MATH! A Four Letter Word is a self-help book for people who hate, fear, or avoid math. Math anxiety is contagious and is passed from generation to generation - from parent to child, friend to friend, media to TV and movie audiences, and even from teacher to student. A significant number of people struggle with math because they let these learned negative feelings interfere with their ability to understand math. Math! A Four Letter Word addresses the sources of negative feelings and psychologically prepares students to learn and succeed. It encourages risk-taking and taking responsibility for learning. It's straightforward style and user-friendly, non-academic look will entice even the most math resistant people to take a peek. The result: they will reexamine the reasons for their feelings and perhaps for the first time in their lives give understanding math a fair try. The feedback from this approach has been overwhelmingly positive, and we bet it works for ! you. The book includes chapters for teachers and parents.
Angela Sembera has a mission: to make people believe that they can enjoy mathematics. Her experiences show that once myths about mathematics are debunked, that once people relax and can give quality time to really understanding mathematics, enthusiasm and success will follow.
Ms. Sembera graduated magna cum laude with a degree in mathematics from University of Houston in 1973. She then received National Institute of Mental Health and National Science Foundation scholarships to attend Cornell University where she earned a Master of Arts degree in Sociology in 1976.
For twelve years, Ms. Sembera taught mathematics and directed a mathematics tutorial program at University of Houston Downtown. At this open admissions university, she encountered many students who were ill-prepared for succeeding in mathematics and discovered that their main problems were psychological and sociological in nature. Her additional work with tutoring high school students and with helping non-students overcome their math inhibitions reinforced her belief that feelings must be addressed before learning and confidence could ensue. These experiences led to her video and book MATH! A Four Letter Word. This program for people who avoid math is a part of the curriculum in thousands of high schools and over half the colleges in the United States and Canada.
Currently, Ms. Sembera serves as education director for an award-winning educational non-profit corporation, and she frequently presents workshops and lectures to high schools, colleges, businesses, and the general public on the subject of math avoidance.
Her clients include American Association of University Women, National Council for Teachers of Mathematics, American Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges, National Association for Developmental Education, and the National Economic Opportunity Council.
Michael Hovis is the Executive Director of Public Films Inc., an award-winning filmmaking company. Mr. Hovis is the writer/director of educational films used by thousands of high schools and colleges throughout the United States and Canada. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas.
Mr. Hovis has produced films that address a wide variety of social issues.....teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, AIDS, prenatal care, art, cancer prevention, mental health, and the psychological aspects of education.
Mr. Hovis and Ms. Sembera collaborated on the production of the film, MATH! A Four Letter Word. Viewed by millions of students and math anxious adults, their response to this film was the inspiration for this book.
