We all know that education begins in the home. As new parents, we read to our children very shortly after they are born. This not only strengthens the bond between parent and child, but instills a love of literature in the child.
At the same time we unknowingly begin teaching the basic understanding of mathematics through the use of simple blocks. Young children are natural mathematicians and scientists because they have an innate curiosity for exploration and experimentation. Simple blocks teach young children about geometry, engineering, and even physics. As the child grows we continue our daily story time but often begin to neglect our role in mathematics education. This often occurs because parents just aren’t sure what to do or are uncomfortable with math themselves. But encouraging your child in math is much easier than you think. In fact it’s as simple as attitude.
Children whose parents show interest and enthusiasm for math at home will develop their own enthusiasm. Conversely, when we say things like “Math is hard,” or “I was never very good at math either” we dampen our children’s natural eagerness for math. The good news is that there are plenty of resources available to encourage your child’s interest in math.
Published by the U.S. Department of Education, You Can Help Your Child Learn Mathematics is a great free publication available on line. Designed for preschool children to age five this publication takes the “scary” out of math by providing ways to teach good study habits and has many activities that you can do with your children “at home, in the grocery store, on the go and just for fun.” For more books, an internet search for “books to help kids with math” on Amazon.com provides a vast array of helpful material.
Kids learn much better when they are moving and having fun. And when things are fun they want to show you what they know. So let them. For example have them count the tiles in your kitchen or on the walls then let them count by twos, threes etc. Older kids can measure the tiles and get the square inches or even the square footage of the room. When you’re cooking let your kids help by reading the recipe and measuring the ingredients. This begins the basic understanding of fractions and they won’t even know it. Hanging a picture is a great opportunity to teach math skills in a fun setting. Break out the tape measure and have your kids measure where on the wall the picture should go.
Again, they are beginning the basic understanding of fractions. Instead of watching T.V. have your kids play board games or card games. Games help kids with decision making, counting (Trouble, Sorry, Monopoly, The Game of Life), probability (games with dice and cards), geometry and strategy (Battleship), identifying patterns (checkers and chess) and so on. They’ll have fun and be engaging their minds at the same time.
In life situations, it’s all about using an encouraging tone. Kids don’t like to be wrong and if they are, correcting them in the wrong tone can discourage them from trying again. My five year old loves to tell us what 2 + 2 is and how she can count by twos. She can up to 10. Then with the same overzealous encouragement we used during potty training, we can get her to continue her counting by twos to 20 and higher. We’re excited – so she’s excited – and therefore she wants to do more to get that feedback. When she’s wrong, if I said “No, you’re wrong,” she would pout and that would be the end of it. But instead we say, “Honey you are so close! That is so good! Try again, try again” in a very upbeat and encouraging tone so she understands that it’s okay to be wrong and that trying again is okay.
Children need early use of computers and there are hundreds of math programs for all ages. But where do you start and how do you know what programs are good and which aren’t? SuperKids is an independent company that reviews hundreds of educational programs in all areas. Here you can see which program is best for your child and even compare prices. For younger children, Leapfrog has been a leader in educational books and games for years. But you don’t have to spend money. A Google search for “educational games for children” will provide multiple sites with free games for all levels.
Another way to encourage your child’s math enthusiasm is to show them examples of famous mathematicians and the work they do.
An excellent example, especially for girls, is Danica McKellar. This famous childhood actress from The Wonder Years has become a prominent mathematician and she has authored three excellent New York Times bestselling books to help encourage middle school girls with math
Does your child play an instrument or is into photography, computer graphis or sports? Why not show how math is connected to each? Here is a video, Nature by Numbers, that uses amazing computer graphics to demonstrate where math occurs in nature. It’s a great combination of math, computer graphics, movie making and music. If your child wants to improve their baseball swing then check out this next site to see how math and sports are connected.
Encouraging your child’s interest in math starts with your enthusiasm. Remember math is the language of the universe and is a part of everything we do. Making the connection between what activities your child likes to do and how math is involved will allow them to forge a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts.
