5 Creative Ways To Help Your Child With Maths
There is mathematics everywhere. That’s fantastic news for parents because it allows us to have engaging conversations about maths with our children. And it’s crucial to talk about mathematics in that way.
According to studies, a child’s maths proficiency upon entering kindergarten is a greater indicator of future academic performance than reading proficiency, social skills, or attentiveness. By assisting them in becoming familiar with mathematical fundamentals such as measurement and calculation at home, parents can offer their children a head start in school.
The following are five ways with which you can add mathematics to your kid’s day!
Put on your baking hats!
When you bake, you can’t help but utilise arithmetic. When you double a recipe, you must multiply; when you halve a recipe, you must divide; and when you measure a 12 cup or a 14 teaspoon, you must work with simple fractions. Children enjoy counting out chocolate bits on a simpler level. (And the parents do, too; we speak from personal experience!)
Ask them: What number of chocolate chips would it take to fill a cup? How many are needed for half-a-cup? See how closely you come to the correct response by adding up your totals together!
Measure, count, and record
Most children enjoy using stopwatches, and they can practice counting while they watch the seconds pass. Measure heights and distances. tally the number of pushups, jumping jacks, or consecutive soccer kicks.
Ask them: How far can a ball be thrown? Throw the ball and take a guess with your kid. Measure the distance in relatable terms.
In a minute, count the number of jumping jacks they perform. Try it!
Count the number of times you can bounce a ball or jump rope without failing? Get your kid excited about that.
Build something together
Any task that involves measuring, no matter how big or tiny, also includes calculating, addition, and multiplication. It doesn’t matter if you construct a true tree home or a playhouse out of shoe boxes. Playtime can benefit greatly from the use of Lego blocks and other similar toys to incorporate both mathematical and spatial reasoning.
Ask them: How tall can you make that Lego stack?
How many Lego pieces must you stack to get to the coffee table?
Make a square if you can, a rectangle or other forms? Discuss the shapes of the objects your child has made.
Plan dinner or a party
There are many arithmetic ideas involved, whether you’re organising a gathering or just preparing for a family supper. Have your kid assist with the table setting and count the silverware, plates, and napkins. Have your kid assist with the buying for the celebration. Since all of those dishes, balloons, and party goodies are delivered in various quantities, you know you’ll need to do some maths!
Ask them: How many meal dishes, napkins, and forks are required?
How many packs will you need if you’re having a party with 10 guests and the plates are 8 to a pack? How many will there be in excess?
Get imaginative if you’re not going to be throwing a party anytime soon. Why not throw your child’s favourite plush animals a tea party?
Mix in maths to your bedtime reading
The majority of households read to their kids at night. Why not include a maths issue in the mix? Try this one out.
You can narrate a story or make one wherein you can skillfully pack some information and ask your kid questions related to that. For instance, you can narrate a story on how everytime you visit a certain place, you buy a certain number of apples or bananas. You can then ask them that if you visit the place twice a month, how many fruits would you buy in total.
There are numerous creative activities to keep children thinking about mathematics, including board games, stickers, and astronomy. Simply encouraging your child to notice the numbers around them and keeping things enjoyable are the most crucial factors. This is how we’ll instil a love of maths in the future generation!