Math lessons often make children feel anxious, afraid, or stressed. Though, in fact, there you know, a fun way to learn math for children. Come on, Mother, see the full explanation in this article!
Children can actually like counting, sorting, doing puzzles, and finding patterns, you know, Bun. However, when an activity like this is labeled 'math', they often lose interest in it.
Moreover, if the child is introduced to complex math problems by the teacher at school before really understanding the basic concepts. This is what may cause children to think mathematics is an unpleasant subject.
Fun Ways to Learn Math for Kids
To make math a favorite subject for your little one, there are several fun ways to learn math for you to apply at home. The following are among them:
1. Show the importance of math
When learning mathematics, the first thing you should do is show the importance of learning mathematics in everyday life. There are several ways you can apply, for example:
- Count how many red cars are encountered along the way to the supermarket
- Counting how many clothes have just been lifted from the clothesline
- Counting the number of biscuits removed from the wrapper onto the plate and the rest
That way, children will understand that mathematics is not just memorizing multiplication tables or formulas, but also skills needed in everyday life.
2. Learn while playing
To help your little one learn math, you can also make math lessons fun. For example, Mother can invite her to make crafts that require measurements, make cakes and count the ingredients that must be used, or play buying and selling so that your little one can learn to count change.
3. Help children think positively
One study found that children who were told they were good at math were more likely to master math, regardless of whether they actually did or not. Therefore, it is important for you to help your little one think positively first that he can do math problems.
4. Help the child if they have difficulty
Generally in grade 1 elementary school, children will learn addition and subtraction that is limited to only one number, then increase to two numbers in grade 2. When sitting in grades 3–4, children will begin to learn multiplication and division.
Over time, you may notice that your little one is good at some types of counting but is weak in others. If your little one looks often unhappy when learning math, try to find out which part is the most difficult and help him.
If he always seems to have a hard time and has to keep using his fingers when counting, he may have dyscalculia. You can observe it and wait up to about 1 year before seeking help from a doctor or psychologist. However, don't give the impression that your little one is incapable of mastering math, OK?
To be sure, the difficulties faced by your little one should not make you panic and instead make you remember to keep motivating him. You can tell him that he doesn't need to be perfect at math, but still encourage him to do his best.
Come on, Mother, continue to support children to learn math in a fun way! If you realize your child has a weakness in one lesson, both math and other subjects, you can also consult a psychologist who specializes in dealing with the problem.
