Be prepared
Clement Radcliffe, Contributor

Teacher Rene Brown continues with orientation for grade seven students at St. Andrew High School for Girls on Tuesday, September 6. St. Andrew pressed ahead with the orientation despite islandwide protests organised by the Jamaica Labour Party that closed many schools across the country.-Andrew Smith Photo

WELCOME TO the Mathematics CSEC study guide series for this school year!
We are buoyed, this year, by reports of improved mathematics performance in the recent examinations. There is no doubt that there is room for improvement, however.

The fact is that consistency in efforts is still required and students need to ensure that they gain maximal benefit from available resources including these lessons.

As we 'study' together, you will realise that mathematics is not a subject to be feared, but rather one which will bring you immense pleasure as you solve question after question.

In assessing students' performance in the past I, like many other examiners, am of the view that too many students are ill-prepared for the examinations. We also feel that papers have been quite straightforward and hence better quality results should be achieved.

Experience has confirmed that weaker students wait until it is too late to begin adequate preparation.

Studying maths is quite unattractive to these students so they postpone their involvement for as long as they can.

Let me remind these students that they can begin by emphasising the recall and method levels, (that is, recall of facts; also do calculations, and apply methods e.g. simultaneous equations). Problem-solving can be developed later with practice.

To have you adequately prepared for the external examination, I urge you to get the following materials:

SYLLABUS

Available at schools or CXC Western Zone office at 37 Caenwood Road, Kingston 5.

TEXTBOOKS

You are advised to select from the following recommended texts:

• Mathematics A Complete Course with CXC answers, Volume one and two.
• S.T.(P) Caribbean Mathematics (books one to four) by C. Layne
• Mathematics for Caribbean Schools (books one to four) by J.B. Channon and Terry Tomlinson.
• Certificate Mathematics Revision Course by C. Layne.
• Pass CXC Mathematics ­ The Ultimate Course Companion by Eddison Leighton.
• Longman CXC Mathematics by R. Bolt and C. Cooke.

NOTEBOOK

A hardcover book or folder is recommended. Students must ensure that work done throughout the course is kept together so that it may be reviewed at any time.

The recommended format for each topic is as follows:

Topic:
Date:
Brief notes:
Examples with explanation and reasons:
Other practice examples:

PAST PAPER QUESTIONS

Available in bookshops

RESOURCE MATERIALS

• Media publications, for example, weekly CSEC Study Guides in The Gleaner
• A wide variety of model answers. These are available in the bookshops. Students should also seek to be enrolled in revision classes established across the island.

INSTRUMENTS

Mathematical instruments and a calculator which can be used in Paper II at both the General and Basic levels.

This is a comprehensive list of the materials which are required and must be used regularly.

To all tutors of mathematics, let me remind you to motivate your students. Motivation is the most effective approach in dealing with a student's fear of mathematics.

This strategy requires the continued effort of both parents and teachers and may be achieved through the following:

• Constant encouragement
• Offers or rewards when earned
• Gentle persuasion where necessary
• Firm insistence that they stay the course when there is evidence of tardiness
• Ongoing involvement in the practice of problems of increased level of difficulty.

Of those listed above, practice is the most important strategy. The careful selection of questions should result in some success. This will build the self-confidence of the students as they attempt more difficult problems.

I wish to use this opportunity to commend those students who have done well in their examinations. I suspect that it was those who were diligent in their preparation that did well. To those who were unsuccessful, there is still another chance.

I end this week's lesson with a few multiple choice questions.

1. 39. 98 x 0.5 is approximately equal to:

(a) 0.2 (b) 2.0 (c) 20.0 (d) 200

2. If 5n is an odd number, which of the following is an even number?

(a) 5n - 2 (b) 5n + 2 (c) 5n + 7n (d) 5n - 1

3.1/5 expressed as a percentage is

(a) 5% (b) 10% (c) 20% (d) 25%

* Clement Radcliffe is principal of Glenmuir High School in Clarendon.