But let me tell you this: in highschool and junior high, I sucked at math. Everybody around me was taking pre-caluclus and what not, and I was taking Algebra 1.

When I started studying to be a teacher though, that’s when I finally understood math. It’s not like learning math in school. You finally get to be the teacher and learn how to TEACH it, not learn it.

I understood math so much better when I took my math class to get my teaching credential. They simplify it for you because you will have to simplify it for your kids.

It is definitely NOT all about addition and subtraction. It is about breaking down math concepts into step by step instructions that children can relate to.

You don’t need to be an expert in the subject area. You just have to learn how to explain information in a way that young children who have never had any experience with things before can understand.

I hope this helps.

Yes, you need to have a basic understanding of Algebra and Geometry to teach at the Elementary Level. If you want to teach in Early Elementary you will only need very, very basic concepts.

In the fifth grade, at least in my district in Florida, children are just beginning to learn about variables

(for example: x + 2 = 5, What does x = ?)

Very simple problems, but you must be able to understand and explain to them why x = 3, because letters mixed with numbers in a Math sentence is a brand new concept to them and very abstract which is hard for them to understand.

One thing I learned in college is that when teaching math to children you have to take all concepts from the concrete (usually with a hands-on activity) to the abstract.

Clarification: You would first use something tangible, such as bingo chips to represent the above mathematic equation, then you would teach them to write it using variables.

I know this all probably sounds very confusing to you right now because it is very difficult to expain over the computer. To answer your questions, yes, you should have no problem teaching Early Childhood Math as long as you understand basic concepts. When you are a teacher, you will have the teacher’s edition with all of the answers as well.

Good LUck!