How to Make Learning Math Fun for Children?

It is a real challenge for parents to make their children love Math. Most kids look at the subject as hard work and mastering it would take a lot of brain power. Some parents contribute to the child’s dislike for Math by saying to them that “Math is a very difficult subject”.

Math is an important part of our lives.  We need it in completing our daily work, like for example shopping or cooking. The subject is needed to compute personal finances and even the construction projects. Careers such as Accounting, Engineering, Finance, Technology and more require that an individual have above average mathematical skills.

Math should be associated with play more than work, then children become more receptive to it.  Therefore, exposing the kids to Math can be a good idea, if it is done in fun and enjoyable ways. Here are some suggestions on how you can make your kid like learning Math.

1. Teach your child to look at Math not as work but as a game to enjoy, just as they enjoy playing sports, computer games and fun board games. Apps, digital games and some websites can be used as resources; some activity books are also available and can help make Math fun. Even games that are non-digital can also help, like for example card and board games such as Monopoly and Chutes and Ladders.

2.  Integrate Math into any activities that the kid enjoys. If your child loves cooking even at an early age, allow her to work with you while baking or cooking, and assign to her the measurement of ingredients or counting of objects like eggs or chocolate chips.

3. Make the child realize that Math problems are everywhere around us – time, measurements, money, etc – and we have to deal with them as we go through life. Make the kid learn how to check grocery store prices and make comparisons or take him or her down the street by car to count mail boxes. Also, you can make your child calculate coupons, read recipes, count your change and other activities.

4.  If your kid shows great skills in counting, doing multiplication or addition and other Math skills, you can give a reward to show your appreciation.  This will encourage him or her to do better in the coming days. The reward can be in the form of a chocolate candy or anything that will make the kid happy.  For example, you can allow him or her to watch TV an extra hour.

5.  You can lead a math game with a group of children that has the same age as your child; and give a special prize for the kid who first solves a Math problem correctly.

6.  When both you and your kid have free times, you can read Math-themed books to him or her.  Some examples of such books include The Big Fat Hen by K. Baker, Mrs. McTats & Her Houseful of Cats by A. Capucilli, and How Many Bugs In A Box by D.A. Carter.

7.  Start teaching Math to your child while still young, maybe during the toddler stage, when the kid’s brain becomes ready for playing Math games.

All the above tips can be enjoyable to the kids and help them associate fun and pleasure to Math. They will become excited, rather than afraid and will be looking forward to do Math in school. The children will have so much fun that they wouldn’t even realize that they are studying a subject that not all children want to learn. Parents should emphasize to the kids that Math will greatly help them later in life.

Sources:
www.math.com
www.education.com