A shocking statistic flashed on the television screen the other day. It stated that out of all the kids\’ currently in grade 8 in American schools, about 66% of them could not do adequate math. I had to let this statistic sink in. How could this be possible? Kids spend hours and hours in school every year. Why are they not learning math? It seems that the math comic strips solution is needed now more than ever.
We are entering the brave new world of an international, global economy. Our kids will be competing with other kids from around the world for the jobs of the future. They are going to need to get all the education they can obtain in order to land and hold these jobs…and math skills are a definite must. Did you know that tutors in South Korea are treated like \”rock stars\”? It seems that South Korea knows how highly to value their tutors, those people who are going to teach their kids the skills that they will need for the future. Is this the case in the United States? I\’ll let you answer that question…
In the \”good ole\’ days\” (if that is what you want to call them), if children wanted to have fun they could play games, play sports, or read books. Then came along the challenging new world in which we live today. A world of cable television with more shows to watch than anyone could possibly have time for. Welcome to the world of instant on-demand movies and 24-hour online gaming. Where does homework and schoolwork fall into this equation? Simply, most of the time homework doesn\’t make the list.
In order to get our kids to do their homework, when there are so many distractions out there, we need to make their homework fun. If we don\’t, other things will take priority in their lives. How can we possibly do this? Ah, this is where the time tested and proven format of the humble comic book enters into the equation. Comics have been around for years and years, but they have mostly been used to entertain, not educate. This doesn\’t mean that we can\’t alter the format a bit to help them teach our children essential math skills.
The web site \” math comic strips \” proposes a solution to the problem. The key is developing a line of comic books with a superhero theme. In reality, this guy is a mere mortal, but he is able to solve some fantastic problems and crimes via his extraordinary math skills. Now how did he come across this stunning math ability? He did his homework, that\’s how. The hope and desire is that kids of all ages will be inspired to follow his example…
Learn more about Math Comic Strips. Stop by Matthew Smith\’s site where you can find out all about free math comics, and what they can do for you.
