It is not uncommon for children to struggle with maths. Math can cause a lot of anxiety which can affect your child’s performance. As a parent, there are ways you can make studying numbers more fun and rewarding for your child.
Let’s dig into this topic.
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Why Maths is Important to Kids
Learning maths is akin to building a pyramid. A great foundation makes it easier for students to learn complicated maths concepts such as calculus and vectors later in their study life. Thus, the quality of a toddler’s mathematics education significantly affects their future performance.
A new study also shows that poor mathematics education negatively affects adolescents’ cognitive development. Children with better mathematical knowledge make better sense of life and quickly establish rewarding cause-and-effect relationships.
Learning and adopting these crucial life skills directly increases in proportion to mathematical skills.
5 Ways to Advance Your Kid’s Mathematical Thinking
So, what can you do at home to improve your child’s maths? Here are five practical tips that will enhance your child’s mathematical thinking.
Make use of Technology
Technology has become part and parcel of child development in modern society. Despite the mixed thoughts about letting your kids use technology, encouraging them to interact with maths through this medium is very beneficial.
Allow your kids to download cool maths games, math riddles, or math problems for kids on the internet. There are so many applications developed for this purpose. They teach simple arithmetic such as addition and counting numbers.
Turn Math Problems into Play
Memorizing solutions to a math problem is not a great way of teaching maths concepts to children. Instead, encourage them to think and find answers. Let them create stories to understand maths problems and concepts better.
Teaching maths playfully also fosters deep engagement with your child and reduces math anxiety.
Develop and Display a Positive Math Attitude
Attitude affects how your child perceives maths and their ability to solve maths problems. It also affects their life skills and future job skills.
Foster a positive attitude towards maths by making it fun and useful to your child. Let them see that you enjoy doing maths problems with them and encourage them to seek the right solutions despite getting a few wrong ones.
Encourage Problem Solving
Maths is all about problem-solving. Teaching your kids this critical skill is key to ensuring they perform better in maths and appreciate the role maths has to play in their day-to-day life, not just within the classroom.
Make sure the process is fun and exciting for them. For instance, you can tell them they’re detectives and let them explore and ask as many questions as possible.
Stay in Touch with the Teacher
Kids spend most of their time in school. Thus, connect with their teacher for insights on what you can do at home to improve your child’s maths skills. Moreover, the teacher will provide direct feedback on your child’s learning progress, helping you gauge how effective your teaching methods are.
Also read: How to make students more regular to school: tips for teachers and parents
Make Maths Easy for Kids
If kids grasp foundational mathematics concepts well, they’re well set for a successful academic life. Also, take the step today and invest in online resources to make your child a maths A student.