Uh oh.
Your kids arrive home with their school reports and it's poor marks from the math department. Now what do you do?
You may not be a math teacher, but thankfully there are ways you can help your kids improve their grades.
Studies have shown that children are much more likely to perform well in a subject that interests them.
So here are 5 ways to get your kids excited about math and actually looking forward to the next math class:
1. Inspire them.
Some kids don't enjoy math because they just can't see the point of it. Unlike reading or painting, all those mathematical symbols and numbers don't seem to mean anything.
What you need to do is show them how important math is in the real world.
Tell them stories about the great engineering feats throughout history. From building the great pyramids of Egypt, to the Hoover dam, to the latest space missions to Mars, nothing would have been achieved without mathematics, and mathematicians.
2. Get practical.
Involve your kids in some real world math away from the classroom. Find something your child is interested in and relate it to math in some way.
For example, do they like baseball? Terrific. During a game, ask them how many points the losing team has to score to beat the other one. And how many games do they need to win before they have enough points to win the league?
If they enjoy helping around the home then let them do the "clever stuff". Ask them to work out the sizes for that wood you're going to cut. Or get them to measure out the ingredients for the cake you're about to bake.
When you're in a store, ask your kids to add up the prices and keep a running total while you shop. Then ask them how much change you should expect at the checkout.
3. Take life "step-by-step".
Success in math - as in life - is largely about breaking large projects down into manageable, bite-sized pieces.
Many kids feel overwhelmed when they see a list of math questions, and it's at this point they may decide that math is "boring" or "hard".
Show them the magic of taking one question at a time, and breaking it into tiny steps that make it easy.
4. Encourage creativity.
Kids may become mentally "stuck" on a topic because they're only looking at it in one way. Perhaps they need to step outside the box and see it from a different angle.
Show them the beauty of alternative viewpoints. Help them to see situations from other people's perspective.
Get them into the habit of exploring different ways of solving a problem. Even something simple like tidying up a room can have several possible "solutions" or ways of approaching it.
Crosswords and lateral thinking puzzles are good for this kind of flexible thinking.
5. Be positive.
Eliminate negative statements like "math is hard" (even if you thought of yourself as a math dunce at school!).
Explain how everyone has a natural ability to do math and that solving math problems isn't so different from solving other kinds of problems in life.
Above all, inspire confidence in your kids. Teach them persistence and how there's always a solution to every problem.
We all perform better when we enjoy what we do, and getting kids interested in math is the real key to success.
They may not turn into mathematical geniuses, but they'll thank you in later life when they enter the world of work and start counting their salaries.
Now who said your kids couldn't do math?
'Fun With Figures' shows anyone of any ability the easy way to do mental math. Visit the site today and find out what you didn't learn in the math class. Click here ===> http://FunWithFigures.com
If your child or teen has been diagnosed with Attention... Read More
The teenage years are a crucial time in a child's... Read More
Goal setting is essential for building a successful life. However,... Read More
Not all parents subscribe to the notion of "tough love,"... Read More
Volunteering together is a fantastic way to spend time as... Read More
I've often thought that in 6 million years, archaeologists will... Read More
Successful parents have learned to be both firm and kind... Read More
My oldest boy is fifteen and was a real jerk... Read More
Did you know that cooking with your kids is a... Read More
Prenatal intelligence, also known as fetal intelligence, has become a... Read More
It's funny how people seem to think that they have... Read More
Though you can cover even very long distances by car... Read More
You do what you can to keep your little ones... Read More
Every week I write something about the stock market -... Read More
If you visit search engines you can find several resources... Read More
As a parent there are lots of things that you... Read More
Self-reliance and potential are two very important values that I'd... Read More
Q. With the school year just beginning, what can we... Read More
Vacations are fun ! Weekends with the family are nice.... Read More
As a parent you will be asked to assist with... Read More
A strange thing happened to me today. Or more precisely,... Read More
Q. I don't like my children spending so much time... Read More
Fall marks the beginning of many new things both for... Read More
Maintaining a safe home environment for your childrenAs adults and... Read More
Does your child pout, blame and brood? Does he gripe,... Read More
The big yellow school bus is coming down my road... Read More
Although many parents become frustrated as they try to maintain... Read More
Everyone knows that exercise is good for your health. Exercising... Read More
Dear Sir, It was with some interest that I read... Read More
Children and teenagers are relentlessly bombarded with merchandise that entices.... Read More
Remember when cash was a tangible commodity in all of... Read More
"There is nothing new under the sun," states Ecclesiastes 1:9.... Read More
It's among the top criticism wives have of their husbands:... Read More
Vouchers, which give tax money to parents to pay for... Read More
Parents are in a unique position to "monitor" their children's... Read More
Many families do not want to believe their child is... Read More
Parents are always looking for ways to open up the... Read More
My kids just can't get enough of playing games with... Read More
The older my daughter gets the more it's sinking in... Read More
Dads, please let me encourage you to change some things... Read More
Having worked with parents for the last 35 years and... Read More
What is in a name?The answer is everything!Jo J. of... Read More
"My son won't go to bed at night without a... Read More
As part of the whole-language (or "balanced") reading-instruction philosophy, many... Read More
Optimists do better academically, socially and enjoy better health than... Read More
Most of our Founding Fathers, including Ben Franklin, Sam Adams,... Read More
Emotional OverloadMany single parents say they deal with a variety... Read More
There is nothing pleasant about failure, at least not at... Read More
Did you know that inconsistency on matters of discipline gives... Read More
Winifred or Willow? Thomas or Troy? The name you choose... Read More
Some children practically potty train themselves, while others struggle and... Read More
1. Encourage Questions.Don't answer every question, instead ask what do... Read More
Moms and dads, are there times you think that parenting... Read More
Successful families don't just happen. They take time, talent and... Read More
Children explore the world around them and learn through pretend... Read More
If you're looking for toys that are both fun to... Read More
The human brain never actually stops developing. Beginning formation in... Read More
Ah, there is nothing like being an expectant mom. Along... Read More
If you are currently homeschooling or considering homeschooling your child,... Read More
There are several treatment options available to help improve the... Read More
How many times have you flipped through the pages of... Read More
Children are moral and make moral determinations... at least until... Read More
It's a familiar scene: Kids screaming at each other, complaining... Read More
It's funny how people seem to think that they have... Read More
Uh oh.Your kids arrive home with their school reports and... Read More
Although many children are picky eaters at some stage in... Read More
Parenting |