Growing up, I always hated math and that’s what I know how to make maths easy for kids. The numbers and equations seemed like a foreign language, and I was often lost and frustrated. While other students seemed to breeze through the lessons, I struggled and felt overwhelmed and anxious.
These two facts reached my parents, who decided they needed to take a different approach. They started including me in their day-to-day math, like how cooking became a lesson on fractions, and even introduced fun math games so that learning felt like all play. And, of course, Mom put a comfortable little math nook in my room filled with colorful supplies and inspirational posters.
However, the most significant difference was when they began fostering that growth mindset in me. They showed that making mistakes was part of learning and were as proud of me for trying and making progress as they were for getting things right.
When I was a high school student, I was very self-assured about math. I even held a membership in the math club! In all this, I often looked back and thanked my parents for being patient and creative in helping me turn her struggles into success.
I hope my story shows that any child can learn to love math with the right plan and support. This article discusses how to make math easy for kids. With these tips, your child will develop a lifetime love for math.
Why Is Math So Hard For Some Childs?
Math can be tough for many children, and therefore, it becomes necessary for parents to understand why and how. While it is often the culprit of disinterest, the formal, old-school way of teaching math can be deadly for kids. This may cause a lack of engagement or even an emotional response on the wrong side of the spectrum.
Math may be hard for a child because it asks for a different approach to thinking than most other subjects. While reading and social studies, for instance, often involve stories and knowing contexts, math is about logical thinking, problem-solving, and following steps to get to the solution. And this can shake the minds of children who are comfortable with the narrative approach to learning.
Moreover, math is cumulative, as each new topic often depends on a good grasp of the previous material. If the child has missed out on a complicated subject, that serves to snowball, and later on, many more lessons seem difficult.
Lastly, some people, or even families, will give the idea that, in general, math is hard to learn. These beliefs can become self-fulfilling. If kids think they won’t get it because it’s hard, they’re much more likely to give up when things get challenging.
How to Make Maths Easy For Kids?
Expect the Struggle
Knowing this means realizing that math can be intimidating for your child. That’s okay—it’s OK if they initially have some difficulty. Everyone learns in their own way and at their own pace, so it is important to be patient and provide support. It is essential to talk with your kiddo to learn about their behavior toward math and to listen to their struggles. If you understand their difficulties, you can help to find ways to make math more accessible and fun.
After all, children may not find math fun because they do not see how math relates to daily life. We need to connect that relevance and show it to them. For example, do you ever make anything together that requires measuring ingredients? You can talk with them about how to bake cookies involving fractions and ratios. Let your kiddo work out the total and the change you will receive when shopping at the supermarket. This will make them feel that math is useful and practical.
Sometimes, children find certain topics in math more challenging to grasp than others. It will work well if you give more time to those topics and use various methods to explain them. Visual aids, hands-on activities, and real-life examples can make abstract ideas more concrete. Remember, your understanding and empathy significantly reduce their math anxiety and build their confidence.
Create a Positive Math Environment
You can craft a positive math environment at home and make all the difference. Create a space in your home for math-related activities where your kiddo finds comfort and is free from distractions. Fill this space with math-related but enjoyable and colorful items, such as number charts, puzzles, and other mathematical games.
Appreciate whatever they are doing and always remember to encourage them. Give them positive reinforcement through a celebration of small achievements. Such behaviors can boost confidence and make one more comfortable engaging in math.
Decorate the math space with motivational posters and colorful math tools. Will your child look forward to math time when flashcards, math manipulatives, and educational games are at your disposal? Think about creating a reward system where they earn points or small prizes when they complete math challenges. This will help them see learning as interesting and rewarding.
Include math questions in your everyday conversations. Have your child help you double a recipe or figure out how many minutes until their show starts on TV. Little everyday practices can help take the mystery out of math and show your child that it is a part of life.
Try Some Fun Math Activities and Games
You can find math in fun activities and games, but you can also try specific board games like I Sea 10! Math Game, or even interactive apps to make math fun. On the other hand, you can incorporate Math into activities such as cooking or shopping, where your kiddos can measure and add up the price of different things.
Investing in board games that involve numbers and strategy is great for making math fun. ADSUMUDI Math Game and PlaySmart Dice Math-Tac-Toe are great for kids in Elementary school. Online platforms like Khan Academy and Cool Math Games offer interactive and engaging ways to practice math. Many of the resources are free, and others are very low-cost.
You can work on interests and hobbies connected to math, making learning seamless and enjoyable. I use this technique with my nephew Sam. He loves art, so I use geometric shapes and patterns in our drawings. If your kiddo is a sports lover will likely be interested in statistics and findings, while even building with LEGO bricks can teach them about symmetry or spatial awareness. And this is only an example; there are a LOT of ideas you can try.
Explore patterns in nature with your child. Gardening is another activity that allows for plenty of discussion around mathematical concepts—how things grow, how much area for the soil is needed, and planning the layout of your garden bed. Weave in math nooks by working through everyday activities.
Encourage a Growth Mindset for Your Child
Children with a growth mindset will approach math differently. For this, you, my beloved Mom and Dad, must tell them that mistakes are another way of learning, not a failure. You can encourage your kiddos to take risks and applaud their efforts and progress, not just their output. You can also help your little one set realistic and personal goals throughout the math journey.
Show your child that it is okay to make mistakes because that is just part of learning. Share stories about famous people who struggled with math but made it through, like Albert Einstein or Thomas Edison. This could help your child see that struggling with math does not make him dom—he is just learning.
Encourage them to set small, achievable goals and celebrate their progress. This might be mastering a particular math concept, doing much better on tests, or simply being confident in the classroom. Keep track and celebrate these successes with a journal, chart, or whatever means you use to measure progress.
But even more important, if you want to know how to make maths easy for kids, model a positive attitude toward math yourself. Let your child see that you like math and are constantly learning. Share how you use math in your daily routines and learning experiences with them. If you’re excited about math, your child will be too.
Conclusion
Knowing how to make maths easy for kids is about creating a supportive and engaging environment. Understand their struggles, create a positive environment, make it fun, link math to their interests, and instill in the child a growth mindset. This will help your child nurture the love they already have for mathematics. Remember, small steps count; with persistence and creativity, you can work wonders for them in mathematics.
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