How to Learn Math Do you think you can get smarter?

Question for students (and parents):
Do you think you can get smarter?

I ask this of my college students and at the end of the semester about 1/2 of them say "yes"
We think IQ is fixed when it is actually malleable.  This attitude may not take a learning disabled student to an Ivy League university just like some people are not likely to play professional basketball. But if you throw 100 free throws every day you will improve and if you do Math every day, you will also improve!

https://class.stanford.edu/courses/Education/EDUC115N/How_to_Learn_Math/about

What's Your Math IQ? (By grade level)

http://www.mathnasium.com/mathiq.htm

Rising Above IQ: Perseverance and Drive

Perseverance and drive helped our son learn to read!!!

As a Math peak performance coach and the Mom of a dyslexic son, I can see the fruits of hard work and parental involvement. By the sweat of our brows, an awesome whole-language program (Al Dicker Reading program), an excellent reading teacher weekly and a parent/child half hour daily session for the past 15 months, our 9.5 year old son can now read. This afternoon, we finished Little House on the Prairie. Tomorrow brings On the Banks of Plum Creek.

Below are some comments from March regarding Nisbett's book from my Math Confidence blog:
Innate intelligence as measured by IQ can be increased
IQ is not the most important success factor

How To Raise Our IQ: "Inflict" Kids with Books!!!

Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times:
"One indication of the importance of school is that children’s I.Q.’s drop or stagnate over the summer months when they are on vacation (particularly for kids whose parents don’t inflict books or summer programs on them)."


"Inflicting" to describe books or summer programs!! This word illustrates the attitude and sentiment of many people regarding education. It would be terrific if we valued mental fitness as much as physical fitness.

Here's the American Heritage Dictionary definition
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/inflict

in·flict (n-flkt) KEY TRANSITIVE VERB: in·flict·ed , in·flict·ing , in·flicts
To deal or mete out (something punishing or burdensome); impose: inflicted heavy losses on the enemy; a storm that inflicted widespread damage.
To afflict.

Intelligence and How To Get It

From the New York Times review of Richard Nisbett's book

But beyond a certain threshold — an I.Q. of 115, say — there is no correlation between intelligence and creativity or genius. As more of us are propelled above this threshold — and, if Nisbett is right, nearly all of us can be — the role of intelligence in determining success will come to be infinitesimal by comparison with such “moral” traits as conscientiousness and perseverance. Then we can start arguing about whether those are genetic.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0393065057

Two important take-aways:

Innate intelligence as measured by IQ can be increased

IQ is not the most important success factor