Are you a concerned parent?
Without a strong foundation, kids run the risk of falling behind as they get older. Not having fundamental math skills can cause children to struggle in school or as they enter the workforce.
Fortunately, there are many simple things that you can teach your child at home. Turn your child’s math skills around and give them the tools they need for higher learning.
Want to learn more? If so, then continue reading the rest of this article to find tips to help your child improve their foundational math skills.
Develop Number Sense and Understanding of Numerals
To help your child improve their foundational math skills, start by talking to your child about numbers in everyday activities. For example, when you’re grocery shopping, have your child identify numbers and objects that have a numerical value, i.e., how many apples do we have?
Playing board games and card games that focus on numbers is also a great way to help strengthen your child’s number sense. You can also provide your child with:
- numerical puzzles
- dot puzzles
- 1-100 charts
- creating equations
- counting objects
An important factor to remember is to keep it interesting and light. That way, your child will enjoy taking part in the activities.
When it comes to establishing a good understanding of numbers, it’s important to be patient and provide your child with plenty of encouragement. This will make them more confident when learning foundational math skills.
Utilize Manipulatives to Strengthen Conceptual Understanding
When children are exposed to physical objects, they have the opportunity to grasp key concepts through hands-on experience that helps them better visualize math concepts. Parents can use a few different types of manipulatives such as base 10 blocks and number tiles which allow for comparison and grouping of numbers.
Additionally, parents can use counters, such as coins or even pasta for counting and basic addition and subtraction activities. Watching their progress and providing guidance as children use the manipulatives can be a great way to encourage understanding and collaboration.
With each activity, they should be given plenty of opportunities to make mistakes, ask questions, look for patterns, and practice problem-solving.
Incorporating Games and Activities Into Learning
Encouraging your child to improve their foundational math skills should begin with incorporating games and activities into regular learning. This can help make learning more fun while also building essential math skills in children. You can try playing math-based video games or board games with your child. This gives them the opportunity to practice and sharpen their math skills.
Additionally, try helping your child work through online math homework and answer relevant questions. This can help them to better understand the lessons taught. With that, they get to start applying them in practice with feedback in real time.
Help Your Child Improve Their Foundational Math Skills
Overall, teaching your child foundational math skills doesn’t have to be hard. Be patient, use real-life examples, and encourage curiosity to help your child’s mathematical development.
Try out some of these tips to help with understanding and honing their math skills. With dedication and enthusiasm, your child can become an expert in math!
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