When I taught high school math classes
(yes I am one of those math nerds) My students could give me the exact grade they needed to make on their final in order to get what ever grade they desired to have. Then would stand there and tell me they didnt understand algebra! It amazed me, I have to derive that formula for the final grade every time I used it, but they could work it out......without realizing they were using a very advanced algebra.
Math is the only universal language. If you address math as a language you are attempting to learn rather than arithmetic, then it should be a little easier
and all those letters make more sense!
side funny, when you work on problems in physics, they use the greek alphabet for the values. One day I was at the kitchen table working a very detailed and LONG problem, it took the whole page. My grandma came over and looked at my work and promptly said "Wow, that looks all greek to me"
I couldnt stop laughing long enough to tell her what was so funny.....it was all greek! still makes me laugh.
Zozee, tell him that math is essential to everything, but the steps in algebra are used to train your brain in order to do other technical subjects.