It is no secret that most students find math to be an uninteresting subject. Many tutors who teach math for kids have long wondered if there’s a better way to teach the subject to make it more engaging. Well, there is.
There are certain approaches that have proven to be effective in helping kids learn math without the challenges associated with the subject. In this article, you’ll learn different ways to make math lessons fun for kids.
Is Math A Difficult Subject For Kids?
Here’s the truth: Math can be challenging for some children, but it can also be very rewarding for those who try to learn and understand it. However, kids need to have a good foundation in math skills. A good foundation in math is crucial because it is a subject that builds on itself. Hence it’s easier for kids to learn new concepts if they have a strong foundation in the basics.
That said, some children may struggle with math more than others. But with persistence and the right approach, any child can learn to enjoy and excel in the subject.
More often than not, the bad publicity associated with math stems from students’ perceptions of the subject. There are many reasons why kids might think math is difficult. Some kids might find it difficult because they struggle to understand the concepts or struggle with its abstract nature.
Some kids struggle with math because they have difficulty with the notation of math, or because they have difficulty with the problem-solving processes involved in math questions. Another reason why students may think math is a difficult subject is that they lack confidence in their abilities.
While it’s obvious that math is a subject that can be challenging for anyone at times, it’s important to note that with practice and the right approach, your child can learn to understand and enjoy it.
6 ways To Make Math Fun For Kids
Below are 6 fun ways to learn math for kids:
1. Play math-based games
One of the best ways to make math fun for kids is by introducing them to math-based games. Children are naturally drawn to games. Your child probably spends most of their free time gaming on their console or computer. So imagine if you can get them to play games that teach them math concepts!
There are many math-based games and puzzles that kids can play to make math more fun. These can include things like card games, dice games, and board games that involve interesting math concepts. You can also introduce them to online math games like Math Playground, Math Twister, Multiplication Touch, and Fun Brain.
2. Incorporate math into everyday life
Another great way for engaging kids in math is by helping them to see the math in the world around them. You can do this by pointing out the math in daily life, such as measuring ingredients when cooking, calculating the change due when shopping, or randomly having them tell time.
It would help if you also normalized talking about math to your kids. Have them read books about famous mathematicians. They can also learn about all the amazing things humans can do or use today because of math. Have them watch math movies like Hidden Figures, where they’ll learn about how NASA used math concepts to launch a spaceship into space.
3. Turn math into a game show
You can also create a math game show at home, complete with buzzers and points for correct answers. This method is more viable for parents with more than one child learning math. Kids often enjoy a little healthy competition, so you can have your children compete to see who can solve a math problem the fastest.
Game shows are more exciting because the contestants get to win rewards. Hence, you can offer rewards for getting a certain number of questions correctly. This way, the kid is highly motivated to perform and get to have fun while at it.
4. Use technology
There are many educational math apps and websites that can make learning math more interactive and fun for kids. One such website is Brighterly.com. It’s a math learning website that offers one-on-one math lessons for kids. They provide the best online math classes for kids.
Websites like Brighterly use interactive learning and adaptable math curriculums for focused learning lessons for mathematics. The good thing about signing up your child for online math lessons is that you can leave all the hard work to experienced professionals who use diagnostic tests to learn about your child’s strengths and weaknesses and map out a suitable curriculum to help them improve their math skills.
Websites like Brighterly also provide you with progress reports. This will help you monitor your child’s progress and see where they are improving and the areas that need more work.
5. Use real-world examples
Some kids don’t perform well in math because they can’t relate most of the things they learn to real-life situations. Hence, kids can learn math better if you connect the concepts to things that they are interested in or that they encounter in their everyday lives. This can help make the subject more relevant and meaningful.
Instead of having to calculate the distance between points A to B, have them calculate the distance between home and school. You can also give them your grocery list and ask them to calculate the total cost based on the given price. These real world examples can go a long way in helping your child understand math.
6. Get creative with math activities
Another thing you can try to make math more engaging for kids is using art and music. You can try incorporating art and music into math lessons to make them more fun and interactive. Have your child create art projects that demonstrate math concepts. This includes creating a mosaic using shapes to demonstrate geometry concepts or creating a graph representing data.
If you’re using music, many songs and videos teach math concepts through music. Today, many of us still have the nursery rhymes we learned as kids glued to our brains. This can work for math too. Have your child create their own rhythms or beats to reinforce math skills. This can be used for counting or solving basic math problems.
Final Thoughts
Although math can be a challenging subject, it can also be fun with the right approach. As mentioned earlier, a good foundation in math is critical to a child’s math learning. Hence, it’s important to implement the methods above early to help the child build a healthy relationship with the subject.