Teaching Math with Simple Everyday Things | UCMAS India
Learning is a complicated concept in itself. Every kid learns differently. Some like to learn with theories and thrive in classroom settings. Some others like to learn by implementing them in everyday life. We like to believe that every child has his own learning trajectory. Some subjects have their specific nuances which the teachers have to understand too. In this article, we will discuss about Mathematics and how to teach it in simpler ways to your kids.
The biggest problem most times is to crack what the problem in the question really is. Even if they know how to add two and two, they might not know if that’s really what’s required to do. Help your kid understand these complicated problems in simpler language, something they easily grasp. Since most problems are of a particular type, cracking the concept would help young learners solve all of them in turn.
The best part about mathematics is that it can be used in your daily life pretty easily. Counting candies or calculating the quantity of milk they drink every day can be a starting point for young kids. But when this is made a habit, learning becomes more interesting even as the problems get tougher.
Here are a few examples of simple everyday things where mathematics could be included:
- Play at the dinner table: make them explore shapes with napkins, count bowls and spoons – simple sums and subtractions.
- Monitor what they study every day, try to give inputs or improvement ideas
- Play board games like chess or Monopoly to encourage strategic thinking.
- To learn concepts of geometry and shape-area relations, you can ask them to make circles with bangles or bottle caps.
- Measurements can be learnt with comparisons – put a soccer ball and a tennis ball together to compare, or simple everyday things like a big plate and a small plate. Use comparison words like taller, shorter, narrower, wider, heaviest, lightest, more, less, about, and same.
- Teach problem-solving with simple real-life situations – if I have these many candies, how many more do I need to make them that many?
Interact, and teach your kids about simple mathematics applications so that they know there is more to explore than just what’s conventionally taught in Math Classes.
Abacus mental math is also one effective way to help children develop their math skills. Mental math strengthens the conceptual understanding of the subject and boosts a child’s confidence in tackling the subject. Training given at mental math classes also develops cognitive skills, enhances problem-solving, logical reasoning, concentration, visualization and observation abilities.
UCMAS Mental arithmetic program revolves around the idea of boosting brainpower in children while strengthening their math skills, confidence, concentration and creativity as well. Interestingly, the program equips children with the skills which they need to improve their academic performance in all subject areas as well as in life.
You can also help your child develop some amazing mental math skills. Register him/her in UCMAS – World’s most trusted Abacus-based mental arithmetic program for children aged 4-13 years.
Set up an online class for your child today. Please write to: ceo@ucmas.in