Teaching mathematics effectively has been a challenge for many teachers in the education sector. The common issue is how to help students understand and be able to keep in mind all the formulas and calculations as long as possible hold numbers for calculations in the brain for a long time. Worry no more, your problem will be resolved after reading our guide on how to teach maths in an interesting way below. We make sure that your math class can be the best one soon in the future!
Why teach maths to kids?
Mathematics is an important knowledge base
It can be said that Mathematics is the subject that lays the most important foundation for the development of children in the future. Learning Math not only helps children develop knowledge, logical thinking, analysis but also creativity and imagination. These skills are all very important in a child’s learning and life.
Stimulate children’s thinking and intelligence
The human brain is divided into two hemispheres. In particular, the left hemisphere of the brain receives information and knowledge about logical thinking and analysis. The right hemisphere of the brain will receive information related to creativity, imagination. Whenyou teach maths to children from an early age, it will stimulate the development of the left hemisphere of the brain. Thereby helping to improve children’s thinking and intelligence.
In particular, some math learning methods have the effect of stimulating both hemispheres of the brain at the same time.
Teach maths to help students develope many important skills
As mentioned, doing well in Math will stimulate both hemispheres of the brain at the same time. Children who are good at Math will be formed and develop many important skills at the same time. These include: Logical thinking, synthesis, creativity, patience and problem solving. Each of these skills is important for a child’s later development.
Being good at Math helps children learn all subjects
A child who is good at Math shows that he excels in thinking and ability to absorb knowledge. Therefore, it is not difficult for children to learn the remaining subjects well. It is important that you, the excellent teachers, give them a love of learning. As a result, you will find it easier to teach mathematics to students.
Difficulties when you teach maths to kids at an early age
Letting children learn Math at an early age brings a lot of benefits to their future development. However, at a young age, both teachers and students will face many difficulties in accessing Mathematics. Specifically:
Students get bored quickly, find it difficult to concentrate
A study has shown that children under the age of 10 often do not concentrate for more than 15 minutes. So when you teach maths and focus too much on numbers, children will quickly get bored and not focus. This affects their acquisition of knowledge.
Math exercises are not suitable for the child’s ability
At each different age, the child’s brain will have certain development. Therefore, it is difficult for teachers to find sources of exercises that are suitable for their knowledge and ability to absorb.
The lack of a suitable learning path
Teaching Math from an early age is only effective if the right learning curve is applied. As a result, many teachers will find it difficult to create a structured pathway for their students when they teach mathematics.
The Most Creative Ways To Teach Mathematics To Children
Use Manipulatives
Manipulatives can be one of the key factors in creating effective and engaging maths lessons. This tool will assist learners in perceiving abstract concepts in mathematics through physical activities such as touching and seeing them.
For instance, if you require your students to calculate the sum of three and four, they can create one pile with three items, and the rest is four items. Then they can find the result of this calculation only by counting how many items they have all together.
Draw Pictures
For much-complicated maths word problems, drawing pictures or diagrams will be useful techniques for students in solving them because they will easily visualize and find out complex maths issues such as algebra, geometry, or even probability.
Not only that, this method can interest learners much more in the calculation, especially for those who usually find it so boring.
For example: If you ask them to calculate how much money they have after buying books last month, you should instruct them to visualize the number they had before the purchase. After thatg, think about the price of the books they bought, then cross out the latter to find out the result- which is the amount of money they have left.
Thus, encourage your students to draw pictures in mathematical education and make a habit of creating works of art at all subsequent stages.
Create Maths Games to teach mathematics
Students are usually very interested in games, so using this technique when you teach maths is a good tactic. It helps to create more fun and simultaneously boost students’ mathematics and critical thinking in your lesson.
They can also improve teamwork skills while playing the game among groups or build much more confidence and independence if they play alone. Not to mention, they have an opportunity to practice winning and losing graciously and respectfully by playing games with a competitive aspect.
Ask Students To Explain Their Ideas
Try to ask pupils to develop problem-solving ideas after assigning a maths assignment. Encourage your kids to collaborate in a respectful manner to come up with new methods. This technique not only stimulates their creativity but also finds out multiple ways to solve a mathematical exercise.
You can require your student to verbalize step-by-step what they have learned and give examples for what they’ve said during the teaching process. If they still find confused about knowledge, be patient to restate and require them to do it again.
Ask Students To Be The Teachers
This way may be similar to the previous one; however, it not only brings opportunities for students to practice presenting skills in public but also builds critical thinking when you empower them to be the teacher. Because they have to answer all questions asked and explain for people to understand their opinions.
Students also tend to remember better what they know when showing or instructing someone else. Inviting them to stand in the front of the room and demonstrate how to solve a problem in the most logical way will be an effective method to teach maths to young children.
Write A Word Problem
Why not have your pupils compose their own word problems instead of just doing mathematics exercises as normal? It will not only provide them with a better knowledge of the basic formulae for a certain problem, but it will also be a fun approach to try something new in arithmetic.
You might want to create a filling in the blanks template for them at the beginning of this method then increase the complexity at subsequent stages. Allow them to exchange their exercises with classmates to create a variety and help them remember better.
Read Mini Maths Stories
Learning mathematics through stories is no longer strange in teaching and learning. Instead of introducing abstract concepts like usual practices, you can try to tell students short stories to contextualize or give the pupils a puzzle to answer.
You might read the story at the end of a lesson to help students remember what they’ve learned, even ask them to tell these stories in the next lesson.
This combined method between literacy and maths will help them improve literacy reading and debunk the idea that arithmetic is boring, unimaginative, and difficult to understand.
Celebrate Special Math Events
Besides the aforementioned ways, celebrating special maths events in the teaching process is a good idea. You will observe high levels of student engagement after students understand the competition expectations you set.
Remember that competition does not necessarily have to be between teams or students. Some students can enjoy competing against themselves by setting personal goals, thus creating various events to interest them in arithmetic.
Take Students Outside
Spending learning outside is a novel way to teach maths in an interesting way and encourage students’ studying spirit. Take them into the zoo or park to diversify the educational environment.
Try to separate them into three to five groups with random numbers and line up, then ask to count the people in each group. Besides, counting the animals in the zoo is an ideal teaching option for you.
You might have them find 15 rocks, leaves, and natural objects in a short game to determine which team is the winner. Do not forget to praise the winning group’s success so that they can develop their own learning goals and approach more achievement in the future.
Finish Class By Giving A Summary And Homework
After applying the methods mentioned to teach maths in an interesting way above, do not forget to give a summary at the end of the lesson. This helps them grasp what they’ve learned during the learning process.
One more important thing is to assign them extra exercises so that they can practice structures and what you taught because “Practice makes perfect!”
In conclusion
Hope that our guide on how to teach maths in an interesting way we provided will be useful for you. However, whether they are effective or not, mainly depends on how they are conducted by you.
You might need to apply your knowledge flexibly to evaluate and modify instructional resources and convey the subject in an honest and accessible manner. But the most important is trying to listen and see your pupils’ reactions to your teaching approaches and adjust your lessons accordingly. Find other articles from us about teaching in Vietnam here!
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