With new year just underway, now is a good time to start making great choices about your kids’ math future. A student’s understanding of math depends on their own willingness to put in the work necessary, but also on their parents for helping them practice healthy habits and set them up for success.
Below are some simple things parents and children can do to help them improve their math skills. Math can be looming for adults, too, but most of the suggestions below are easy to incorporate in your life. They might be things you’re already doing, only we’re looking at them thru a math lens perspective.
5 Math Resolutions for Kids
- Ask at least one question a week on math class. When students engage with teachers, it lets them know the student is interested and paying attention. It also lets them know areas they might need to spend more focus on in the future.
- Do math homework first. Math might not be the only subject the child has regular homework in, but, getting it out of the way first will reduce the likelihood of mental fatigue while trying to work their way through math problems. This is especially true with children who struggle with math. They need all the fresh brain power they can get!
- Double check answers after the math assignment is completed. Sometimes mistakes are a matter of simple calculation mistake. If your child has put in the work, remind them to double check their work to make sure they receive proper credit for their homework.
- Read a book that includes math. If your child is one that reads before bed, suggest reading some of these 30 fun math books for all ages. If your child isn’t in this habit, reading a chapter together out loud each night could improve their math skills and their reading skills.
- Join a math club or participate in an activity that involves math. Studies show that extra curricular math clubs have a positive impact on problem solving ability, standardized test scores and social interaction among peer groups (The Social and Work Structure of an Afterschool Math Club). Practicing math outside of school will lead to more math confidence during school.
5 Math Resolutions for Parents
- Ask your kid at least one math-related questions every day. Math is a part of your everyday life! Why not take the mundane things you do weekly, like cooking, shopping, building, fixing, measuring etc. and make them opportunities to help your child practice math? (And by the way, if you’re looking for math-related riddles, our weekly word problem challenges are the perfect place to start!)
- Focus on concepts, not just answers. Because math involves concepts that all build on one another, coming up with the right answer isn’t the only important part of math, equally important is understanding foundational concepts. Asking questions like“How should we figure out how many miles it took us to get home?” instead of “What is the exact mileage we have driven to get home?” are more useful in the long run.
- Play family games that involve math. Board games are a great way to involve all the members of your family in a little friendly competition. Monopoly, Connect Four, Checkers and Chess are some popular ones that are super fun! You can also do the same on road trips by counting or singing songs about counting.
- Help your child manage their time. Wanting to expose kids to a host of activities can seem fun and stimulating, however, overscheduled kids can often see a dip in grades and studies – especially in math. Prioritizing tasks and time spent on them can help kids develop more consistent physical and mental habits that last into adulthood.
- Speak positively about math. Parents who had trouble with math or don’t like it can unknowingly pass their anxiety on to their children. You don’t have to lie about loving math as a parent, but avoiding expressing negative thoughts and words about math will help your child develop their own sentiment about it, which might differ from yours.
And, of course, one of the best things you can do to improve your child’s skills, mastery of and confidence in math in 2019 is
- Take your child to Mathnasium of Parker for a no-obligation first visit!
