The Clara James Approach to learning
When it comes to learning we are all individuals.
The past 20+ years have taught me that no matter our learning style if the child is engaged and relaxed they are more likely to learn.
If we just keep giving them the same resources, varied over and over again, all we are doing is giving them one place in their brains to find the information. However, by giving them a variety of resources we can make it more interesting, more relevant, and help them to create multiple memories so that when they need to recall the information, they have more places they can go to in order to find it.
If we can boost their confidence as well as their knowledge we will make their life and ours easier.
For 20 years now I've been fascinated by different learning styles: ASD, Dyslexia, ADHD. The purpose of this podcast is to share my findings with you, so that maybe what I've learned will be of help to you too.
The Clara James Approach to learning
Into the Negative Zone: Demystifying Negative Numbers
Welcome to the Clara James Podcast, where we delve into Maths, English, and tutoring. Today's focus is on negative numbers, a topic that stumps many students.
Let’s use an analogy involving earth mounds and holes to understand negative numbers better. For instance, if you have 5 meters of earth and remove 3 meters, you're left with 2 meters – simple subtraction. But when subtracting a larger number from a smaller one like 3 minus 5, imagine digging below ground level; this result is -2 because you've gone two meters past zero.
Adding negatives can be visualised similarly: starting in a hole (negative value) and filling it back up (adding positives). If we start at -3 meters deep and add 5 meters of soil, we end up with a mound that's now 2 meters high above ground level.
When dealing with both addition and subtraction of negatives like in "2 minus (-5)", remember two negatives make a positive – so it becomes "2 plus 5", equalling +7.
Multiplication with negatives follows its own rule: multiple groups of negative values result in more extensive negative totals (e.g., "-3 times five" equals "-15"). However, multiplying two negatives together turns them into positives ("minus three times minus five" gives us "+15").
Finally, division maintains the logic seen in multiplication; dividing by or through negative amounts affects the sign accordingly ("-15 divided by +3" yields "-5").
Apologies for any technical difficulties during our screen sharing session today! If questions arise or feedback is needed contact info@clarajamestutoring.co.uk. Enjoy your day and catch the next episode for more enlightening discussions!