How to Help Kids Learn Math

Continous study even over holiday breaks will help kids learn math.

Worksheets and rote memorization are hardly fascinating stimuli for young students. But activities that apply math to their lives help children master math. Deep learning takes place when a student is excited about the subject and feels comfortable in trying to solve challenges related to a problem. Designing lessons and unstructured activities that raise children's curiosity about math helps them learn.

Instructions

1. Relate math to your children's daily lives. Point out regularly that math is a part of shopping, cooking and understanding what's happening in the world around them.

2. Design math-related group activities with prizes. For instance, set up a competition for kids to get the highest number of items for the lowest amount of money using a newspaper coupon section.

3. Show films to older kids in which the protagonists are good at math, math is featured in a positive way or math helps the main characters solve problems. Such films include "Mean Girls," "21," "Good Will Hunting," "Proof" and "Little Man Tate."

4. Explore the ways that math helps children achieve goals. Have them write down their goal or dreams, and then come up with ways that math will be integral to success.

Tips & Warnings

• Use the Internet to download additional worksheets or games to practice math with kids.

• Encourage continuous learning. Gaps in learning, such as doing nothing over summer vacations, slow the learning process.

References

• "Evidence for Education: Effective Mathematics Instruction"; Kathlyn Steedly, Ph.D. et al; 2008
• "San Francisco Chronicle: Summer Learning Day Gives Kids Lessons in Fun"; Jill Tucker; June 22, 2011
• Learner.org: Inter activities -- Math in Daily Life