How to Keep Your Child Interested in Math

Not every child is a math lover. Oftentimes we hear them grumbling over their math work, some of them even proclaiming it is the bane of their existence! Yet, math is something they need to learn and pass in school if they want to graduate. Here are some tips to keep kids interested in math.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Assorted math games (board games, puzzles, video games or computer games)
• Flash cards
• Video instructions
• Fun math activities
• Creativity
• Math clubs/study groups
• Tutor

1. Games: There are certain games available in the market to make math more interesting and fun. Choose age and grade appropriate activities for your child.
   
   Online computer, board and video games are added tools you can use to make your child more interested in math. Choose games that are interactive and test them yourself to see how good the products are.
   
   There are certain games you can use at home, like guessing or counting games that you can call out for your child to guess. Play this at home or anywhere, like in your car.
2. Flash Cards: Using flash cards can help keep your child interested in math. Make it a project too for your child to design his own flash cards. The older your child gets, gradually create or purchase more difficult flash card math problems.
3. Fun Activities: Aside from games, there are some activities you can create to make math more interesting to your child. For example, take your child to a road trip and count items along the way. You can have your child count how many blue cars there are in front of you, and if one car exits, do a subtraction and see if your child can follow.
   
   Another fun activity is playing make believe with your child with math involved. Your child may not know that you are doing math practice with the skits or make believe with you. Have a tea party with your child's dolls and stuffed animals. Have your child count the number of tea cups and saucers together. As the child grows older, make the activity more appropriate for your child's age level, like playing hopscotch and basketball or baseball games where you score points to add.
4. Storytelling: For younger kids who are learning the basic math skills, read books and stories that have math in them. This will make learning more enjoyable.
5. Rent or buy math videos: There are numerous fun tutorial videos available on the market for sale or rent; some even involve storytelling or detective work using Math.
6. Math clubs or math study groups: Organize a study group or have your child join one. In math clubs, your child can stay interested with the fun activities and projects they will come up with. Doing math practice with other kids will make math more interesting.
7. Tutor: Hire a tutor or enroll your child at math learning centers where experienced tutors can help your child. Once your child learns the steps and formulas, he will be more interested knowing he can master math in no time with help from you and his tutors.
8. Daily chores: Our daily lives somehow involve math in simple day to day activities and chores, like paying at the store, withdrawing money from an ATM and pumping gas. When paying cash at a burger drive-thru have your child figure out how much money is owed and how much change will come back.
9. Help with Homework: Help your child with homework by teaching your child how to understand math. Teach your child not to rely on memory alone but to understand how the formulas work so that even if the math problems or scenarios change, your child can still solve them. Do not do the homework for your child; this will teach your child to be lazy and depend on you all the time.
   
   Give your child extra problems to solve. A repetitious method can help your child learn faster. Remember that practice makes perfect.
10. Moral Support: It can be tough for kids as they learn that math just gets more complicated as they grow older. Have them take it as a challenge and give them a boost of confidence by praising them for every challenge they overcome. If they do not do too well, do not yell or get mad at them. They will dread dealing math for the rest of their learning years if they see your frustration.
    
    Give them praises for trying their best no matter what the outcome is.

Tips & Warnings

• Discuss with your child's teacher the challenges your child is experiencing with math and work out a plan that can help you and your child with the math homework and quizzes.
• Do not allow your child to fall behind. If you do not understand Math, don't be embarrassed to ask for help.