Suzanne's Column
June/July 1999
This web site, the book, the tapes, the articles and talks are all based on a single premise - parents can develop mathematically powerful children, regardless of their own mathematical prowess. For math success in children isn't based on whether their parents can help with homework, but on countless other things parents can do to guide their children to math's glories, and their own abilities. Not because they love math, but because they love their kids.
We never pretend it's easy, and we never pretend it's always fun. We challenge the assumption that fun means easy, and we challenge the assumption that they "can't." I have worked with students of all abilities, and I have yet to meet one who can't.
Math is about truth, and about beauty. Math is immeasurably beautiful. Its internal consistency, its purity, and order make it lovely even with our eyes closed.
We're excited to announce the release later this month of a terrific new audiotape: Math - Beyond Homework Help: Seven Steps to Raising Mathematically Powerful Children. It challenges the assumptions that have convinced so many that they can't do math, and shows them that they can. And it finally and decisively answers parents' most commonly asked questions, including the biggest one: what do I do when I can't help with homework anymore? It's filled with true stories, real situations, and real solutions. We've designed a hands-on workbook to go with it, and we think you'll find both the tape and workbook not only useful, but inspiring, and (dare we say it?) - fun.
And in the meantime, here at Newton's Window, we are facing an intriguing detour. On July 6th, we begin defending the defamation lawsuit filed against me by a math teacher in my daughter's high school. Many of you have written with questions about the lawsuit, and about the ramifications for parents who follow school procedures to alert authorities to suspected abuses, when those procedures require written statements. It promises to be an intriguing trial, replete with the principal's admission under oath of his shredding all testimony gathered in his "thorough and exhaustive" internal investigation, and the release of confidential papers that show the inner workings of the "best school system" in the nation. It is an important case, for parents everywhere. For those who have asked about the case and its progress, we have added some pages to the website to provide access to the depositions and the details. We post the developments and information on upcoming news stories as soon as they occur, so check back often.
At Newton's Window, we are dedicated to connecting parents and children to the glories of math. Sometimes the path is smooth and easy, sometimes it is tough and arduous. But we won't stop telling the truth about the journey, and we won't stop helping you get there.
