Simple 4 step technique to ace Leaving Cert Maths

From the free Leaving Cert newsletter by Outstanding Solutions. Anyone interested can sign up at www.digitalgrinds.ie/newsletter.html

I thought I’d share with you a key strategy that I’ve learned over the years when it comes to Accelerated Learning and when studying Maths in particular. I have personally seen this simple technique work time and time again with hundreds of students over the last 4 years and the results are indeed powerful.

photo credit: deLaDominique [[Busy ☆]]

Imagine being able to go from getting 13% in Maths to getting 75% in ONLY three months! How is this type of progress possible? What’s the secret? Well for one thing let me assure you that this quantum leap in results is no accident, nor is it a matter of luck. Let’s explore the technique right now and as you’ll see by the end, it makes a lot of sense and can make a big difference for your Leaving Cert.

Also as always if you have any questions, comments, Christmas present wish-lists or anything else you’d like to share, just hit your reply button and let me know. OK to understand this technique you have to understand the 4 stages of learning ANY new skill. We’ll illustrate the process with the example of the whole process of learning to drive.

1st Stage

* The first stage in the learning process is known as unconscious incompetence. This is where we don’t know that we don’t know. It’s when we’ve never tried and we’re not really thinking about it. So you see all those cars driving around but you don’t think about the actual process of driving very much.

2nd Stage

* The second stage is conscious incompetence. You try driving for the first time and the car splutters and jerks back and forth and you think you might have even broken it. Suddenly you become very aware that you don’t know how to drive and it can feel really uncomfortable!

3rd Stage

* The third stage of learning is conscious competence. This is where you (very slowly and consciously) begin to practice all of the parts that make up the new skill. This is might feel a little clumsy at first and it takes a bit of energy to juggle around all the different elements. So you begin driving and sometimes it goes fine, sometimes the car cuts out and you are concentrating very hard.

4th Stage

* Finally after a while you reach the stage of unconscious competence… this is where you don’t even have to think about the individual parts any more. You just drive to the shop, navigate easily through round-abouts and park in awkward places without much concern.

These four stages are used when learning anything whether it’s playing the guitar or tying your shoe-laces. So how does this apply to going about acing your Leaving Cert. Maths….well the strategy is quite simple on the surface but very effective if you actually try it for a few months.

The 4 steps are:

1) Write out a question on a blank piece of paper.

2) Without the help of ANY notes try answer the question, even if you’re not sure, write something and give it a soldiers try. The key here is to realise that only when you make a mistake or get stuck will you become aware of the gap in your knowledge.

3) Now that you are conscious of the step you are missing when you see the solution you are in a perfect place to slot the missing information in the right place, that is, the association will be much stronger and it will stick faster and last longer.

4) Repeat as often as possible, especially with Past Exam Questions!!

So there you go the 4-step technique that if you follow them will help you make super-fast progress when it comes to Leaving Cert. Maths. This is part of the process we use in Digital Grinds (as you’ve seen by now) and it has worked extremely well over the last 4 years!

Happy Learning,

Brian.

P.S. If you want to try out the Digital Grinds system you can sign up here: Anyone interested can sign up at www.digitalgrinds.ie/newsletter.html