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Tips for Setting up a Home Math Learning Environment

Are you looking for the perfect math learning environment for your kiddo? While there’s no one-size-fits-all formula, having an intentional plan and organized structure in place can vastly improve your child’s ability to succeed. Whether your child is attending virtual math tutoring classes or just wants a place to study at home, it is vital they have a dedicated space to work. Read on for some tried and tested tips on creating a learning space for your child in your home.  

Creating A Classroom At Home

Since the pandemic shook up the entire world and many classrooms turned virtual, many parents were suddenly faced with the challenge of using an area of their home as a makeshift classroom. Remote education certainly put home learning into a new perspective, and parents became quickly aware of just how important it is to have a designated study area for their children. However, creating a space where children can feel comfortable and have minimal distractions while studying can be difficult. Most parents didn’t perceive study areas as important as they are today. Before the pandemic, most children would study at home to practice what they had learned during school. However, since both children and parents spent numerous hours doing homework or listening to lectures from their houses during the pandemic, it suddenly became more clear that having a designated study area is vital for successful education

The Age Of Your Child

The first thing to take into consideration when choosing the right study area for your child is their age. If they are at an age when they need constant supervision, you will want to select a space that allows you to keep an eye on them easily. If they are old enough to study independently, you can give them privacy in a quiet area of the house or in their bedroom. 

Meeting Criteria

When creating a space for your child to work in, it is important to ensure the area meets three key criteria. First, natural light is essential for successful learning and while very dark days may require artificial lighting, take measures to ensure adequate access to as much natural light as possible. Secondly, the temperature is also a key factor in creating an inviting work environment—the room should be neither too hot nor too cold. Finally, low levels of noise are also necessary for optimum work production; background noise can be disruptive and if possible aim for silent workspaces. In addition to lighting and temperature, ensure your child has both a comfortable chair and desk at their workstation: far better conditions than trying to work while sitting on the bed or sofa!

Less Clutter

Clutter can have a substantial adverse effect on education and can be incredibly disruptive when it comes to studying at home. As clutter accumulates, it starts taking up physical space in the learning environment and becomes a distraction for children. To ensure efficient learning at home, creating an area free from clutter is vital, as this encourages the child to stay focused on their studies. Keeping clutter away does not necessarily mean having a sterile desk and room, but rather organizing items around the workspace into tidy categories that maximize efficiency. This can create a more productive home study atmosphere and make it easier for the child to concentrate as they work through their daily assignments.

Keep Supplies Nearby

The easiness and organization of a child’s study space will determine how well they can independently access the materials they need to accomplish a task. Providing easy access to the appropriate supplies necessary for their studies, such as markers and paper, will help keep them motivated while allowing them to complete tasks without getting frustrated or discouraged. Moreover, having these items easily accessible helps them maintain concentration during remote learning classes or tutoring so that any disruptions are kept to a minimum. Ultimately, parents need to ensure their child’s study space has an adequate supply of materials in order to promote effective learning experiences at home.Don’t forget supplies often go beyond just notebooks and pens. Always have a kit ready that includes things like markers, a calculator, ruler, and even a water bottle.

Think About Functionality

Creating the ideal home learning environment for a child is not easy if you don’t have the right things in place. Functionality should be at the forefront of your mind when selecting elements like school supplies and furniture, as they form an integral part of a child’s study space. The desk and chair should be chosen to provide comfort, support, and accessibility in equal measure; while paperwork and stationery should be organized together to make it easy for the child to find everything they need without getting distracted. Ultimately, successful home learning starts with creating the perfect environment that allows a child the opportunity to explore their studies most efficiently and comfortably.Learning new math operations and equations can be frustrating, so we want children to be in a place where they feel comfortable and where they can focus on their learning. At Dropkick Math Academy, all our programs are virtual, so children will work from home. Having a place where they can study without distractions is vital to their success. To learn more about our programs visit our website today!
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Identifying Signs of Struggling with Mathematics

Do you feel like your child is falling behind in the mathematical world? Mathematics can be a tricky concept for students, but identifying signs early on that they are struggling can really set them up for success in the future. 

There’s no need to worry if your child is having difficulty understanding certain concepts because there are several steps that parents can take to help their budding mathematicians get back on track, including using a tutoring company. Read on as we discuss how to spot warning signs and what actionable strategies you can use when helping your child build up their math skills!

A Disliked Topic

Math can be one of the most difficult subjects for children to master, so it is not surprising that it is one of the most commonly disliked topics among school-aged children. To ensure a child’s math success, parents and teachers should work together to foster an environment that promotes math confidence and understanding. Doing this will help them realize they can excel at math with persistence!

Three Main Reasons

While there can be a variety of reasons why children struggle with mathematics, there are often three that stand out more than others.  

Math Anxiety

One of the most significant hindrances to effective math comprehension is the belief that math is too complicated or that a child isn’t smart enough to understand it. This belief is commonly caused by math anxiety and can lead to lacklustre achievements in math, as striving for success in something that seems out of reach quickly becomes demoralizing. 

When a child feels as though they are “not good at math,” they lose the confidence needed to advance. Many children become too afraid to even take a chance at answering math questions and would rather retreat into the back of the classroom and become invisible during math class. 

Symptoms of math anxiety in children include:

  • Low achievement
  • Avoidance of math
  • Negative self-talk
  • Intense emotional reactions while trying to do math
  • Nervousness
  • Increased heart rate
  • Lack of response in math class

If your child is showing any of these signs, they may have math anxiety. This is a common occurrence, but it can continue into adulthood if not dealt with at an early age with math tutoring

Lacking The Building Blocks

Math is an intricate subject, one where each concept builds upon the last. This can create a type of domino effect; if one math concept isn’t fully understood or retained, the student may continually fall behind in math progressions. Math classes are often structured so that later concepts rely on the foundations of earlier material. 

Suppose a child is missing this base understanding of elements like multiplication and division. In that case, they may struggle to move forward, and their math skills may be severely impacted when tackling more complex equations. Therefore, instructors must ensure students have mastered each lesson before advancing in math coursework; it’s the only way to guarantee success for future math questions.

Learning Difficulties

If you notice your child struggling with math, they could have an undiagnosed learning disability. While there are numerous disabilities, one of the most common is dyscalculia (also known as number or math dyslexia).

Children with dyscalculia often have trouble remembering math facts. They may understand the logic behind math facts but may not know when or how to apply them to solve problems. Another sign of dyscalculia is the inability to understand quantities or concepts like biggest versus smallest. 

Currently, researchers do not yet fully understand dyscalculia, but they suspect that it’s related to how the brain processes math-related information; how specific regions of the brain would be structured differently and interact differently in those with dyscalculia compared to individuals without it. As such, more studies are needed to better understand what causes this math-learning disorder and how it can be prevented and treated.

Speak With Their Teacher

If you are unsure whether your child is struggling in mathematics, the best place to start is by speaking to their teacher. They will be able to let you know if your child has been avoiding participation in class or any other warning signs that could mean there is a problem. By catching math anxiety and learning difficulties early, it is easier to get a child the help they need to get back on track. 

At Dropkick Math Academy, our online math help is designed to help students regardless of their struggles. All of our math tutors are certified Ontario teachers who are experienced in teaching children with various learning styles and blocks. They understand why a child may be struggling and how to encourage them to overcome the hurdles they may face. 

All of our programs revolve around the four pillars of math (number sense, operational sense, algebraic reasoning, proportional reasoning) designed to focus on a child’s needs, whether it is more visual or tactile aids or more focused explanations of concepts. We understand that learning math can be difficult for many children and their parents, and we strive to offer the best in education for future success. By involving the parents/guardians in our math tutoring, we can help ensure they are equipped with the knowledge to help their child down the line. At Dropkick Math Academy, we believe that learning together brings greater success!

Learn more about our programs today and how we can help your child if they are struggling with mathematics. 

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How To Make Math Fun For Your Child

Do math and fun often seem like polar opposites to you? You’re not alone – a lot of parents find it hard to make math an enjoyable experience for their kiddos. Fear not, though; with the right strategies, you can get your child engaged in mathematics and have some laughs along the way! In this blog post, we’ll be talking about how to make math more entertaining for your child – from using simple games to introducing helpful tools. If you are still struggling, there are many math help services that can be utilized to get your child excited about mathematics. So read on if you want to help your son or daughter take a shine to their arithmetic lessons.

Make It A Game

First and foremost, anything can be fun when made into a game. Game-based learning has been touted repeatedly as one of the best ways to get children engaged and interested in learning. 

For young students, games and friendly competition provide an ideal way to speed up the learning process. Hands-on activities like playing cards or board games, and completing puzzles, can help kids access and understand new information quickly and more effectively than through direct teaching. 

By competing with a friend or family member, players are also encouraged to expand their knowledge in order to win the game. Furthermore, games heighten the excitement of learning something new and give kids a valuable break from the traditional school curriculum.

At Dropkick Math Academy, game-based learning is at the center of our student’s educational experience. We understand that children typically learn best when they can actively engage with their subject material in a fun and creative way

With game-based study models, our students actively explore complex ideas through play. Our game-based curriculum exposes students to the core concepts of math and encourages them to use problem-solving techniques to find solutions and advance further in gameplay.

Make Use Of Screens

Kids today can no longer imagine life without their devices and screens, so why not make the most of it? Using apps and games to reinforce kids’ understanding of math concepts effectively keeps kids engaged while they learn. With a wide range of interactive activities, kids have fun while being exposed to Math concepts and developing their problem-solving skills. From games designed for kids as young as three all the way up to linking theoretical math skills with video games, these apps and games can be an enjoyable and rewarding way for kids to build confidence in their Math abilities.

Dropkick Math provides virtual math tutoring programs that are an invaluable resource for children and parents alike. Our virtual environment allows children to learn and grow while staying safe in the comfort of their own homes, eliminating the need for physical classrooms and face-to-face instruction. 

With our range of math help services, students can access exciting virtual activities and other resources all at the click of a mouse. With Dropkick Math, there’s no stopping your child’s learning journey!

Make It Relevant

It’s important to engage kids in math by teaching them how relevant math is to their own lives. Showing kids how math is used for practical purposes in the real world helps them understand why it is necessary and worthwhile. 

By connecting math topics like multiplication, fractions, and equations to experiences from everyday life, such as shopping and telling time, kids learn in a more meaningful way that allows math skills to become part of who they are. When kids form this connection between math and real-life situations, it can shift their mindset from feeling frustrated with math to appreciating its utility and valuing what it can do for them.

Watch Your Words

As parents, it’s all too easy to accidentally introduce math anxiety in our children without even realizing it. A simple statement such as “I am not good at math” can negatively impact our kids because it alters how math is perceived and internalized by them. It creates a harmful perception of math and could lead to math anxiety, which can affect how children perform and how they view themselves in math-related fields in the future. 

We should take care to avoid slipping up with our words when speaking with our kids about math and never allow our own math anxieties to interfere with their math learning experience.

If you do feel anxious about math and don’t know where to start when trying to help your child learn, Dropkick Math Academy may be able to help! We encourage parents to be involved and learn alongside their children. 

As any parent knows, children thrive when they feel loved and supported. This is especially true when it comes to education. When parents are involved in their child’s education, it sends a message of acceptance, inclusion, and respect. This can increase a child’s confidence and motivation, leading to better grades and improved social skills, resulting in them having fun while learning! 

Connect Reading With Math

Connecting math and reading can be a great complement for children who enjoy reading! There are many books available that can help young learners understand math concepts more easily by introducing them through stories. 

Reading about math and its application in a fiction story is an enjoyable way to engage children with mathematical ideas, build comprehension skills and support understanding of the sometimes complicated principles of mathematics. It might even pique their interest to pursue more advanced problem-solving! So if your child loves to read, consider engaging them with a read-aloud book about math for an entertaining and educational experience.

A Love Of Learning

Learning math can often be intimidating for children, especially if they struggle to understand a difficult concept. However, making learning math fun and engaging can be hugely beneficial when it comes to their future success. When children experience learning positively, they are more likely to become eager and confident learners – profiting both academically and personally. 

Whether through games or innovative applications of problem-solving questions, learning math should not have to come at the cost of joy and anticipation. By introducing elements of creativity into learning, children will soon find mathematics an enjoyable part of learning.

Committed To Making Learning Fun

Dropkick Math Academy is committed to making learning math an enjoyable and rewarding experience for your child. With certified Ontario teachers providing personalized instruction tailored to each student, Dropkick’s program helps boost confidence levels and ensures your child has the skills they need to thrive in the future. 

Not only can Dropkick Math help sharpen math fundamentals, but it can also provide fun activities and games that will keep your child engaged and excited about learning more. Our Toronto math services are the perfect way to give your child a head start into success!

Learn more about our programs and get your child started today!

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How Dropkick Math Turns Stress Into Success

For far too many adults, math can be a formidable and overwhelming task when trying to help their children with math homework. Whether you are trying to help your child with addition, division, or algebra – it’s not always easy. But what if there was an easier way? 

Introducing Dropkick Math – the online math tutoring program designed specifically to address these common frustrations and turn them into successes! With intuitive instruction, helpful resources and plenty of practice problems – this program is the perfect tool for parents looking to overcome their fear of math while learning alongside their child.  

A Stressful Experience

Getting to grips with math can be a stressful experience for many adults, especially if they have been out of school for some time. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to help your child with math homework. It may seem like math was completely reinvented between the time they learned it in school and the time you had to learn it—so much so that it feels like you might as well be learning a new language! 

Sometimes, even pretending to understand what they’re doing can seem impossible – but perseverance is key! Though math may look completely different after all these years, working through math problems together is still one of the best ways for a parent and child to bond.

Learning Together

Math is a subject that many of us dread, but when it comes to learning math alongside your child, it’s an investment in their future that can be rewarding for both parties. Not only will you be able to help keep your child on track and motivated, but you’ll also strengthen math skills you may have forgotten. Plus, math doesn’t have to be as scary and humdrum as you remember – math can actually be quite fun

By positively engaging with math, you have the opportunity to help your child learn mathematical problem-solving without anxiety or hesitation. Learning math alongside your kid serves not only as bonding time but also offers opportunities for growth and understanding of math concepts. Who knows? You may even learn something new!

Overcoming Math Anxiety

If you are still not convinced that Dropkick Math Academy can help you from stressing about math, you may be suffering from “math anxiety.” Studies show that about half of Americans suffer from math anxiety, feeling overwhelmed and convinced they just “can’t do math.” But this irrational fear shouldn’t get in the way of finding x or y – math can really be quite interesting (in its own special way) if you aren’t afraid to give it a shot. 

One of the most important things to remember is that math anxiety can be passed down from generation to generation, starting in first grade. If you feel uncomfortable with math, it may increase your child’s anxieties and lower their achievement or confidence when completing a project requiring solving complex equations. This is why it is so important to face your fear of math and learn together. 

Success!

We can take your stress and turn it into success by learning together at Dropkick Math Academy. Our math programs are expertly designed to allow parents to experience math learning with their children. This encourages the child’s desire to learn math and provides an opportunity for the parent to be a part of their development. Working together on math problems while understanding the material together helps the parent and child better understand math concepts.

 The family bond between parent and child is further strengthened as math becomes something fun that they can experience together rather than an obstacle that must be conquered alone.

Our certified Ontario teachers make math fun and engaging, providing practical solutions that break down difficult questions into do-able tasks. So say goodbye to math woes! The answer to all your math problems starts with Dropkick Math programs. 

What To Expect

The first step with Dropkick Math Academy is taking our FREE assessment. This will help ensure you and your child are placed in the appropriate program for their level of learning. 

In our programs, you, the parent/guardian, will sit alongside your child and learn together. You will be encouraged to help them work through problems while learning how to help them understand math concepts. All of our programs are game-based and designed to help make learning fun and engaging so you and your child will be eager to learn.  

At the end of each class, a time slot is dedicated to discussions with the parents. As a group, parents can ask questions and get clarification on problems or concepts that may need a little more explanation.

Our math help services teach the parents alongside the child, which is one way we stand out from traditional tutors. With the knowledge you will gain at Dropkick Math Academy, it will no longer be a problem when your child comes to you looking for help with their homework! You will not only know the answers to the problems, but you will have learned how to help your child understand the math questions at hand. 

Taking Charge

We have seen tremendous success when parents take charge—by breaking math assignments into manageable chunks, finding innovative ways to tutor or practice math concepts in everyday life, and emphasizing a growth mindset over perfectionism. With these strategies, math homework no longer has to be a source of stress but rather an opportunity for success.

As a leading Waterloo math services business, we have expanded nationwide and have helped hundreds of parents overcome their stress and helped turn it into success! Designed with busy parents in mind, our innovative programs bring together the best elements of traditional and modern math tutoring strategies to create an easy-to-use and incredibly effective approach. Find out more about how Dropkick Math can help you become a successful mathematician in no time!

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How Literature Can Help Make Sense Of Math Operations

Math problems present a unique challenge for many students who are good at computations, as they must bridge the gap between math theory and math application. Comfort with math computations does not necessarily guarantee fluency in math problem-solving – in fact, applying those same skills can require quite different strategies than the ones that capture a calculation.

Understanding the underlying structure of math operations, analyzing an equation’s components, and developing a plan for a solution can be daunting tasks for even technically adept math students. This is one reason why so many parents often head online to search for a “math tutor near me.”  

At Dropkick Math Academy, we understand that tackling math problems one step at a time while breaking down each challenge and understanding the process are great steps toward mastering math application. We are an alternative to math tutoring that makes learning about math concepts and applying them in real-life situations fun and rewarding. We use game-based learning in our programs, but another great way to help your child understand math problem-solving is with literature. 

Gaining A Deeper Understanding

Solving math problems requires more than just memorized formulas and procedures. As we previously mentioned, it requires students to develop a deeper understanding of math operations and recognize the connection between an actual problem and the math needed to solve it. This can often be challenging, especially when students have gaps in understanding particular math concepts. 

However, with proper instruction and guidance, they can learn how to make these connections between contextual math problems and the algorithms needed to solve them. Students who can do this will be better equipped to approach math problems proactively rather than relying solely on memorizing procedures.

Problem-Solving

Through problem-solving, students can develop an operational sense – an understanding of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. As they connect relationships and different meanings to these four operations, students can more accurately apply these operations to real-world settings. 

One of the best ways that children can learn about problem-solving is through children’s literature, as it provides an excellent way for students to engage with math in a unique and exciting way. Through reading stories, they can encounter math-related events, characters, and data that bring the subject to life in an accessible, memorable way. 

Not only do these books give young math enthusiasts a chance to explore mathematics through interesting stories and characters, but the context of these stories serves as excellent starting points for math practice. Children’s literature is highly beneficial for math learning, allowing children to develop an appreciation for math and gain experience in understanding math concepts within stimulating environments.

Math-Focused Stories

Math-focused stories can be a great way for students to dive deeper into addition and subtraction operations. These stories, or children’s literature, allow young learners to explore multiple scenarios without the pressure of traditional math activities. Through story time discussions with teachers or parents, students are able to work through solving math problems while being more heavily engaged in their learning by putting math into perspective. 

When math is presented in a meaningful way, such as through storytelling, it allows students to take ownership of their understanding of math concepts, helping them develop a much deeper understanding than ever before.

Utilizing literature to explore math topics doesn’t have to only be reserved for young students. Upper-grade math classes can also benefit from a little narrative structure. Studies show that math becomes far more meaningful and applicable when it’s engaged in through storytelling and reading. Reading aloud important math-related stories to an upper-grade math class can instill a sense of context for math problems and higher-level math concepts. Furthermore, engaging with math via literature also allows students to make connections between the math principles they’re studying with their own lives and experiences, adding an empowering layer to their mathematical journey.

Understanding Over Memorization

Telling a math-related story is an effective way to introduce operations, as it encourages students to understand the operation being discussed rather than simply memorizing how to perform the calculation. By giving the math problem a narrative context, the student can better visualize and comprehend the math task at hand, engaging with it on a more meaningful level. Additionally, this approach connects math concepts to other literature they may be studying in class and is especially useful for students who may not have a natural math talent. Providing students with stories that connect multiple subjects creates opportunities for them to learn the material more quickly and effectively.

Using literature is a creative and effective way to help children visualize math concepts as they are used in real life. For example, in a story, maybe the characters share food. This would cause students to think about division situations. Try reading to your child and asking math questions when appropriate. In this example, If Mr. Patrick brings food in the story, you could ask your child if he brought 24 candies to his 6 friends, how many would each get?

This not only makes reading more interactive but also stimulates their mathematical brain!

Research has shown that giving students a context, a real-world or imaginary situation to help illustrate math operations has real benefits. These include:

  • Increasing engagement 
  • Deepening an understanding of operations
  • Strengthening skills in creating equations to represent problem situations
  • Getting students talking about their math reasoning

Our Favourite Stories

Some of our favourite stories that can help children better understand mathematical ideas include:

The Doorbell Rang

This fun story has a mathematical twist. After reading, children should be encouraged to mathematically represent what happens on each page and then discuss this representation. The story’s final page creates a new math challenge to be represented.

Hutchins, P. 1986. The doorbell rang. New York: Mulberry.

You can name 100 dinosaurs!

This book is a treat for dinosaur lovers! It focuses on exploring dinosaurs by historical periods while using illustrations to help children develop higher-number concepts. It also encourages labelling, categorizing, and scientific investigations.

Chewning, R. 1994. You can name 100 dinosaurs! New York: Scholastic.

One watermelon seed

This entertaining story deals with the concepts of multiples of 10 within the context of gardening. Children can follow along and count how many seeds are planted and how many fruits and vegetables they will harvest as a result.

Lotteridge, C.B. 1986. One watermelon seed. Toronto: Oxford University Press.

Communicating Ideas

Writing and mathematics are both useful ways of communicating ideas and understanding relationships. A mathematician uses special symbols and operations to express a sequence of instructions or to construct a relationship between two values. This type of communication is like the language used to create equations that can be solved for an answer or evaluated for its properties. Meanwhile, a writer might use verbs to describe the same action, expressing how someone might go about fulfilling the process without providing any numerical value. While writers and mathematicians use different tools, their end goal is the same; to provide a clear explanation of an event or relationship.

Making Learning Fun!

Math is much more than just working with figures and solving equations; math is a powerful way to interpret, understand, and describe the world around us. At Dropkick Math Academy, we understand math is much more than boring numbers and equations. We make learning math fun. Just like using literature to learn math concepts, we use game-based learning to make it more enjoyable and interactive. 

Students love our games and continue practicing even outside of class. We flip math around and help students fight back against their fear of math. In our programs, students can earn rewards, making it even more tempting to keep practicing their math skills!

Learn more about our programs today and how your child can boost their confidence in math!

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Why Parents Should Be Involved In Their Child’s Education

As a parent, you want your child to have a bright future, and that starts with a good education. So, you do everything you can to help make sure they have the best chance for success. But what if you could do more? What if you could be directly involved in their education? Believe it or not, parents can and should be involved in their child’s education. 

Parents can help their children learn by monitoring their homework and actively participating in their schooling. Parents can also support their children emotionally, providing encouragement when things get tough. Finally, parents can model good behaviour and values for their children. By being involved in your child’s education, you can help them reach their full potential!

There are numerous benefits of being involved in your child’s education. Read on to learn some of the top benefits of being involved in your child’s education

Increased Academic Performance

Parents’ level of involvement in their children’s education is a significant predictor of academic performance and test scores. A parent’s involvement can be as simple as ensuring their child attends school every day and does their homework, or it can be more comprehensive, such as attending school functions and volunteering in the classroom. Studies have consistently shown that parents who are actively involved in their child’s education have children with higher grades and test scores. No matter how you get involved, your child’s grades will reflect your dedication to their education.  

Regular Attendance

There is a clear connection between parents who are engaged in their children’s education and those children’s likelihood of attending school regularly. Involved parents tend to place a high value on education and emphasize the importance of regular attendance, instilling these values in their children from an early age. In addition, parents who are engaged in their children’s education are more likely to be aware of – and responsive to – any issues that may be causing their child to miss school, such as bullying or difficulty understanding the material. As a result, they are more likely to take steps to address these issues, ensuring that their child remains motivated to attend school on a regular basis. Ultimately, it is clear that children whose parents are involved in their education are more likely to attend class consistently.

Increased Confidence

As any parent knows, children thrive when they feel loved and supported. This is especially true when it comes to education. When parents are involved in their child’s education, it sends a message of acceptance, inclusion, and respect. This can increase a child’s confidence and motivation, leading to better grades and improved social skills. 

Furthermore, parents who are involved in their child’s education are more likely to be informed about important decisions made by the school. As a result, they can provide valuable feedback and contribute to the overall success of the school. Ultimately, children with interested parents perceive more acceptance, inclusion, and respect at school. And that makes for a better educational experience for everyone involved.

Improved Motivation

Parents involved in their children’s education tend to see better results in motivation and attitude. Studies have shown that students whose families are engaged in their schooling are more likely to have higher goals and be driven to succeed. This is likely because parents who are involved in their children’s education provide support and guidance that helps nurture a positive attitude towards learning. 

In addition, parents who are interested in their children’s education send a message to their children that school is important, which can increase motivation levels. Ultimately, the benefits of having parents involved in their children’s education are clear. Students tend to perform better when parents take an active role in supporting their learning.

Better Mental Health

A child’s parents can profoundly impact their education and subsequent mental health. Studies have shown that children whose parents are interested and involved in their schooling are more likely to be emotionally healthy than those whose parents are not. There are a number of reasons for this. First, parents interested in their child’s education are more likely to support their academic endeavours. This can lead to increased self-esteem and a sense of worth. 

Secondly, parents who are involved in their child’s schooling are more likely to be aware of any problems or issues that may arise. This early intervention can prevent minor problems from becoming larger ones. Finally, parent involvement can lead to increased communication between parents and children. This open communication is essential for a healthy parent-child relationship. In conclusion, it is evident that parents who are interested and involved in their child’s schooling play a vital role in the child’s emotional development.

Better Behaviour

According to new research, parents who are involved in their children’s education are more likely to see better social skills and behaviour from their kids. The study, which the University of Chicago conducted, found that when parents are involved in their child’s schooling – whether it’s through attending parent-teacher conferences or helping with homework – kids are less likely to be truant, disruptive, and unprepared for class. 

While the study did not examine why parents who are more involved tend to see better behaviour from their kids, it is clear that parental involvement is important in fostering positive social skills and behaviour in children. When parents take an active role in their child’s education, they set the stage for a lifetime of success.

How To Get Involved

As you can see, parents play an essential role in their child’s education. By being involved and engaged in their child’s schooling, parents can help ensure that their child receives the best possible education. There are a number of ways in which parents can get involved in their child’s education. One way is to attend school functions and meetings simply. This shows your child that you are interested in their schooling and want to be involved in their education. Another way to get involved is by volunteering in the classroom or on field trips. This allows you to directly participate in your child’s education and see firsthand how they are learning. You can also help at home by ensuring your child has a quiet place to do homework and providing guidance when needed. Ultimately, the more involved parents are in their child’s education, the better the outcome will be for everyone involved.

Dropkick Math Involves Parents/Guardians

At Dropkick Math Academy, we believe it is essential for parents/guardians to be involved in a child’s education. As part of our program at Dropkick Math, we invite the parent/guardian into the learning environment. This can help parents balance their involvement in their child’s education. We believe that it is crucial for parents to understand the math curriculum their child is learning so they can help if needed. 

Our math programs in Toronto and the surrounding areas offer an alternative to traditional online math tutors. We provide a fun way to help your child thrive in mathematics through self-learning. We work with children and their parents/guardians to understand the underlying problems rather than just focusing on helping them through the material they are learning at school.

If your child is struggling with math, our math learning techniques may be the help they need. For more information about our program and how we get the parent/guardian involved, visit our website today!

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How To Incorporate Math Into The Holiday Season

Are you looking for ways to get the whole family involved in learning this holiday season? Incorporating math into your festivities can be a great way to make the holidays educational and enjoyable! 

Math activities don’t have to feel like homework – by using creative ideas, math can help create cherished memories. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to use mathematics in fun and engaging ways during the holidays. From making homemade baked goods together as a family to counting coins with little ones at an annual charity event, there are many opportunities to bring a mathematical twist around the holiday season! Having fun and incorporating math operations into your holidays can be easy. 

Making Math Fun!

Math doesn’t have to be a bore! In fact, math lessons can quickly become enjoyable when presented in an interactive and stimulating way – especially over the holidays. Children are more likely to immerse themselves in math exercises when learning is playful – from counting games that use physical objects such as paper clips or coins to board games and apps designed specifically for math practice. 

During the holidays, children will want to participate in holiday-themed games or even chores around the house if they are made to be interesting. Turning math into an entertaining activity will spark curiosity among kids and help improve their math skills while they become engaged in the challenge.

Christmas Baking

Baking is a great way to keep math learning alive during the holidays, especially for kids. It provides an opportunity to reinforce math operations such as measurements, fractions, geometry and more in a fun and stress-free environment. Math skills help in measuring ingredients, but math can also be used to double or halve recipes. Furthermore, math concepts such as fractions, ratios and symmetry can all be practiced when decorating the finished product, from making enough icing for your gingerbread cookies to evenly spacing pieces of fruitcake.

The relationship between the ingredients in a recipe can be easily shown to a child as a ratio. As an example, if a cookie recipe calls for two eggs and one cup of sugar, the ratio of sugar to eggs is 1 to 2. 

Since recipes list ingredients in proportion, you can teach your child that if you increase or decrease the amount of one ingredient, you must increase or decrease the others by the same factor to produce the desired result. 

Cooking a big dinner for family and friends? Ask your child to help you double a recipe to ensure that no one goes hungry. Or, if someone cancels, have them help you decrease the number of ingredients needed to feed everyone. 

Baking/cooking together can also be a great bonding experience that encourages children to practice math topics while creating something delicious with family or friends! It can help boost their confidence when family members comment on their tasty creations and help them understand how math can be fun and rewarding. 

With some careful recipe selection, math practice can easily be integrated into holiday celebrations with little effort.

Wrapping Gifts

During the holidays, when it’s time to wrap presents for family members and friends, take full advantage of the opportunity to help your child improve their math skills. Have your child involved in cutting and measuring wrapping paper, estimating how much each present may require, counting out the number of gifts being wrapped, and carefully following directions. In doing so, kids are applying math concepts such as measurements, addition/subtraction, geometry and problem-solving. Plus, they will feel empowered and proud of helping you! So the next time you tackle those Christmas gifts, consider incorporating math learning with an activity your child will love to be a part of.

The Joy of Gift Giving

Gift-giving can be an excellent way for students to learn math in practice. Allowing children to use their own money for holiday purchases requires them to use various math skills, such as decimals, percentages, and averages. Not only does this help them become better at math, but it also teaches them the vital lesson that in order to get something they want, they have to set a budget and determine what is important enough to buy within it. As parents, it is empowering to witness our children take charge of their finances while learning math along the way!

Playing Games

Instead of only playing traditional board games or video games this year, why not try math-based activities? Math-based games provide a fun way for your kids to practice math concepts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division – all while having lots of holiday cheer. Furthermore, math can even be sneakily included in puzzles and other popular games; in this way, math becomes less intimidating but still provides an effective learning opportunity. Playing math-based games over the holidays can be a great way for your children to stay mentally and physically active.

Keep Learning Over The Holidays

The holiday season is a great time to take a break and relax, but that doesn’t mean math should be put on the back burner. During the festive winter holidays, children should take advantage of the time off from school to continue their math learning and practice. With no school days or homework to worry about, math can be incorporated into family activities and daily life in subtle ways, such as baking or playing math-related games with siblings. Math skills remain sharp by keeping problem-solving and number-crunching fresh during the holidays, so nothing is lost over the break.

Classes Starting In January!

Dropkick Math Academy will be taking a short break for the holiday season, but we’re eager to get back into math action in January. Our math programs provide opportunities for kids of all ages to create math mastery that allows them to understand math on a deeper level. Our math intervention programs allow students to better their math skills every day, and we can’t wait to continue our work in the New Year.

If you were planning on searching the web for “math tutor near me” in the new year, look no further. Dropkick Math Academy is an alternative to traditional math tutors that helps children get to the root cause of their math misunderstandings. Learn more about our programs and how we can help boost your child’s confidence in mathematics this year!

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How To Give Children The Best Mathematical Start

One of the most important things you can do for your child is to give them a strong foundation in mathematics. In younger children, teaching them early on how to count, add, subtract, and divide while keeping it fun and entertaining will help set them up for success in future schooling and beyond. Giving older children the gift of a math tutor if they are struggling can also help set them up for a successful future. 

It’s Not About Math Drills!

In order to give your child the mathematical start they deserve, it’s important that you first understand what that entails. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not all about doing endless math drills! Below are some essential tips that should provide parents/guardians with a strong foundation for any child.  

Start with Counting: This one might seem obvious, but teaching children how to count is foundational for understanding basic mathematics. Help them learn their numbers 1-10 as well as counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s. Once they have mastered these, move on to addition and subtraction.

As with anything else in life, making learning fun will encourage children to stick with it! But, to make math fun, you may need to get creative. Try incorporating games or puzzles into your lessons or letting kids use technology gadgets. iPads or apps designed explicitly for elementary-level math practice can help to keep children entertained while learning. Many online resources offer ideas for hands-on activities that help make math concepts easy to understand. These tools can make learning more interactive and enjoyable while still providing a challenge.

Dropkick Math Academy is an online resource that offers an alternative to traditional math tutoring by making learning fun. We focus on the four pillars of math (number sense, operational sense, algebraic reasoning, proportional reasoning) while using game-based learning to boost students’ confidence in mathematics. By boosting a child’s confidence and making math more enjoyable to learn, you will give them one of the best mathematical starts they need for future success.  

How Mathematicians Got Inspired

It is always interesting to learn how others got their start in life and what helped shape their future. Many mathematicians have confessed that their love for math did not come from school teaching but rather from exciting puzzles and games given to them by family members at a young age. We are not suggesting that education does not play a role in inspiration. It can all be part of children getting a deeper understanding and appreciation for math. It is important not to underestimate the role of interactions in the home and the role of games and puzzles for children’s mathematical development and inspiration. 

We can see how inspiration can work in Sarah Flannery, a young woman who won the Europe Young Scientist of the Year award when she was 16. When asked what encouraged her in mathematics, she said that as a child, she was given puzzles to work on at home, which were important to her mathematics development alongside the math she was taught in the classroom. 

Math Manipulatives

When children are beginning to learn a new concept in mathematics, manipulatives can be extremely helpful. These objects allow students to touch and feel blocks, sticks or beads and are extremely helpful when teaching many math concepts like addition and subtraction. They give children a physical representation of what is happening in mental equations, making it easier for them to understand and develops their conceptual understanding.

Math manipulatives intend not to make children forever dependent on them but to use them as they work through complex problems. However, they do have their purpose as students grow through elementary and high school when a new concept is introduced. Older students often find manipulatives helpful when articulating their thought processes when trying to explain a complex concept. When a new concept is introduced, the process of developing understanding strengthens by connecting concrete manipulatives to visual and symbolic representations. When the student is able to connect the different representations to symbolic forms, they should be able to stop using the manipulatives. 

Encouraging Children

All children start off excited about learning mathematics, so parents/guardians must become a resource of encouragement. As adults, many mathematical ideas may seem obvious to us, but they can be fascinating for children. Take the time to marvel, encourage thinking, and challenge your child. This is one of the best ways to develop mathematical interest. By exploring patterns and ideas together, your child will develop a more profound passion for learning. 

At Dropkick Math Academy, parents/guardians are encouraged to join the classes with their children as we believe that great success can be achieved by learning together! Active participation in a child’s education is crucial for their academic success and overall development. Education experts have found that parental involvement leads to higher grades, improved behaviour in school, and greater education aspirations for the child. Additionally, parents play a crucial role in instilling essential values like hard work, determination, and self-discipline. 

Our tailored programs are specifically created for students and their parents/guardians to work together on understanding the building blocks of mathematics. After each class, parents are able to meet with their child’s teacher and get weekly feedback. 

We understand that life can be busy, so if the parent/guardian cannot attend classes with their children, the end goal remains the same: giving children the tools they need to thrive in their education and beyond.

Making It Fun!

Many parents often ask me about the best books to help children learn math. While some great resources are filled with math questions, I believe that children should not be sitting down and given extra math work at home. Math learning at home should be fun and engaging. There are many ways to make math learning fun, such as playing games, cooking with measurement, or going on a math scavenger hunt. Children actively engaged in math learning are more likely to retain the information and enjoy math more. So next time you’re looking for a way to help your child with math, ditch the math homework and find a way to make math learning fun!

For parents who may be looking for math programs in Toronto and the surrounding areas, Dropkick Math Academy has classes taught by certified teachers who can offer differentiated approaches, making it accessible for all learning needs. So, why not use Dropkick Math to make math fun for kids and to support their learning? Get started today by learning more about our programs.

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Could Your Child’s Beliefs About Their Math Skills Affect Their Learning?

We all know that beliefs play a big role in our lives. They can dictate how we act, what we do, and even who we are as people. What you may not realize, however, is that beliefs also play a role in how we learn. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the connection between beliefs and learning and explore how they both work together to shape our overall understanding of the world around us. We will also discuss how at Dropkick Math Academy, we use the connection between beliefs and learning in our math tutoring programs

The Relationship

Beliefs and learning are inextricably linked. Our thoughts influence the way we learn, and our experiences shape our beliefs. This interconnected relationship is evident in both children and adults. For example, a young child who believes they are bad at math is likely to have difficulty learning new concepts. Conversely, an adult who believes that they can learn a new language will be more successful in their efforts than someone who doesn’t believe it’s possible. 

When we believe we can learn, we are more likely to succeed. When we believe that we can’t, we are more likely to give up. The next time you’re facing a challenging task, take a moment to think about your beliefs. Are they helping or hindering your learning? If they’re not helpful, try to change them. Beliefs are just thoughts–and thoughts can be changed. Once you understand how to change your beliefs, you can teach your child when they are facing a challenging task. 

The Types Of Mindset

Mindset is the set of beliefs and attitudes that your child may have about themself and their ability to learn. There are two main types of mindset. A fixed mindset is when they believe that their abilities are fixed. They may think they are not smart enough or not good enough at a particular skill. A growth mindset is when they believe that their abilities can be developed. They may not be good at something yet, but they know they can improve with practice. 

Mindset has been shown to impact motivation and learning. Children with a fixed mindset may give up more easily because they think they can’t improve. Children with a growth mindset are more likely to invest time and effort in learning because they believe they can get better. This just goes to show how vital mindset is for students because it can affect how resilient they are in the face of challenges and how much effort they are willing to put into learning. Students with a growth mindset are more likely to persist in the face of difficulties, persevere through setbacks, and see mistakes as opportunities to learn.

Changing Mindset

American psychologist Carol Dwek has changed the minds of millions of people through her work on mindset. She argues that the growth mindset will allow a person to live a less stressful and more successful life. 

Carol and her teams of researchers have conducted various studies showing that the ideas we hold about ourselves matter. These studies say something important about how fixed beliefs impact many aspects of life, including how children learn.

One landmark study from Carol Dwek showed the impact of different beliefs on students’ learning. The study analyzed grade 7-8 math students. The students were divided into two groups that differed in how they thought about themselves. All students went to the same school and had the same math teachers. 

It was found that the students who held positive beliefs were in an upward direction in their achievement. However, those with a fixed mindset stayed consistent and were lower achieving. Many other studies have since duplicated these results, showing the importance of mindset at any age. 

How To Help A Child Change Their Mindset

If your child struggles with self-beliefs, they may need help changing their mindset. Try the following sets to help set them up for a healthier mindset. 

– Identify their triggers. Ask them what situations or tasks make them feel like they’re not good enough. When do they start thinking negative thoughts about themselves? 

Help them reframe their thinking. For example, when they say they are not smart enough, correct them and tell them to repeat after you, “I’m willing to put in the work to learn this.” 

– Have your child practice gratitude. Remind them of all the things they are thankful for in their life, including their successes (big and small). 

Seek out supportive people for your child to learn from. Find someone who believes in them and will encourage them on your journey toward growth. At Dropkick Math tutoring, we offer personalized learning, so each child is encouraged and guided in the help they need. 

Take The Time With Your Child

Mindest plays an important role in learning, so it’s worth taking the time to help your child cultivate a positive mindset. Doing so can help them overcome challenges, persist through setbacks, and reach their full potential as a learner.

Your beliefs about learning have a big impact on your child’s development. If you believe that learning is important, your child is more likely to develop the same belief. Similarly, if you believe that intelligence is fixed, your child is likely to internalize that belief as well. Therefore, it is important for parents to model healthy beliefs about learning. One way to do this is to emphasize the importance of effort and persistence. Help your child see that intelligence is not fixed but can be developed through hard work and practice. Encourage your child to view mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow. You can help your child develop into a lifelong learner by modelling these healthy beliefs.

At Dropkick Math, our online math tutor services work with the parent and child to help build confidence and overcome any learning gaps in mathematics. Our program offers a unique take on math tutoring by focusing on relationships and engaging the parent/guardian. Visit our website today to learn more about how we help children grow and learn with a positive mindset!

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Why Do We Need Math?

Math. We all had to learn it at some point, but why do we need it? While it may seem like a difficult and pointless subject for many students, it is actually necessary for everyday life. Without math, a lot of things would be very confusing! So when your child asks why they need to learn math (which is inevitable), you will want to know how to explain to them why it is so important. In this blog post, we will discuss why we need math and how to explain to your child that it will help them out in the long run!

Is Math Misrepresented?

Many children don’t like math because of the way it is misrepresented in school. As a math teacher myself, I try to make my classes as fun and enjoyable as possible while showing children why they need math. However, everyone has a different way of teaching, and some children may do well in some teachers’ classes and not in others. How math is presented can either get children excited about learning or deter them from wanting to learn.  

A book called What is Mathematics, Really? By Mathematician Reuban Hersh explored how math is taught in school. It turns out that millions of students experience a depleted version of math which has little resemblance to the mathematics that is practiced in the real world. This may be why so many children believe math is just a subject they must suffer through in school and why they question why they even need to learn mathematics. In our math tutoring at Dropkick Math Academy, we ensure that students are focused on why they need math, making it easier for them to understand and more eager to learn. 

Why Math Is Important

If your child is struggling, suffering from low confidence in math or questioning why they need to learn math, it is vital to help them understand how important math is in the real world. The following are the top reasons why math is important, and everyone needs to learn math to be successful in everyday life.

  1. Math Helps Us Make Sense of the World Around Us

Math is often seen as a dry and abstract subject, but its applications are all around us. In fact, math is essential for understanding the world around us. To take just one example, consider the field of physics. Physics is the study of the physical world and relies heavily on math. The equations that physicists use to describe the behaviour of matter and energy are all based on math. Without math, physicists would be unable to make any sense of the physical world. This is just one example of how math helps us make sense of the world around us

Think about it—everything in the world can be broken down into numbers. From the amount of money in our bank accounts to the dimensions of the rooms in our homes, numbers are a part of everything we do. Math helps us make sense of those numbers and understand how they relate to the world around us. So next time your child is struggling with a math problem, help remind them that they are just trying to make sense of the world around them. 

  1. Math Helps Us Make Decisions

Math can seem a little less daunting if we apply it to real life. So, if children are taught that math is needed to help them make decisions as they go through life, they may think of problem-solving differently. 

To help your child understand, tell them to pretend they are going to get their first car. But first, they need to decide whether to buy it or lease it. They will need to consider the cost of the car, the interest rate on the loan, the length of the loan, their trade-in value, and the monthly budget. With a basic understanding of math, they can plug all of this information into an equation and calculate which option is best for them. Of course, math can also help them with more everyday decisions, whether they should buy the item on sale or wait until later. Or maybe they will need to decide how to divide up a bill between themselves and their friends. In both cases, math could help them make the best decision by giving them all the information they need to weigh their options.

  1. Math Teaches Us How to Think Logically

Many people believe that math is nothing more than a set of boring rules and equations. However, math is actually all about thinking logically. At its heart, math is all about logically solving problems. This process of thinking things through step-by-step can be applied to any number of scenarios outside of math class, from cooking dinner to fixing a broken appliance. Whenever we encounter a problem, we can use our math skills to think through it logically and find a solution.

To do this, we need to be able to identify patterns, make deductions, and spot potential errors. In other words, we need to think like detectives. This process of logical reasoning can be applied to any area of life, from everyday decision making to solving complex problems at work. When a child learns how to think logically, they can develop powerful problem-solving skills that will serve them well in all areas of their lives.

  1. Math Helps Us Develop Critical Thinking Skills

In addition to teaching us how to think logically, math also helps us develop our critical thinking skills. This is done in several ways. First, math provides a structured way of thinking about problems and solutions. By learning to break down problems into smaller steps, we can more effectively identify the key issues and brainstorm possible solutions. Additionally, math encourages us to think logically and systematically about problems. We learn to look for patterns and relationships and to use deductive reasoning to arrive at conclusions. These skills are essential not only in math class but in everyday life as well. Whenever we encounter a problem, whether it’s something as simple as deciding which route to take to work or something more complex, we use critical thinking skills. So next time your child is struggling with a math problem, don’t worry. Just remember that they are actually developing an important life skill and help them brainstorm possible solutions. 

An Important Part Of Everyday Life

Children may not realize it yet, but math is actually an essential part of our everyday lives. It helps us make sense of the world around us, make decisions, think logically, and develop critical thinking skills—skills that are valuable in all aspects of life. So next time your child struggles with a math problem, it could be a great time to point out why we need to learn math. Let’s face it, no one wants to learn something if they don’t know the point behind it!

At Dropkick Math Academy, we use every opportunity in our math tutoring to help children understand why mathematics is important to learn. By also focusing on the foundational concepts (number sense, operational sense, algebraic reasoning, and proportional reasoning), our engaging, innovative programs help students fully understand critical concepts that are the base fundamentals of mathematics. 

We also address deficiencies while correcting any underlying misconceptions about mathematics. All instructors are qualified Ontario Certified Teachers who can offer differentiated approaches, making them accessible for all learning needs.  

Learn more about our math help services by clicking here today!