If a child doesn’t enjoy a subject, they’re less likely to put the effort in – and who can blame them? You wouldn’t willingly put your heart into something you didn’t enjoy, would you? That’s why it’s important that you make it your mission to get your child to fall in love with maths.
Discover 5 trusty tips that will encourage your child to love maths, and in turn, actively want to learn.
1. Gamify Maths
The key to making children enjoy learning is to make it fun. By gamifying maths, your child won’t even realise they’re learning – let alone learning maths.
Gamification enables young people to practice their maths skills in an engaging and exciting way. Everyone would much rather play an interactive maths game than work from a textbook, and keeping maths fun ensures students practice more. Introduce game-based learning into your home and you’ll soon notice a difference in your child’s attitude to maths.
2. Reward Them for Doing Maths Work
Regardless of whether your child correctly works out the answer or not, you should always reward them for trying. This acknowledgement will encourage them to stay motivated, rather than put them off doing maths work.
It’s important to portray to your child that if an answer isn’t correct, it’s still appreciated. A wrong answer is better than no answer at all as it shows that they are trying, so it’s crucial that you reward your child for effort and guide them through the learning process.
3. Relate Maths to Things They’re Interested In
When teaching maths to your child, it’s important that you use scenarios that relate to them. If for example, you create a story that includes your child’s name and their favourite chocolate bar, they’ll be interested in trying to work out how much change is left from a five pound note that was used to buy said chocolate bar.
Using this strategy will ensure that your child pays attention and it communicates maths’ everyday value – plus it’s an enjoyable way to learn.
4. Give Them an Easier Task
If your child is struggling, it’s worth setting them an easier task. If you set a task that’s too challenging, they’ll feel overwhelmed. Start with the basics and take it from there; once they’ve grasped a basic maths concept used in an easier task, they’ll be able to move on to more advanced tasks.
Your child is more likely to enjoy maths if they’re understanding tasks, therefore this tip works wonders in helping your child to fall in love with the subject.
5. Use Interactive Tools
Children are more tech savvy than ever these days, with most children able to use smartphones and tablets independently. Therefore, it’s worth introducing a learning style that you’re confident they’ll be comfortable with – and enjoy.
Interactive tools, such as an online maths tutor like Maths-Whizz, can enhance a child’s learning experience and help make maths fun; it’s far more engaging than working from textbooks and working out sums using pen and paper.
By introducing an interactive tool to your child, you’ll help bring maths to life using a modern day approach.
DISCLOSURE – This post is in collaboration with Maths-Whizz.
Maths-Whizz provides award-winning online maths tuition for 5-13 year olds, to help children reach their full potential in maths. Start your free trial today or get in touch on +44 (0) 203 328 6564 to book a consultation.