Why it's important to help
Mathematics is one of the most important subjects that your child studies at school. Numbers are all around us and even if you don't feel yourself to be a mathematics genius, there is plenty that you can do. In fact, your child should enjoy most of the suggested activities so much that she won't even realise that it's educational!
Current teaching methods for maths, and even the way that sums are recorded, appear very different from those used twenty years ago. As a result, parents are sometimes reluctant to help their children with maths homework for fear of doing things in the wrong way.
However, children do really benefit when parents take a keen interest in their mathematical learning. You can help your child to gain confidence and develop a positive attitude towards mathematics by talking about what has been taught at school and helping her to notice and use mathematics in an everyday context.
Ideas and tips
Try some of these suggestions to reinforce learning that has taken place at school:
Make the most of your child's out-of-school interests. Football fans, for example, can focus on predicting results and looking at league tables. Fantasy-league football requires real mathematical skill to get right! Game cards such as Pokémon are full of numbers and potential calculations too.
Play games: Monopoly, chess, backgammon, cribbage, darts, dominoes and other games that depend on numbers, counting, calculation and scoring are all good. 'Battleships' is a fun way to use graphs. Invest in a range of maths puzzle books, too.
Involve your child in planning a holiday or day out. Set a budget and get her to help calculate the cost of tickets and food, and time the trip so that everyone is where they should be on time. Your child could even get involved with insurance quotations and, if the trip is to be abroad, with the conversion of currencies. Ask her to draw up a 'ready reckoner' on a postcard so that currency calculations are easier when you are away.
Use learning games on educational websites: check out the Games Machine for lots of ideas.
Please note: This article does not aim to solve any problem your child may have with a particular area of maths. Ask your child's teacher for specific ideas on what might help in certain areas.
Based on an article by Lorna Smith
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