Children react positively to their first ever encounters with numbers. From a very early age, they’re introduced to the concept of counting via song and rhyme. In this stress-free fashion, children don’t learn to be afraid of maths. They associate counting with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 once I saw a fish alive or with how many huffs the wolf needed to blow the pig’s house down – and these are enjoyable encounters.
Similarly, counting the steps up to bed, or the buttons on their jacket – all fun and part of a comforting routine. It’s only when we add in the idea of maths being something other than numbers that they can begin to falter.
Most children deal with addition calmly. They understand why 1 and 1 make 2. They’re comfortable with that. But for some children, things move on too quickly and they flounder.This is when a deep-seated fear of maths can set in. The key is to ensure that as each new idea is introduced, your child grasps it properly.
When a child gets left behind in a concept of maths, then the next concept won’t make sense, so they begin to struggle. It’svital that children are imbibed with a sense of confidence so that they can tackle each challenge with the right attitude, as this private school in Surrey says.
Keep up with your child
In order to help your child with maths, you need to keep up with what they are learning and ensure that they fully understand the concept inside and out. Obviously, their teachers will help too – but it is at home that these things are really cemented.
Keep an open dialogue with your child so that they feel they can ask you when they feel stuck on a concept. You can ensure that they fully understand the problem and can move on in their maths classes without trouble.
Introduce maths games
Whether these games are board games for younger children or computer games for older children, playing with numbers is a wonderful way to help your child feel safe with maths and enjoy numbers as much as possible.
Don’t make it seem like work – younger children will think it a treat to play Monopoly with you and through counting spaces, houses or money, begin to learn more about maths than they might otherwise.
If you’ve had a good relationship with maths it can be difficult to associate it with stress but it’s important to remember that some children automatically panic when confronted with maths concepts they don’t understand.
Help them by keeping calm and letting them know that it’s ok to take their time – what matters is that they learn, not how long it takes.
