Many children find maths a difficult subject and seek additional support. Even if your maths skills aren’t particularly strong, there are many ways you can help your child to develop their mathematics skills at home. Here are six top tips from The Mall School to help you get started…
Make it fun
Incorporate maths into your everyday life. This is easier than it sounds! For example include your child in activities involving numbers and measuring, such as shopping and cooking. By practicing maths in this way you can help to make maths feel fun. – They won’t even realise they are learning!
Talk to the teacher
Many parents find it helpful to understand how their children are being taught maths at school. It is important to speak to your child’s teacher and understand what maths skills they are currently working on and what you can do to support them.
Look online
There are many useful online resources that can help your child to improve their maths skills. You can ask the school for recommendations or have a look for online activities aimed at your child’s age group. Many of these online courses include videos and offer the benefit of being able to rewind the video until an equation is understood.
Find an app
There are also many educational apps available, which can be downloaded onto a smart device. Many of these are free and often include games which make learning maths fun.
Be patient
It is a good idea to let your child try to work things out on their own and then show you how they came to their answer. If they make a mistake you will then be able to understand where they went wrong.
Let them teach
Ask them to be the teacher and explain their maths homework to you. This will not only help you to understand what they are currently working on in class, but it will also help your child to remember what they have learnt by having to explain it.
