 Scary Math? Not Really. Promote Math for Kids of All Ages
With Halloween just around the corner, we thought we'd talk about a topic related to a certain kind of fear. No, not spiders, ghosts, or witches...but math! Yes, it just so happens that some people are terrified of math. But it doesn't have to be that way.
Learning math can be fun if you start getting your kids interested in math at an early age and try to make math fun and engaging for them. Here are some suggestions from Sylvan to take math beyond the books and to help your children develop a lifelong love for numbers!
Look for numbers all over. For the youngest learners, look for numbers all around the house and the neighborhood. Just as we look for letters and words as our youngsters are learning to read, why not "explore" for numbers, too? There they are in magazines, on the addresses outside our homes, and in road signs. Combine words and numbers in "searches," and see how fast children catch on.
Use numbers. Let your child punch in the numbers when you're making a phone call, read the quantities in a recipe, dial the oven to the necessary temperature (with your supervision, of course). Let her set the alarm clock, set all the clocks at spring-forward, fall-back time, and help you monitor number-exhibiting gauges like thermostats, speedometers, odometers, tire-pressure gauges, and the like.
Count. There are lots of things you can count with your youngsters. Stairs, birthdays, family members, cars in a small parking lot, toys on the floor, toys on the shelf, "sleeps" until a happy occasion, or pets in the neighborhood. Sing counting songs.
Look for shapes and patterns. Helping kids recognize and notice shapes and patterns gets them ready for the rudiments of geometry. Rectangles, squares, circles, ovals, triangles, and other shapes around us in our homes and neighborhoods. Patterns are organized, repetitive, and predictable- and they're all around us. The seasons of the year. Rituals at church, temple, or mosque. Morning routines. Recognizing simple patterns help children to predict what comes next.
Know about STEM. Science-Technology-Engineering-Math courses are more important than ever. For your middle and high-school students, encourage them to explore these courses. Learn about them yourself so you can be a knowledgeable advocate at home.
Be a role model. Talk about the role of math in your life and job. Let the kids see you doing math. Point out your math when your filling the car with gas, following a recipe, paying bills, examining sports statistics, figuring out the route for a vacation, building a tree house, or figuring out a pool shot.
Have fun. Kids don't need to know they're learning math. There are many, many games that enhance math skills. Card games, Scrabble (good for math patterns and vocabulary), puzzles, Sudoku, brain teasers, fun workbooks, and Monopoly, to name a few.
Engage girls. Don't let girls fall for the old math-is-for-boys card. It's not true, and it affects many girls' confidence in school and beyond. |
