Math can be a challenging subject for many students, but there are ways to support math learning at home. Parents can help their children develop strong math skills by providing practice opportunities and offering encouragement. In addition, parents can use resources like online games and apps to supplement at-home learning. By supporting their children’s math education, parents can help them succeed in school and beyond.
For some students and families, math is a topic that can seem intimidating. For adults, math may have been challenging when they were in school, and as a result, some children may feel like they will also be bad at math because of their parent’s history with the subject. However, it is important to remember that everyone learns differently and can improve math skills with practice. There are many resources available to help students of all ages learn math. With a positive attitude and some perseverance, math can be a fun and rewarding subject for everyone.
Problem Solving
Although math is often considered a purely computational subject, today’s math classrooms emphasize problem-solving skills. Rather than simply memorizing formulas and procedures, students are taught to approach math from a more analytical perspective, using logical reasoning, pattern recognition, and heuristics to solve complex math problems. At the same time, however, math teachers still recognize the importance of practicing basic computation skills to prepare students for real-life situations.
Whether dealing with money, measuring ingredients for a recipe, or working out a budget plan, math can play an essential role in helping us make sense of the world around us. As the old saying goes, “Math is everywhere!” So if you want your child to be a proficient problem solver and truly inspired by math, focus on cultivating their ability to think critically and creatively about math concepts so they can use it in practical ways throughout their lives.
Make Math Fun
Making math fun and available at home is one of the best ways to get a child excited about it. Math is a subject that can be practiced at home to help children be successful students and adults. By adopting a Growth Mindset when it comes to math, children are likely to have greater success academically. This means approaching math with the belief that they can improve with practice and effort. Children will be more likely to persevere when faced with challenging problems with this attitude. They will also be more open to feedback, which can help them learn and grow as math students. So encourage your child to approach math with confidence and watch them succeed.
Helping your child have a growth mindset can help boost their confidence and continue learning new math skills despite school closures and summer breaks. Below are some tips to help support your child’s math education at home.
Counting – This is one of the most basic skills required to do math, and luckily it is one of the easiest to practice at home. Young children can practise math by counting items around the house. For example, get them to count how many apples are in the kitchen or how many stuffed animals they have in their room. For older children, get them to count objects that have them counting up to 100. Ask them to count the number of straws in a package or books on a bookshelf. Start off small and increase the number of items to build their confidence and skills.
Adding and Subtracting – After the counting comes addition and subtraction. These are skills that can also be easily practiced at home. Try giving a child four eggs, then six more and ask them to count the total. Similar exercises can be done with subtraction, and once the child understands the concept, they can begin adding and subtracting larger numbers.
Baking is an excellent way to practice math skills because the right amount of each ingredient is very important. Teach children about the different measurements (teaspoons, tablespoons, cups etc.) and have them measure out ingredients. This can help with their addition and subtraction skills as well as introducing them to fractions and ratios.
Geometry – Luckily, shapes are everywhere, so it is easy to include learning about geometry at home. Younger children can start by learning to identify shapes in their everyday life and notice what makes these shapes unique.
For older children, building and creating can be a great activity that requires math skills. Designing shelves to display keepsakes and photos can be a great exercise in geometry and measurements. Other projects such as asking them to imagine designing a new fence for the yard can help them practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to account for the budget needed for the supplies. More complicated projects around the home can help them with more math skills and provide an even greater challenge.
Play Games
One of the best ways to help a child with their math skills is to make it fun and exciting. Playing games can be a great way to practice math skills while keeping it entertaining and enjoyable for a child. Various board games and online games can help children practice mathematics.
Set time aside each week as “game time” and make it fun. You will find that your child looks forward to this time and will start to understand math operations better than they did before.
Math helps children develop important skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and perseverance. It also helps children learn to think abstractly and to see relationships between different concepts. By adopting a growth mindset in math, parents can help their children develop a love for learning and a drive to succeed. Math is an essential part of every child’s education, and by making it part of their daily routine, parents can set their children up for success in school and in life.
If you notice your child is struggling with math learning, Dropkick Math can help! We offer fun and engaging programs that can help your child overcome their math anxiety or any gaps in learning they may have. Our math help services are run by qualified Ontario Certified Teachers who can offer differentiated approaches, making it accessible for all learning needs. We offer a different approach to math tutoring with fun and engaging programs to help your child succeed in math.
Have your child take this FREE assessment to determine if there are any gaps in understanding. We will then provide you with recommended Dropkick Math programs that target the missing knowledge. This will be the key to remediating common misunderstandings that arise from students being introduced to concepts before they are ready or because the concepts are presented in a developmentally inappropriate way. Get started today on your child’s future math success!
