For some children, learning math is quite a challenge! Here are some tips to help you support your child in understanding.
Children's brains are like sponges. They learn very quickly and repeat everything they see and hear. This allows them to evolve at high speed “V”. But how do you get them to learn something they don't like or have no interest in? How to make them learn their mathematics without having a crisis every night when it comes time to learn the addition or multiplication tables, or any other lessons? Specialists and ordinary mortals agree that children learn more easily and even without realizing it, through play. I will therefore give you little tips for adapting certain games, how to design a game and the games already existing.
Turning learning into play
In elementary school, almost everything looks like a game, with a few exceptions. So we don't have to rack our brains for long to find something that will grab your child's attention. Plus, you're the best person to know what he likes. Asyou probably already know that “mathematics” is one of the school subjects that surrounds us the most on a daily basis. So no matter what your teen loves, there's a way to find a math connection.
Game ideas to transform
First of all, it's important to put yourself in their shoes, try to see how to make math more interesting. If there's no idea that comes to mind, you can take one of his favorite games and modify it a bit. An example I can give you is the game of snakes and ladders. It's never very interesting to come across a snake and go down several squares. So, we can ask him a question and if the answer is good, then he doesn't go down. Likewise for the ladder, if he wants to climb up, he must answer the question correctly. If your child is learning to add, you can play with 2 dice, the principle becomes more concrete. If he is learning his numbers, you can ask him to name the number in his box. If your child likes Lego blocks, you can build with him and ask him how many red blocks we used, or how many green and blue blocks are in the assembly. In this case, the word “and” refers to addition. So all ideas that may seem trivial to you become a new game for your child.
Imagination in the service of learning
Of course, once we have reinvented our child's games,he may end up losing interest. As you already know, young people have a very fertile imagination. You have to use that imagination. This is why, in the previous paragraph, I told you to put yourself in the shoes of your child. Use your imagination too! If you are outside with him, you can tell him to name the shapes (circle, square, rectangle, etc.) around him. If he is a little more advanced, ask him to name the solids. If he likes hockey, let him name the shape of the goal, the stick, the ball, the houses around you. What shapes can be made with the goal and the sticks? How many meshes are there in the third row of the net? You will therefore be able to see if he is counting on the correct row and if he is not skipping digits.
Family meals are a great time to practice math, as well as during transport. If there is bread on the table, you can ask him to give you 2 slices plus one. Also, I don't know if you've ever noticed, but learning a little song or a round is much easier than learning your addition and multiplication tables by repeating them over and over. In this case, you can take a tune that he likes to sing and compose new lyrics with him. If the song is not enough, you can invent a dance, then he will remember that when he had his foot forward it was: 2X3=6 and again it will be so much more fun. There is also the famous method which consists of sticking in theroom or in the bathroom the addition and multiplication tables (a little less fun), but by dint of seeing them, they will imprint themselves in his memory. However, it should not be the only way, because in the long run, children no longer see them, I can tell you from experience.
Board Games
Of course, we don't always have the time or the opportunity to go outside and play. Luckily, there are toy companies that hire inventors to create educational games for youngsters. It is therefore possible to find a toy or a game perfectly adapted to the needs of your child. A very interesting game for ages 6 and up is “Mac Wizz”. This is a game for general knowledge. It combines a puzzle (12 pieces) with a small quiz. There are thousands of questions divided by age group. It is therefore possible for you to sort the questions according to what your child is studying or what he is having difficulty with. For slightly older youngsters, there is "Mathabble", which is based on the same principle as "Scrabble", but with numbers. It includes addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
This article would be incomplete if I didn't talk about specialized websites. The new generations are very computer-oriented. Several teachers have developed educational games on the internet. So I give you a small list of these sites.
- Professorphifix.net
- Pepit.be
- Mathematics.ca
- Les-coccinelles.fr
These are all game sites, except les-coccinelles.fr which is a site with cards to reproduce.
I hope all of these little tips help you find math fun rather than heavy and boring. If you have run out of ideas, after trying all these little tricks, it is always possible to talk with other parents, because there are more ideas in several heads than in one. Don't forget that many services are offered in schools and privately to help you and your child.
