top of page
Beyond Drills: How to Build Math Confidence in Children
Beyond drills, build math confidence by fostering a growth mindset, using hands-on activities, creative learning like storytelling and music, addressing math anxiety, and offering personalized, enrichment programs.
The Growing IQ Team
3 days ago4 min read
How to Identify Math Learning Gaps Before They Become Bigger Struggles
Identify early math gaps by observing counting and shape recognition struggles; use hands-on, personalized strategies and growth mindset approaches to build skills and confidence.
The Growing IQ Team
Aug 143 min read
Beyond Repetition: Build a Strong Math Foundation with Curiosity, Conversation, and Hands‑On Thinking
Build strong math foundations by fostering curiosity, growth mindset, and hands-on learning. Use real-world challenges, creative activities, music, and personalized programs to boost number sense and critical thinking.
The Growing IQ Team
Jul 313 min read
Is Your Child Ready for the Next Math Skill? 10 Signs to Strengthen the Foundation First
Identify signs of math struggles early—hesitation, guessing, frustration—to strengthen number sense and build a strong foundation with personalized, hands-on learning and a growth mindset for success.
The Growing IQ Team
Jul 244 min read
From Clay to Concepts: Why Creative, Hands-On Learning Builds Lasting Understanding in Math and Literacy
Creative, hands-on, multi-sensory, and project-based learning builds lasting math and literacy understanding, fosters growth mindset, personalizes education, integrates subjects, and reduces anxiety.
The Growing IQ Team
Jul 184 min read
Beyond Repetition: Building a Strong Math Foundation with Growth Mindset and Creative Practice
This document advocates for growth mindset and hands-on activities over rote memorization to build math confidence, deepen understanding, personalize learning, and address gaps in school math curricula.
The Growing IQ Team
Jul 123 min read
Is Your Child Ready to Move On? 9 Signs a Stronger Math Foundation Comes First
Ensure your child has a strong math foundation before advancing. Watch for signs like weak number sense, shaky place value, and limited math fact fluency. Use hands-on activities, manipulatives, assessments, and tailored plans to close gaps and foster a growth mindset.
The Growing IQ Team
Jul 65 min read
Pause, Build, Thrive: How to Tell If Your Child Needs a Stronger Math Foundation
Identify early math struggles like guessing or frustration to pause and strengthen foundational skills. Use hands-on activities, growth mindset, and personalized plans to build confidence and lasting understanding.
The Growing IQ Team
Jun 294 min read
Hands-On Math, Real Understanding: Building Brains, Not Just Answers
Hands-on math builds deep understanding, confidence, and critical thinking through manipulatives, kinesthetic learning, and creative methods. Personalized, engaging approaches foster growth mindsets and close learning gaps.
The Growing IQ Team
Jun 155 min read
Is Your Child Ready to Advance? 10 Signs They Need a Stronger Math Foundation
Spot early signs of weak math foundations like finger counting or slow tasks. Boost skills through growth mindset, hands-on learning, personalized plans, and linking math with literacy for confident progress.
The Growing IQ Team
Jun 144 min read
Beyond Worksheets: How Hands-On Learning Builds Confident Math Thinkers
Hands-on math learning fosters critical thinking, conceptual understanding, and confidence by moving beyond repetitive worksheets to engaging, real-world activities tailored to each child's needs.
The Growing IQ Team
Jun 85 min read
Move, Make, and Mindset: A Parent’s Guide to Confident, Conceptual Math from Preschool to Middle School
This guide promotes confident math learning from preschool to middle school through growth mindset, hands-on activities, personalized support, and integrating music, movement, and literacy for deeper conceptual understanding.
The Growing IQ Team
Jun 74 min read
How to Tell If Your Child Needs Conceptual Math Support (Not Just More Practice)
Recognize when practice fails by spotting conceptual math gaps—difficulty explaining, frustration, or anxiety. Use hands-on tools, real-life math, and personalized plans to build understanding and confidence.
The Growing IQ Team
May 104 min read
Public vs. Private Schools in Hawaii: A Parent’s Guide to Strengths, Gaps, and Growth-Mindset Solutions
This guide compares Hawaii's public and private schools, highlighting strengths and gaps in math and literacy. It promotes growth-mindset, hands-on programs like Growing IQ to enhance learning and readiness.
The Growing IQ Team
May 73 min read
From Steps to Sense: Help Your Child Think Mathematically with a Growth Mindset
Encourage your child’s math growth mindset by focusing on understanding over memorization, boosting confidence, fostering metacognition, using hands-on activities, visual models, and promoting math discourse for deeper problem-solving skills.
The Growing IQ Team
Apr 193 min read
From Memorization to Mastery: Why Concept-Based Math Builds Lasting Confidence
Concept-based math boosts kids' confidence by fostering deep understanding, hands-on learning, critical thinking, and personalized support, transforming math anxiety into lasting mastery and problem-solving skills.
The Growing IQ Team
Apr 64 min read
Hands-On Math, Big Minds: How Experiential Activities Grow Critical Thinkers and Confident Kids
Hands-on, experiential math activities boost kids' critical thinking and confidence by making concepts tangible, fostering problem-solving, personalized learning, and a growth mindset.
The Growing IQ Team
Mar 294 min read
Unlock Your Child's Math Potential: The Power of Growth Mindset Education
Growing IQ’s growth mindset math program fosters confidence, critical thinking, and creativity through hands-on, personalized learning, reducing math anxiety and making math enjoyable for ages 2.5–14.
The Growing IQ Team
Mar 234 min read
Creative Math, Confident Minds: Techniques That Build Critical Thinkers
Creative math learning uses hands-on, multi-sensory, and experiential techniques to build critical thinking and confidence in children, fostering a growth mindset and personalized, engaging math education.
The Growing IQ Team
Mar 225 min read
Why a Growth Mindset Transforms Your Child’s Math Journey
Growing IQ fosters a growth mindset in math through personalized, hands-on learning, reducing anxiety and boosting confidence. Programs include music, motion, critical thinking, and early childhood focus.
The Growing IQ Team
Mar 174 min read
Meet the Author
Eileen Lai Horng is a former elementary school teacher and holds a Ph.D. in Education from the University of California Los Angeles. She used to be interested in the process of learning, particularly for young children, until she had children of her own. Then she became extremely interested - borderline obsessed - with understanding the learning process. Because of her background, she is often the “go to” resource for family and friends wanting advice regarding educational choices for their children. This blog provides an opportunity for her to share some of her experience and musings with others.
Growing IQ does not focus on math concepts per se; learning math concepts is a positive by-product but not the purpose of instruction. Rather the focus is on how to reason, problem solve through experimentation, and apply past learning to new situations.
Eileen Horng
Ph.D. in Education, UCLA
Former Associate Director for the Institute for Research on Education Policy and Practice at Stanford University
bottom of page