Are Your Kids Ready For The State Math Tests?

Critics of standardized math tests as mandated by the No Child Left Behind act claim that preparing kids for tests is not the right way to teach them. The counter argument is that a standardized test is needed to measure a student's knowledge as compared to his or her peers.

Lost in the shuffle are kids who have a mental block when it comes to math. Math is unique in that it is an incrementally built upon subject. Every step forward requires a mastery of the previous step. If the early foundation is lacking, it is a guarantee that remedial math courses will be required as the

years pass by. Be it environmental factors or poor instructions in pre-K and Kindergarten years, lack of sound foundation is the leading cause for weak math performance.

After noticing the lack of sound foundation in one of the more affluent school districts in the country, the founders of The Learning Hand have released a new 3-DVD set math tutorials that instills all of the basic foundations of math. One of the founders, Brad Koteshwar, grew up in India and has the view that there is lack of focus in elementary school math curriculum in the United States. He says, "The topics are many and none of them go deep enough to firmly entrench the concepts. In countries like Japan, India, China and others there is great amount of focus on just a handful of concepts. And there is a lot of emphasis on practice." He went on to comment about a recent NFL game televised on Fox Sports, when the New Orleans Saints played the Chicago Bears. The commentators, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, were discussing the length of the cleats that the players had to use due to soggy field conditions. Joe enquired of Troy Aikman, "Troy, you played in the NFL. Which is larger - 5/8th inch cleats or 1/2 inch cleats?" Troy answered "5/8th," without skipping a beat. Math should be almost instantaneous in one's mind. The way it was to Troy Aikman during that telecast. Unfortunately, the emphasis on basics is lacking in today's public elementary schools.

The Learning Hand's 3-DVD tutorial is smart-board based and is ideal for developing K through 5 math basics. The lessons include many word problems as examples and involve the viewer to actively participate in the lessons. The most interesting part of the lessons is that the instructor uses a seven-year-old student volunteer to work out many problems. This makes the viewer participate actively and with interest. The Learning Hand also has introduced a select few math toys that focus highly on developing math foundations. Their products are available at http://www.TheLearningHand.com.

Amazon.com has picked up the Math Tutorials from The Learning Hand. Negotiations are now under way with other chains including Officemax, Barnes and Noble, etc.