How to get your children to be passionate about maths.
You’ve received your child’s report and their maths result has either left you dancing for joy or frustrated and concerned! Cindy Glass, Founder and Owner of after-school remediation franchise, Step Up Education Centres says that maths is an interesting subject that is directly linked to one’s emotions. “Our children either love it or fear it and there is very little to be found in between!”
The good news, Glass adds, is that there are ways to promote maths at home. “Your child will improve in maths when he sees the value of fun, real-time application of the subject in his life.” The holidays are the perfect opportunity for you to do this.
Here’s how you can re-ignite your child’s passion for maths
1. Get creative in the kitchen
Measurement and capacity are concrete concepts often taught in abstract ways. By encouraging your child to help you weigh and measure ingredients in the kitchen, the understanding of measurement in maths is easily mastered. Concepts such as millilitres and litres are better understood when doing!
2. Eat pizza
The concept of fractions is difficult to master if your child cannot see the fraction in action! One of the best ways of explaining fractions is by ordering and eating a pizza. Remember, a pizza is almost always cut into eight equal pieces – each piece is one eighth of the whole pizza, two pieces is the same as one quarter and so on.
3. Go shopping together
Younger children battle to understand the concept of Rands, cents, totals and change. But every moment is a teachable moment. At home you can use a calculator to add the values of the till slip and work out how much change you received. You could vary the scenarios: “What if I paid with R100?” or “Would I have enough money to pay for the groceries if I had two R10 notes and one R20 note?”
4. Mental maths in the car
Play maths games while driving. Add the digits of the number plate in front of you as quickly as possible. Multiply the first and last digits together. Have fun! Road signs are wonderful opportunities to identify shapes as well.
5. Mistakes are okay
Finally, remember that mistakes are okay. The quickest way to block your child’s enjoyment and learning in maths is to be impatient with mistakes. A child who does not fear mistakes is more likely to pursue and solve problems effectively. Fear of making mistakes is the number one cause of children battling in maths. But mistakes are the only way we can learn anything. So embrace the process of learning and watch your child blossom.
Find more ideas on how to make maths fun here.
About Step Up
Established in 2016, Step Up Education Centres is a dynamic after-school remediation and tutoring franchise. Step Up offers children an opportunity to succeed in a schooling system that is, at times, unsympathetic. Step Up believes that every child has potential and the passionate educators will not give up until they reach it! As such, children don’t feel misunderstood, silly or judged. Instead, they learn to embrace their strengths and persevere.