“I regret it as soon as I become a middle school freshman,
There are three reasons why elementary school math fails.

As a math education expert who teaches elementary, middle, and high school students, writes books, and now lives as a writer, lecturer, and educational influencer who provides parents with direction and methods for properly guiding their children's math learning, I have heard the despairing sighs of countless parents of first-year middle school students.

"Teacher, when I was in elementary school, I diligently worked on my workbook and went to cram school diligently...
Why is math so hard in middle school?"

Faced with this question that comes up every March without fail, I couldn't help but feel a sense of regret.
And that thought became the basis for finally writing this book.
There are three main reasons for the failure of elementary math education that I have observed in the field.

First, they relied solely on vague criteria such as workbook progress and academy grades without objective skill assessment.
Since there is no nationwide evaluation in elementary schools, many parents end up making complacent judgments such as, "My child is good at solving workbook problems," or "They say he is good at school."
However, in order to determine the direction of learning and make a specific plan, an 'objective judgment' about our child must come first.

Second, we focused only on immediate results without understanding how elementary math connects to middle and high school courses.
I was so swayed by the words around me saying, "This academy is good," or "This workbook is good," that I didn't think deeply about what my child really needed.
But ultimately, for a child to succeed in math, they need a long-term roadmap, not short-term goals.

Third, we failed to develop the solid thinking skills and study habits that would enable us to solve math problems throughout our lives.
To be honest, there were many cases where people didn't know the 'real, proper way to study math'.
Simply having children solve workbooks and send them to cram schools will not allow them to develop true mathematical thinking skills.

This book contains numerous trials and errors I encountered in the field and the solutions I found.
We want to present a clear direction for elementary school mathematics education so that parents no longer have to worry about the first exam of their children's first year of middle school, and so that they don't suffer from regret and self-reproach after the exam.

“At each grade level, whether it be elementary, middle, or high school,
Haven’t you ever had these concerns?”

As a math education expert, I understand that parents' concerns vary depending on the elementary school year.
So, in this book, I've looked at the realistic concerns you face at different times.

First, during the early grades, parents are lost in the face of the most basic questions: "What should I do and how much should I do?"
Conversations like "How do I solve this?" and "I don't know, why don't we just do it like this?" are commonplace in almost every household these days.
Especially when children learn at a different pace than their peers, anxiety can increase rapidly, leading to hasty decisions.
But from what I've observed, the deviations during this period are much smaller than you might be concerned about.
Rather, it is wise to focus on developing the child's 'math emotion' and basic study habits at this time.

As children enter middle school, they begin to experience the limitations of home learning as abstract concepts like fractions emerge.
A typical example is when you are asked, "Mom, what is a fraction? Why is it so difficult?" and you are embarrassed and say, "Huh? That's..."
Naturally, you start to consider private education, but new concerns arise, such as, "Which academy should I choose?" and "What if my child refuses?"
I believe that this is the time when a systematic roadmap for learning mathematics is desperately needed.
Because if you have a clear direction, you can lead your child without wavering.

Finally, in the upper grades, vague fears about middle school math develop into concrete anxieties.
From concerns like, “My child didn’t even go to advanced level,” to “My child is like, oh my, don’t say that.”
The anxiety is further amplified by the experiences of senior parents who say, “I really regret it.”
In fact, these concerns are not entirely unfounded.
There is definitely a difference in difficulty between elementary and middle school math.

But what I want to convey through this book is that these anxieties and worries are not insurmountable problems.
You just need to know exactly what to prepare for each period and what criteria to use when making your selection.
Through Chapter 3, "Grade-Specific Math Learning Roadmap," and Chapter 4, "Systematic Math Study Methods," in this book, you will be able to understand the big picture of elementary, middle, and high school math education and set realistic goals and plans tailored to your child.

“Private education that costs millions of won is better than pre-learning that catches children’s attention.
In the end, ‘this method’ is 1000 times better.”

The motto of my YouTube channel, “Intersection Studio,” is “A practical educational channel for parents in Korea,” so this book was also created to help you “put it into practice.”


This book is not a passive parenting book.
While reading, you'll not only gain systematic educational information, but also find answers to eight misconceptions you've had about math education. The first step toward a proper math education is to accurately assess your child's progress! We've included two math tests to help you understand your child's needs.
First, the 'Math Learning Psychology Test' is divided into lower and upper elementary school grades and can be used to test what kind of feelings our children have about math.
Knowing the results is important, but the process of asking questions and hearing the answers will provide an opportunity to foster a natural conversation with your child and foster their 'math emotions'.
We also provide a study of "math concepts," which must be assessed before solving problems! We've also included essential math terminology test questions and answers for each grade level and subject area.
You can think of it as an abbreviated version of the ‘Mathematics Dictionary’.
By asking and answering these test questions with your child, you can find more accurate meanings of math terms.
Also, the part I paid the most attention to was creating a map called the “Math Learning Success Roadmap,” which provides an overview of children’s math learning process from first grade of elementary school to middle school and beyond.
(Details are included in Chapter 3.) We highly recommend that you post this map on a visible wall in relation to your child's learning, and use it as a guide to review during transitions, educational choices, and decision times.
Lastly, Chapter 4 is filled with the core contents that I have emphasized through various channels and that many people have been enthusiastic about, such as the learning skills and habits that should be acquired from elementary school, essential math learning methods, such as utilizing textbooks, concept learning methods, utilizing workbooks 200%, and properly studying incorrect answers.


By the end of this book, you'll have developed the ability to discern the essential math learning direction and information your child needs amidst the flood of educational information. Furthermore, you'll develop the capacity to guide and support your child's academic growth.
If any of the following applies to you, you must read this book.
I am sure you will never regret it.

1.
Parents who want their children to learn math step by step according to the 12-year math learning roadmap for elementary, middle, and high school.
2.
Elementary school parents who want to know the right direction and method for learning math
3.
Parents who are afraid of touching their math emotions and find it difficult to try anything new
4.
Parents looking for specific math coaching methods they can apply directly to their children.
5.
Parents who want to have proper learning standards even if they send their children to math academies
6.
Parents who are anxious because their children are entering upper elementary school without being prepared (without prior experience)
7.
Elementary school parents need solutions to help their children advance to the top of the middle school ranks.

■ Math is simpler than you think.
No, we need to approach it simply.
After teaching countless elementary, middle, and high school students for many years, I've realized that there are really only three things you need to succeed in math.

The first is ‘knowing our children well.’
It's about accurately understanding how your child thinks about math and what level of ability he or she actually has.
Some children like math but lack confidence, while others are capable but lack interest.
This book will help you understand your child's current condition with relative accuracy through specific diagnostic tools such as the Math Emotion Test, the Terminology Test, and the Core Concept Test.

The second is a 'clear math roadmap'.
We need a big picture of how to design the 12-year math journey from first grade to third grade.
This book provides clear solutions that scratch each itch, one by one, by covering the characteristics and key points of each grade, units to watch out for, and the most common concerns parents have at each stage, such as the appropriate balance between pre- and advanced learning, developing numerical sense, critical thinking, mathematical literacy, workbook selection, private tutoring, competition participation, follow-up learning, error management, written math study, and self-directed math learning.
A realistic and actionable roadmap will give you a clear direction instead of vague anxiety.
---From "You can do well in math if you have just these '3 things'"

■ Math Learning Psychology Test
It is not easy to look into a child's mind.
This is especially true when it comes to the subject of mathematics.
This test is not just about measuring scores; it's about opening a conversation with your child.
Please familiarize yourself with the following first and then proceed with your child.

1.
Test results are for reference only.
The conversation you have with your child during the test process may be more meaningful than the test results.
We recommend testing regularly, about once per semester, to better observe your child's changes.
2.
The child's response cannot be said to be right or wrong.
Negative feelings, such as fear or anxiety about math, are natural and expected.
So, don't worry too much ahead of time.
---From "2 Math Tests to Accurately Understand Your Child"

■ Nowadays, math learning tends to be done in a way that sacrifices elementary and middle school math in order to start learning advanced math faster than anyone else.
In particular, they encourage students to finish elementary math as quickly as possible because the content is easy and there is not much to learn, and to take the advanced learning course sequentially starting from middle school math.
But math is a subject that you absolutely should not study like that.
This is the second reason.
In mathematics, cumulative in-depth learning is more important than in any other subject.
When children are in transitional grades, such as middle school and high school, they often feel that things have suddenly become too difficult.
It is not uncommon to see posts on education cafes from parents who worry that their children, who could finish one semester of elementary school in 2-3 months, are having a hard time studying for the first year of middle school, even though it takes 4-5 months.
Of course, as you progress through middle and high school, the achievement standards and the number of new concepts and terms you need to learn increase, but the math subject is structured in a spiral.
Since middle school math is an extension of elementary school math, if you have properly learned the concepts for your grade, the added content is not that much and it is not that difficult.
In other words, most children who say that middle school and high school math is difficult are pushing themselves to learn in advance without having completed the in-depth learning required for their grade.

---From "3 Reasons Why You Should Dedicate Your Life to Deep Learning Rather Than Preliminary Learning"

■ When starting a new math unit or course, most people start by choosing a workbook and solving problems.
Because a workbook that summarizes the key content seems more convenient for studying.
However, the first step in learning mathematics must be through a ‘textbook.’


Textbooks are unfriendly.
It does not organize concepts into simple propositions like 'A is B', and sometimes it does not directly explain important content.
But this is intentional 'unfriendliness'.
Textbooks are carefully designed to start with concepts or familiar situations that students already know (providing reading material) and then naturally lead to new concepts.

For example, when you first learn fractions, textbooks don't immediately explain the definition of a fraction or the numerator and denominator.
Instead, start with everyday situations, like sharing a pizza, and let children discover the need for and concept of fractions on their own.
On the other hand, workbooks focus on efficiency.
So, I'll summarize the concept as simply as possible and present it.
This approach may be helpful for quickly skimming concepts and jumping straight into problem solving, but math is a subject that requires understanding, not memorization.
Memorizing only the results without going through the process of forming the concept cannot be considered true learning of mathematics.

---From "The Most Basic, Looking Through the Textbook"