Introduction
Teaching math at home has become even more important amidst the pandemic. With the majority of instruction now happening remotely, parents have had to become educators to their children and teach them essential math skills. That said, it can be hard to know the most effective way to approach math instruction at home.
So, below are 13 tips and tricks to help parents teach math to their kids in the most effective and efficient way.
Develop a Routine
The most important tip – regardless of the subject – schools can give to parents is to establish a steady routine. This will be essential in helping kids develop a positive attitude towards their learning.
A morning ritual of getting together to do a math activity at a certain time helps their brains to begin forming patterns, which are essential for thought. Classic activities such as doing math problems, completing a worksheet, or working on a puzzle each morning helps creates focus and a routine, which will help your kids understand what to expect from math learning each day.
Create a Space Specifically for Learning
It is important to create a space specifically for learning, both for focusing and to separate the lessons from regular daily life. Have a comfortable setting for your children to complete the math lessons and ensure the right elements are present. Provide a comfy chair and encourage your children to bring their own teaching supplies, such as notebooks and pencils.
Additionally, make sure that they have access to the internet, if they require it. Lastly, add a ‘do not disturb’ sign, either literally or as a rule, while they are learning so as to create an atmosphere of focused learning.
Obtain the Appropriate Learning Materials
There are a wide range of resources available for parents to teach math at home. Once your child is familiar with the subject, purchase or obtain online the appropriate grade-level materials for their education. You may want them to do some extra math on a specific topic, so then look for something that covers just that.
Digital resources prove to be popular options as well, with many videos available online offering students lessons from the comfort of their own home. It is also important to note to keep the materials organized and easily available in order to accommodate your child’s quick reference and ease of access.
Utilize a Visual Approach
When teaching math, the use of visual aids can be the key to understanding. Create flashcards that illustrate concepts, such as word problems and equations. If your children learn by example, they can watch videos or simulations that show math solutions in action.
Seeing numbers and equations visualized in a real-world context will help them understand them more clearly. They can also use educational apps before they move onto attempting problems on their own.
Think Outside the Box
To ensure that math learning is never boring, think outside the box. For example, try to find practical examples of math being used and relate the concepts to their daily lives. Get them to walk around the house and count things or teach them about the budget by counting coins and bills.
You can buy inventory or supplies that support counting and measurement, like objects with measurements on them. This will help to develop their mathematical reasoning skills.
Encourage Conversation
It is important for children to feel like math is an interactive activity and not just an exercise in book learning. As a result, encourage them to share their ideas and discuss their solutions.
The dialogue that may occur in this context can also help them vocalize their understanding and learn even further. Ask your children questions and have them explain the solutions that they came up with in order to get a better idea of the process they used.
Schedule Group Projects
Working on group projects helps promote collaboration, problem solving and cooperation and can also be great incentive to ensure that kids are still learning. Connect with other parents and try to setup activities or missions where they are given tasks and have time limits. Doing group activities also helps to hold each other accountable and provides opportunities to have each other as resources to ask questions.
Ask Your Children What They Enjoy
To make teaching math fun, ask your children what they enjoy about it. This could be anything from problem solving, the graphics and illustrations, the use of technology, or the challenge of the lessons.
This will give you an idea of what topics to cover and what practice methods you should use. Let their interest guide you and provide activities to draw their attention and to learn while having fun.
Find Pathways to Math Excellence
Teachers and parents can help children to find pathways to math excellence in order to keep them engrossed in studying. To do this, it is important to challenge their thinking, promotion problem solving, provide puzzles and games, and utilize online courses, books or activities. You should also always provide constructive feedback, as good old-fashioned encouragement and recognition can motivate children to further their learning.
Provide Real-World Examples
Math can be intimidating for many students towards mastering the concepts in the long-term. To combat this and to encourage the students to retain information, try to link the math they are learning to the real world. Everyday occurrences can be used to explain the math behind them and relate it to the students’ lives and situations.
This will help bridge the gaps between theory and real-world situations.
Adapt to Online Learning
As more of the learning is now taking place online, the parents have to accommodate some practices to ensure the education is just as effective as in the classroom. Utilize the learning platforms that your children’s teachers are using to help your children stay connected with the learning community. Talk to other parents and teachers as well to understand what online tools are available and what each of them does to understand how to make the most of it.
Reward Your Children for Excelling
Finally, use rewards to encourage children to work harder and longer. Rewards can help kids become more driven to succeed and reach their goals.
For example, if the child scores a good grade, meaning that the child showed improvement or was positively impacted by the lesson, then reward them with something fun, like a movie night or their favorite food for dinner.
Conclusion
Teaching math at home can be a daunting task, however implementing these above-mentioned tips and tricks can help to make the process easier. From establishing a steady routine to rewarding kids for excelling, parents have the power to ensure their kids receive an education fitting their needs. With the right tools, techniques, and support, teaching math at home can truly be rewarding.