Helping Your Child Tackle Numbers

Some people seem to be able to grasp maths, numbers, and patterns with ease – but for others, it feels more like an obstacle that you need to overcome. When it comes to education, be it at home or in a school environment, mathematics is often considered one of the harder subjects to master. A lot about maths has to do with confidence – when children hear often that math is hard, they will believe it is hard, and over time, they are less likely to try. 

Injecting some fun into math, patterns, numbers, and even the clock is a great way to make sure your child has the confidence they need to continue working on it. 

And sure, many people argue that they never had to use certain aspects of mathematics after they learned it, but during those learning years, there are a couple of tests that can help your child get on the courses to secure the future that they want. 

So, how can you make numbers more fun? 

Sing It!

Our brains love to make connections, and when you use music to do it, you are more likely to remember the information. Think about how many songs you know the lyrics to. It is probably hundreds – you can even pull the lyrics up from a song from 20 years ago. 

There is a lot of research that backs up the use of music and songs to aid learning, and numbers are no different. Start making up songs for sums and problem-solving. 

Move Around

Not only do dancing and movement release stress, which can build up when children are learning something new, but you can also combine singing and music with moving. Move your legs or arms for the right amount of time. Yell out short sums that can be solved by doing the right amount of jumping jacks or hopping on one leg. 

Some children are naturally drawn to kinetic and active learning, and for those children, the link between movement and learning can be incredibly beneficial. It is best to combine this one with other methods, too, though. 

Tactile 

You might find that you still do this one, and it is because it is a solid learning method and one that sticks with us long into adulthood. We typically start counting with our fingers when we learn 10s and 20s. But you can take it further than quick counting. 

Get tactile and start using dice, marbles, carrots, apples – anything that will be fun and memorable for your child. Sometimes, the funnier, the better! You can even use dried pasta shapes for multiplication, division, fractions, and more. 

Keep it simple and age-appropriate, though. 

Competitions 

Friendly and fun competitions can be a lot of fun – even more so if there is a prize to be won! If you have a whiteboard or space to put a list of math problems up – to be solved by anyone in the house – with a prize for correct answers, this can encourage children to think about the problems in their spare time – and away from the books. Increasing their recall and problem-solving skills – and adding a little excitement to it, too! Try to have a range of different problems on the board so that any child of any age in the house can join in. 

Games and Puzzles

There are so many options for games and puzzles that have numbers as a focus, and sometimes, you don’t even notice that is the point! There are a couple of options that work great for children, and it can even introduce them to a new hobby – sudoku! There are websites dedicated to sudoku, but you can also find books for beginners. And, when they get better at it, you can switch out the traditional numbers for symbols. 

Chess is also heavily math and probability-based, as are many card games. Plus, if you like to have some technology in with the learning – like a tablet or a computer, there are many apps, some of which are free and can work wonders for children who are learning numbers. 

Role Play

Role-playing is great for children of all ages as it engages their natural sense of adventure and imagination. But there are a couple of role-playing options that are great for things like counting. Playing in the supermarket can be a huge help. Add price labels to everything, and as they scan the items you are ‘buying,’ get them to add up the numbers. You can even include a calculator here, as it will help with number recognition. 

Take it in turn to be the cashier and the customer! It is also a good idea to get some fake money to help with the counting. 

Number Hunt

A treasure or scavenger hunt can be a lot of fun, and there are a few ways to create it. The first is to have lots of the numbers printed out and stuck up around the home and garden, and the other way is to have instructions like ‘collect 2×2 red items’ or a combination of the two. 

Make sure whoever is taking part has a named basket to help them collect everything they need. It’s up to you if you decide to have a timer or prizes. This is a great one for parties, too! 

Building 

Lego, Duplo, and any other type of building block is great for spatial awareness and judgment – both of which come into play with math. And perhaps the best thing about this activity is that if you are all numbered out, children often love to build and play with these things alone or with siblings. 

Helping numbers become fun takes the stress and worry out of numbers in school and helps them enjoy the learning process. Even simple things like counting sheep or collecting a certain amount of leaves on a walk will all help the process! Depending on the age of your child, you can extend the learning into other areas and listen to these cool pods together: 5 Types of Podcasts Parents Can Share with Kids for Education and Learning – Eighty MPH Mom.