How to Make Learning Math Fun for Your Child

Math. Need I say more? It is probably one of the most difficult subjects, if not the hardest one when you were still studying. And it is common for students, including your own child to struggle with math.

With most classes being held online now, how can you ensure that your child is really absorbing all the knowledge? Teachers can only do so much but it is up to us parents to help our children overcome their fear by making math FUN.

When math is fun, your child will more likely feel encouraged to participate in lessons which is important to help them better understand the concepts and applications.

Praise Mistakes and Use Them as Learning Opportunities

One factor which prevents a child from learning is fear – the fear of making mistakes. Most math questions only have one right answer, and to be able to get to that answer, you have to sometimes go through a series of computations. A single mistake in the process may lead to the wrong answer and this may dampen the confidence of your child.

Help your child overcome this fear by showing him/ her that it is alright to make mistakes because every mistake is a learning opportunity. Teach your child that making a mistake doesn’t make them any less smart than the other students, that it’s alright because they will learn something from it and this will take them one step closer to success.

Encourage Flexible Thinking with Numbers

Flexible thinking helps a child solve math problems in ways such as rearranging or regrouping numbers and finding combinations that make a certain number. This will help your child develop flexibility with numbers, understanding part-whole relationships and develop critical thinking in the process.

You can even do this while you guys are on break. Challenge your child to find as many ways possible to have a total of 7 or whatever digit you prefer with the number of carrots and hotdogs in their sopas.

Play Games that Use Math Skills in Free Time

Nothing screams more fun than playing. So just imagine how excited your child will be when you incorporate learning with fun activities. While having snacks, you can play sungka, damath, sci damath, bingo, puzzles, dice games, and “tinda-tindahan” to name a few, that will help develop your child’s math skills and logical thinking.

This will make your child less scared and more eager to learn math.

Use Visuals to your Advantage

Instead of just using word problems and numbers, integrate visuals such as pictures and/or three-dimensional visuals such as cubes or blocks. This is a great way to involve your child in learning, and an effective technique in teaching the basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

Connect Math to the Real World

Teach your child that math is useful in the world and is used on a daily basis. You can make an example with basically everything that is found in your household. Apply math by measuring and comparing them, from his/her toy’s heights to the diameter of his/her favorite buko pie, to the seating capacity of your dining table.

You can even incorporate math with money! And one of the best ways to connect math to the real world is to teach them how to save and spend money. As a bonus, this will also develop their financial literacy from young.

Start with Math as Early as Possible

It is better to teach math to your child as early as possible, when everything is still like a game to them. Other than igniting their interest in learning, they will also enjoy the fun in the process. Many young children already know how to count and handle sequencing before they even start school.

So get in the habit of counting everything with your child and frame activities properly so that your child will not even realize that he/she is already learning. This will also help your child develop a lifelong enthusiasm and quest for knowledge!

 
 

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