by on 29/09/2016 8360
It can be challenging for parents when it comes to teaching their children math. While some kids naturally gravitate to this subject, most usually find it difficult as math requires a lot of focus and brain power to master. In fact, there's a 2012 study done by the University of Chicago and Western University which revealed that for some people, doing math is similar to experiencing physical pain.
This said however, it is important for kids to be competent in math considering it is a necessary skill in everyday life. It's also better to start them off on math when they are very young – research shows that early math training can help kids become more adept at problem solving and improve their reading skills. For those who learn math early in life, they also tend to perform better academically when they are older.
To help kids develop an interest and proficiency in math while they are in preschool, teachers and parents can teach basic math concepts through play and using toys or other materials that appeal to young children. This will make math more enjoyable and help them associate math as a fun, pleasurable and interesting subject. Here are a few effective tools and ideas to use:
TOYS: LEGO SETS
Make learning math fun by using LEGO blocks. These tiny bricks can be used to teach different math concepts, for example, addition and fractions. They also work really well as a teaching aid for preschool kids.
Credit: Six Kents [https://thesixkents.wordpress.com/2009/03/23/lego-math-worksheets] |
Credits: Scholastic [http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2013/12/using-lego-build-math-concepts] |
For more ideas using LEGO to teach math, this post has a pretty comprehensive list of LEGO math ideas: http://encouragingmomsathome.com/fantastic-lego-math-learning-activities-ages/
STORY BOOKS AND SONGS WITH MATH THEMES
There are many good children's books and nursery rhymes that incorporate math vocabulary in their stories. As children love bedtime stories and singing along catchy songs, these are the best materials to teach them different numbers, measurements and so on. For instance, in the book Mrs. McTats and her Houseful of Cats by A. Capucilli, the heroine brings different numbers of cats into her home at different times until she has 25 of them. This can help kids with counting and adding numbers. If your child loves music, using songs like Ten Little Fingers, The Animals Came in Two by Two and Three Little Indians also work very well to help them remember different math concepts.
Check out these other books and songs with numerical and mathematical themes in them:
Books: http://www.whatdowedoallday.com/2015/02/math-picture-books.html
Songs: http://bussongs.com/counting-songs.php?all=1
EVERYDAY OBJECTS
Whether you are indoors or outdoors, there are math possibilities everywhere. Teach your child math as you teach her about the world around her. Help her understand how to apply math in daily life. This is a good way to show her that math is important and can be used to make tasks easier. Here are some ideas:
There are also computer games and apps that you can download onto your computer to help your child with math. While digital learning is helpful, off-screen games and materials are more effective in helping very young children remember math concept better as these materials engage them in a more wholesome manner. Additionally, as physical toys and games also require your participation, children also enjoy the benefit of social interaction while learning math through play.