How to Teach Maths to Pupils Who Don’t Like Maths
Solving math problems for children can be frustrating, from confusion or lack of motivation; this is probably why maths is not a favorite subject for many students, even though it is essential and impacts several fundamental areas of our lives. There are several ways you can improve the learning experience for your child, from making the lessons fun to hiring a maths tutor who can simplify and personalize their classes. If you need some help teaching math to your child, you have come to the right place. We list strategies from maths tutors in Perth that can help parents and other tutors connect more with their students and enhance their learning experience.
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Bring In the Fun
Young children enjoy nothing more than having fun, so why not try integrating maths into it? It’s not a secret that young children don’t enjoy math because they see it as a challenging subject, so it might help to teach it creatively. You could try implementing math-based activities, online games, or puzzles to help them understand it. Fun math quizzes can help students improve their overall mathematical skills.
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Explain the ‘Why’
It is essential to teach children the logic behind the processes and formulas, particularly for students who have difficulty recalling steps or formulas needed to solve math problems. Explaining the ‘why’ might take quite some time. However, it is worth the investment, as it makes the pupils feel empowered when they know and understand the reason behind different mathematical processes.
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Involve Them
Learning math is engaging; you cannot just sit back and hope your child understands the reasoning behind different mathematical problems. It would help if you pushed them to show effort and play an active process in the learning process. One of the popular ways of doing this is by keeping them engaged by going through previous concepts as you work on the problematic aspects of the mathematical concept. As you teach your students, you must keep them active, as it will somewhat give you a guide on their understanding levels.
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Show
Telling them or explaining math concepts doesn’t help that much when it comes to young kids. Most teachers tend to provide the initial model and let the pupils take a crack at it alone. However, repeating the process and showing them how the problems are solved when they run into problems is essential. Examples are a great way to help children see the concept in practice. Give them questions to practice solving the problems, as it allows them to develop mastery and confidence. When they get stuck, show them again and again how to proceed until they fully understand how to solve the problem.
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Visual Representation
Numbers may not appeal to young children, and you might need to bring in visual elements. This can be schedules, tables, diagrams, graphs, and more, as they are essential in helping them understand abstract mathematical concepts. When you present students with visual elements or illustrations, they tend to reflect on it and resolve the math problem more quickly. Theoretical concepts help them better understand the problem and solve it with ease.
Concluding Observations
Being great at math does not happen overnight; you need much effort to improve. Constant support, practice, and patience are necessary to help your child or student come out on top and understand various mathematical concepts. We hope the tips listed above will help you in your quest to get your pupils better at math.
