaining a positive mindset. Just like a swimmer is committed to their daily pool drills, discipline yourself to work on basic Maths drills every day. Spend regular time at home developing your basic number skills. However, to be a successful mathlete, you need to make homework a part of your study routine. Unfortunately, some schools don’t prioritise Maths homework. Students with strong number fluency actually enjoy Maths more because they are confident.įurthermore, mastery of the basics leads to an appreciation of the beauty and richness of maths at higher levels. Likewise, ensuring the number facts are well drilled is the key factor for success in high school Maths.įocusing on this in primary school – as painlessly and enjoyably as possible (there are some great creative, interactive ways of doing it) – goes a long way. Similarly, when students are dependent on calculators to counter a lack of automaticity, it slows them right down.Ĭompetitive swimmers have practised tumble turns until they’re automatic and fluid. Imagine a swimmer who needed to stop and think about approaching every tumble turn. The emphasis on conceptual understanding over reinforcing processes has meant tossing out the ‘secret sauce’ that is still the success of our top-performing Mathematics neighbours. Two basic success factors are:Īlthough I understand the move away from rote learning to conceptual learning, there are benefits to developing Maths fluency that can’t be replaced by technology or Math apps. ![]() Young learners must develop fundamental skills before tackling more complex ones. Moulding the mind for Maths success is similar. Getting stronger and faster requires a progressive program of training at a specific intensity and frequency. Top swimmers have spent thousands of hours at the pool and gym – doing stroke drills, strength and conditioning, and stretching interspersed with recovery. They must build up muscle strength, endurance and cardiorespiratory fitness to improve performance and reduce injury risk. Beginning swimmers must learn correct stroke, breathing technique and turns. In any sport, setting solid foundations is crucial for success. Get the basics right - repetition, frequency and intensity of training Here are five key methods for becoming a ‘mathlete’ by approaching Maths like we do sport. However, I believe we can counter this trend – and help other nations improve, too – by applying principles that promote excellence in sports to our approach to Maths learning. Sadly, recent PISA results show Australia is slipping in Maths. It is instilled in children from a very young age and goes generations deep.Ĭountries like Singapore, South Korea, China and Hong Kong – the top performers in Mathematics – emphasise academic excellence in the traditional disciplines of Numeracy and Literacy. In contrast, our top-performing Maths counterparts in East Asia, Asia and South-East Asia have a powerful, ubiquitous cultural psyche which reveres scholarship and academia. In the sporting arena, Australians are fiercely competitive and dedicated to performing at the highest level. In Australia, our culture venerates sport to the extent that we dedicate weekends to watching our heroes battle for supremacy on the field, court, track or in the water. ![]()
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