Math skills are crucial, but many children struggle academically because they never fully grasp basic math concepts. You can help your child overcome his difficulties with math without giving him more homework. Instead of asking him to complete more worksheets, make math fun. If you can do that, your child will practice his math skills voluntarily, and learn more effectively.
Make Memorizing Fun
Memorizing math facts is not most students' favorite activity, but it is necessary. Knowing basic math facts makes learning more advanced concepts much faster and easier, and that knowledge frees the student from dependence on calculators. You can make the memorizing process more fun---and more effective---by giving your child songs, poems and other memory tools.
Make Math Relevant
When children do not understand how the math they learn in school is meaningful in their daily lives, they are understandably reluctant to put in the time and effort necessary to master it. Rather than simply giving your child a list of numbers to add, ask her to add up how much movie tickets will cost for your entire family.
Individualized Instruction
If your child is struggling with math, individualized instruction is a great way to help him catch up because you can focus on the areas that he is struggling with, and use his interests and preferred learning style to teach math concepts. This is especially true for students with one or more learning disabilities. Practicing math at home with a parent, older sibling or tutor gives students with special needs the extra help and customized instruction they need.
Manipulatives
When children have trouble understanding math concepts, it often helps to demonstrate math with objects your child can pick up and move around. Dry beans, colorful plastic math cubes and Cuisenaire Rods help visualize and interact with math concepts. Cuisenaire Rods are color-coded wooden rods. They are designed so that each color of rod corresponds to a number from 1 to 9. Each rod is exactly one unit longer than the one that precedes it. They make demonstrating math facts very intuitive because it is easy to show that a two-unit rod next to another two-unit rod is the same length as a four-unit rod.
Computer Games
Computer games are a good way to help children practice math while having fun. The simplest math games are just digital flashcard quizzes, while more complex programs play like the video games children already enjoy. Children who learn best visually often do very well learning math through computer games, which place a heavy emphasis on visual strategies.
References
- University of Minnesota College of Education + Human Development: Glossary of Math Teaching Strategies
- University of Montana Department of Mathematical Sciencxes: Using Manipulatives in Mathematical Problem Solving: A Performance-Based Analysis
- "Mastering Math Facts: Addition & Subtraction: A Practical Approach for Helping Students Learn and Retain Math Facts With Efficiency and Confidence"; Richard Piccirilli; 2009
