If you are a parent with a school-aged child, chances are you have struggled with how to help your child learn mathematics skills. Memorization of math facts and formulas is an important part of math instruction, but in order for children to really understand basic facts, they must discover them. Even though 80 percent of traditional mathematics teaching relies on memorization1, drills can be boring. Parents can help to make math fun and approachable by linking it to real-world examples.
Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of tutoring to students of all ages, grades and skill levels, recommends using games and activities as a fun way to encourage math discovery in children. Following are examples:
1) Play popular board games that require basic math skills. Chutes and Ladders® and RackO® develop number sense. “24” and Yahtzee® help computation speed and accuracy. Problem-solving skills are developed through games like TriOminos® and Connect Four®.
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2) Assemble puzzles with your child. Puzzles help children learn spatial and visual organization. These are also the basic lessons of geometry.
3) A deck of cards can be a valuable math tool. Card games begin to teach the lesson of probability. Using a deck of cards is a great way to reinforce addition and subtraction memorization for children learning basic math facts.
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4) Dice are helpful for younger children to practice number facts to six. If they are stumped, they can count the dots to find the sum.
5) Relate math to your child’s favorite sport. Keeping score is a math exercise! Ask them to calculate the number of points needed for her favorite team to win. Encourage her to create multiple point combinations to reach that score.
6) Use driving time as math game time. Invite children to figure out how long it will take to get to your destination or estimate how much it will cost to fill up the gas tank.
7) Play other car games like “guess my number.” This will reinforce logic skills with children of all ages.
8) If your children receive allowances, use them to formulate mathematics problems and teach them about saving. For older children, relate percentage problems to their allowances.
9) Dominoes are a great game for children of all ages. Smaller children can use them to recognize similar quantities, while older children can explore the concepts of probability.
10) Use the Internet to find other fun math games. Visit Web sites like www.aplusmath.com or www.funbrain.com for more ideas.
Math Edge is one of the latest STEM courses offered at your local Sylvan. Grades 1 to 6 can have fun while increasing proficiency and accuracy. This affordable course starts at $95 the first month.
For more educational resources for children in grades pre-K through 12, please visit www.SylvanLearning.com/us/stafford-va or call 540-602-2360.
1 As quoted by Jan Markos, senior scientist at TERC, a Cambridge, MA-based organization that develops curricula in math and science.
