What 30 Years of Teaching Math Has Taught Us About How Children Learn

Thirty years is a long time to spend in a classroom. Over that period, our founder Michelle — former GEP Math educator, MOE teacher, and Marshall Cavendish author — has taught hundreds of primary school children. She has seen what works. She has seen what doesn't. And she has learned things about how children develop mathematical understanding that continue to shape every lesson at By The Roots in Bukit Timah Plaza.

Here are the lessons that matter most.

Lesson 1: Children Learn Math by Doing, Not Watching

Many students sit in classrooms, watching their teacher solve problems, and believe they understand. Then they try it themselves and realise they don't. True understanding develops through:

·         Handling physical objects

·         Drawing models

·         Explaining concepts aloud

·         Making and correcting mistakes

Observation is not understanding. Doing is.

Lesson 2: Confusion Is a Sign of Learning, Not Failure

When a child looks confused, the instinct is to immediately explain again. But confusion is often the moment just before understanding. It means the student's current thinking is being challenged. Rather than rushing to provide the answer, the best response is usually a question: "What do you think is happening here?"

Lesson 3: Most Struggling Students Are Missing One Thing

After working with hundreds of students, one pattern repeats consistently: When a child is significantly struggling, there is usually one foundational concept they never fully understood. Everything built on top of that concept is unstable.

Finding and closing that gap often produces faster progress than months of additional practice.

Lesson 4: Confidence Must Come Before Performance

We often assume the sequence is: Study hard → Perform well → Build confidence

In mathematics, the sequence that actually works is: Feel safe → Try → Make mistakes → Learn → Improve

A child who fears being wrong will not take the risks necessary to learn. Creating an environment where mistakes are safe is not a soft goal. It is the foundation of progress.

Lesson 5: Parents Shape Their Child's Relationship With Math

A child who hears: "I was never good at math either." Is more likely to accept struggling as inevitable.

A child who hears: "This is hard. Let's figure it out." Learns that difficulty is temporary and solvable.

Parents don't need to know the mathematics. They need to model the right attitude toward difficulty.

Lesson 6: The Goal Is Never the Grade

Students who truly understand mathematics almost always produce strong results. Students who are coached to produce results without understanding remain fragile. One unexpected question and the performance collapses. At By The Roots, we build understanding. The grades follow.

How We Apply These Lessons at By The Roots

Every class at By The Roots — shaped by Michelle's 30 years of experience — is built on these principles:

·         Concrete and visual before abstract

·         Reasoning before memorisation

·         Confidence alongside competence

·         Understanding before speed

Final Thoughts

Thirty years of teaching has confirmed one thing above all else: Every child who struggles is struggling for a reason. And that reason is almost always addressable.

See These Principles in Action.

We offer a free trial lesson at our centre in Bukit Timah Plaza.

👉 Contact us to arrange a trial class today.