Making maths interesting than ever is possible if you follow these tips

Math is a subject of intellect ! It is interesting as well as boring if worksheets are considered only part of it as it burn students out and turn math into drudgery, simple activities can inspire a love for it. Math might not be your favorite subject, but it doesn’t have to be that way for your children. Here are 6 ways to make math meaningful and fun for your children.

1. Make and activities 

A hands-on math activity is one that involves children doing something instead of passively learning through reading or writing. The more active the activity is, the more engaged children become. The idea is to get your children to use their other senses while trying to solve and understand math problems. For example, you could have your children solve equations using movement, like dancing.

To begin, choose one of the following operations –addition, substraction, or multiplication . Next, write blank problem on a piece of paper without any values like this – __ + __ = __. Then, pick a dance move and write it above the math problem. Roll a dice to fill in the blanks in the Left Hand Side (LHS) of your equation. Ask your children to find the solution and that’s how many times or seconds they have to do their dance.

2. Math and our life 

Older children love to be involved in the adult world. Give them tasks where they have to use math skills to complete the work. Have them plant a garden, measuring the spaces between the seeds. They could calculate how much water their garden will need and how much that will cost. You could even allow them to sell their produce and estimate their profit. The possibilities are endless! Children will feel great about accomplishing meaningful work, see the value in studying math and get excited about it!

3. Math and motivation 

Simple reward system can make a huge difference in the way your children view math and learning in general. The key is to find something that your children really desire. Is it a special toy, treat, game, or a special outing with you? Whatever it may be, rewards help develop a love for math that stems from the excitement only personalized motivation can bring.

4. Misic and Art

Art and Music are often treated as extras, unnecessary subjects. However, math is central to both art and music, as music in today's world is considered as a product of mathematics.

Math art is very popular because famous painters like Leonardo DaVinci used mathematical concepts to plan their works. Children will love the patterns and designs they can create applying these same concepts, and your budding artist will love improving his work with them.

5. Mr. Potato Head, Barbie Dolls, and Blocks. 

Children have a special connection to toys and imaginative play. If you connect their favorite toys to math concepts, they will be begging to learn more! You can use toys as manipulatives, magic motivators or as props. Our favorite toys to help make math fun are blocks. They help children visualize equations, enhance spatial visualization skills, practice measurement, estimate, and much more. My daughter Audrey likes to measure her “skyscraper” and compare the height to other things in the house.

There are countless ways to make math fun for children, but don’t think too hard when it comes to teaching basic concepts. If you engage with your children and capitalize on everyday experiences, they will pick up these skills naturally. Don’t second guess your abilities as your children’s first and best teacher!

Using a student's name in a math problem is an effective way to keep your class engaged. When teaching subtraction in my kindergarten classroom, I always come up with silly stories to entice my students. I randomly choose a child in my class to include in each example. Sometimes, choosing a student who has a difficult time staying attentive can be a very effective strategy. I may say, "Jenny bought five pieces of candy from the store." Right away, I have Jenny's attention—along with all the students who love candy. I continue, "Jenny gives Abigail three pieces of her candy, so how many pieces of candy does Jenny have left?"

The answer to this story problem might seem logical for many students. However, some of my students need a visual aid, so I grab five pieces of candy and we act out the problem. We then repeat the problem again, and I have my students draw it on a piece of paper. Every concept that's taught should have meaning and relevancy in the real world and in your students