Learning Mathematics doesn’t have to be boring if you know how to pass on to your child that tool that is essential and indispensable in everyday life. For example, learning to count can be something that catches your little one’s attention if you turn it into a fun game.

When something is attractive and interesting to a child, it puts all their attention and it will be much easier to fix those concepts. They really immerse themselves in what they do and often forget everything around them. When there is also a relaxed atmosphere, given space to play, are not tired, then a child can also get gaming experiences that are valuable to their development.

Instead of giving it everything done, there are also very simple games you can do with the things around them! Here are some ideas you can get inspired by.

Many of the Math exercises can start doing them before your little one turns one.

No matter if you think it’s still too early for this, the end is to start getting acquainted with the numbers, of course, the concept of the real numbers will come later.

Once in school, your child will also start practicing there. And over time and practice, he begins to understand what numbers really mean. A good basis of numerical understanding is of great importance to your future school career. Because arithmetic and later math will be difficult if the numbers mean nothing to him!

 

Mathematics is learned from a very young age…

In many cases, it is difficult to know what happens in babies’ minds because they only communicate through facial expressions and sounds. While the acquisition of their language has not yet begun to develop, babies use their eyesight to absorb their surroundings. Gradually, their observations and experiments help babies understand the world.

Thanks to new research on children’s cognitive development, we know much more about their learning skills. When it comes to math, children’s ability to understand their surroundings is amazing. In the first two years, children learn math to hone their numerical and estimation skills.
As they learn to walk and talk, children begin to use words for simple math concepts they have noticed in their surroundings.

Encouraging babies and showing interest in numbers has been shown to benefit them later. That’s why it’s important for children to learn to count from an early age. In 1980, pediatrician Hallam Hurt (Philadelphia, U.S.A.) found that children who receive more care at home generally have a higher IQ. The benefits for the development of the introduction of numbers in children are precisely why they need to start from a very young age to play with mathematical concepts such as geometry and arithmetic.

How does your child learn arithmetic?
To stimulate the development of arithmetic, for example, children must be given the opportunity to experience counting, sorting, comparing, measuring, space and time, building things with different materials and in different situations.

 

The importance of figure discovery

During the academic career, mathematics is an essential part of the curriculum for all schoolchildren. Since kindergarten, children are taught with methods adapted to their age. However, their age is no reason to exclude them from mathematics.

Children learn the basics of math by playing games that teach them:

– Learn how numbers work (e.g. tracking hundreds, tens and numbers)
– Appreciate the applications of mathematics.
– Investigate how numbers relate to each other.

Since elementary school, the math program is usually divided into 3 main topics:

– Figures and calculation
– Ranges and sizes
– Geometry

Mastering the concepts learned in elementary school means less difficulty with math at a higher level. Math classes encourage children to think logically and develop reasoning skills that will be useful to them throughout their adult lives.

Arithmetic is just as important because it allows children to make connections between numbers and understand how they work. Studies indicate that a large portion of children at the end of primary school do not understand the fundamentals of math.
For this reason, it is crucial that education is age-appropriate and that you receive the academic support you need to develop the right study skills. By mastering the fundamentals, students prepare to overcome difficulties in the future, especially when subjects specialize and begin to learn physics, for example.

Mathematics can seem abstract and overly complex if they are not linked to their use in the real world, and that’s where a lot of misunderstandings come from. Keep in mind that concrete visual examples of hands-on math apps will help your child master a topic and better remember what he or she has learned.

 

Tips for teaching math to kids with learning issues

What should you do if your child has a specific learning problem, such as dyslexia or dyscalculia? Do you need to adapt your methods to maths teaching?

As you probably know, dyslexia affects reading, writing, and comprehension. When it comes to math, it can also cause difficulties in solving different problems.

Dyscalculia is similar to dyslexia, but with this learning disability, people have trouble processing numbers instead of words.

A multisensory approach to math learning can be effective when students receive information through different channels: sight, hearing, touch, and movement.

People with specific learning issues are often primarily visual students, which means that using images and models is more effective for understanding and using math.

When teaching children with specific learning problems, it’s incredibly important to be patient with them.
For them, repeat the points as many times as necessary until they fully understand them. It also changes the focus each time to keep you involved.

Because a specific learning disorder makes organization difficult, it can be very valuable for teachers and parents to put in place mechanisms to structure learning, such as:

– Use a color-coded system to distinguish between mathematical concepts
– Fulfill a routine.
– In addition to exercise notebooks, you can use a learning diary (to keep all work in one place)

There are many other tricks you can use such as progress charts, checklists, and summaries of previous math lessons for example. Give examples where you can apply what you have learned, this will be something that motivates you to want to know more.

A good organization can make a big difference for any child, and even more so when it comes to children with a specific learning disorder. With a clear routine and goals, you will feel that you have more control and eliminate the stress caused by mental blockages.

For math, playing is the engine of learning. When you are in a state of play, you are more open to curiosity, you are more likely to fight and feel more ownership of the problems and your solution. Mathematics helps us understand the world we live in, incentivizing your child at the beginning of a mathematical adventure in which he will come to the most extraordinary knowledge by trial and error.

All the information we give you in this article is indicative as each child and each family is different and unique.

 

Carolina González Ramos

Do you have any questions or comments?