5 Ways to Make Math Fun for Your Elementary Schooler
Math anxiety is real for kids, and it can appear as early as elementary school. Experts say this fear and apprehension stems from taking math tests, tackling equations or even thinking about numbers. Math anxiety can also develop when students start to notice the time it takes them to solve math problems. When they are not as fast at their classmates, many kids mistakenly conclude that they are simply not “good at math.”
But don’t lose hope, parents! It is entirely possible to instill a love of numbers in your child, setting them up for future success in academics, as well as life skills.
The key? Building a firm foundation by introducing numbers and math early with a fun and fearless approach. Here are 5 ways to help foster a positive relationship between your child and math:
- Play with Numbers. During the preschool years, it’s vital to place as much attention on numbers and math as you do letters and reading. Fill the toy room with play money, a brightly colored abacus and math manipulatives for tiny hands. Incorporate bedtime math right alongside a bedtime story, and sing catchy songs with repetitive phrases and words to promote counting, rhythm and retention.
- Demonstrate Tangible, Everyday Math. Show your child that math is everywhere. Start around the house, whether it’s following a recipe while you cook together or measuring the backyard to plant a garden. Away from home, go grocery shopping together, armed with a list of items and a firm budget. Enlist your child’s help in finding the gas station with the lowest prices.
- Model a Growth Mindset. Teach your child that a person’s abilities can grow over time. Focus on effort and mastering specific processes instead of overall results, and convey that failure is a learning opportunity. Above all, encourage them to “do math” even when it’s difficult.
- Use Tech. Technology is everywhere, and math is no exception. The good news is that there are excellent apps that can keep your child engaged and challenged, whether they are mastering addition or leveling up to basic algebra.
- Talk about Math in Positive Ways. Keep in mind that the way you talk about math can shape how your child perceives it — as a subject to embrace and explore or one to avoid when possible. Even if you have struggled yourself with math, try to avoid equating math with something that is inherently not fun or describing it as a skillset that some people have and others don’t.
Remember: everyone can do math! And the more you do as a parent to instill this belief, the less stressful those nights of math homework will be — for you and for your child.
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