From Monster To Magic – Making Maths Fun For Your Child!

Evening practice, books, and tuitions – you’ve tried everything to get your child to like mathematics, but nothing seems to work...right? Sorry ladies, but maybe you haven’t tried it all. More often than not, it is a mind block that can be overcome with some patience and tact. Here are some ways you can cut out the stress and steer the numbers game to your advantage.

1. Your home, your playground: Involve your child in simple mathematical tasks at home. He could add or subtract the money you need to pay to the vegetable vendor or learn fractions while eating a pizza. Toys are a great way to learn about dimensions and measurements. Children are extremely perceptive and once they see a ‘relevance’ to what they are learning, they pick it up at lightning speed!

 2. Maths-related games: There are several games that you can play with your child that involve math. Introduce them to chess or checkers. In this digital age there are apps and online games that teach the concepts in a fun and innovative way. Even if you feel that games are not in sync with your serious approach to learning, don’t give this a miss – you may be forced to change your mind when you see your child’s math scores spiral up on the report card.

 3. Don’t spill the beans: If you hated the subject in school or did poorly in your examinations, don’t keep mentioning it your child. And don’t make statements that undermine his confidence. For instance, avoid saying something like “Oh I’m not surprised you’ve got a C, you must have taken after me when it comes to doing poorly in Math.” Your child may give up even before he makes a genuine attempt to like Math – “Mom could not do it, how can I?”

 4. Take cues from your child: Some children love sport; others love to read. Dig a little deeper and find out what your child really enjoys. You can use this to your advantage and introduce mathematical concepts via a totally different subject. For instance, using an important game’s scores or buying some interesting books that discuss mathematical facts through stories, can go a long way in building your child’s interest in the subject.

 5. Be proactive: No games or books will help if you step back and become a passive observer. Participation is the key. Share the excitement and encourage your child to explain something to you as he/she is learning. Ask questions and work through problems together. Guess what – this is a great way to bond too.

So get going and turn that monster into magic for your child. We will love to hear from fellow parents on how they are troubleshooting the Math crisis. Please do share your views in the comments section below.