5 Ways to Help Your Children with Math

Mathematics is not necessarily the easiest subject to master for all children. These are some ways to improve your kids’ mental math and problem solving skills.

1. Often give them opportunities to practice

Math is like sport in the sense that the more you practice, through exercises, the easier it becomes to solve equations and problems. Motivate your child to practice with exercises that build knowledge and additional problems, so that he or she masters the formulas and concepts taught in class.

You should also ensure that your child does not give up even when the work is difficult, and that he or she does not skip classes or fall behind on assignments. The difficulty will gradually increase, so it is important to master the older material in order to understand what follows.

2. Enroll them in additional practice sessions

If mathematics is causing your child problems, sign him or her up for additional practice offered at school. That will help better understand those parts of the material that escaped him or her in class. Register the child in homework assistance programs as needed to get additional support with schoolwork.

3. Help them identify the problem

It’s often said that math is French, as many students fail math because they cannot read the words correctly or grasp the meaning of questions before them. That is why it may be helpful to assist your child with reading slowly in order to identify the problem and highlight it on paper. For example, in the sentence “How many cakes will Mary still have after having shared them with her friend?” the answer would be obtained through subtraction. It is crucial for your child to be able to identify the problem in order to then find the answer more easily.

4. Help them with memorizing formulas by heart

Being good at math depends to a great extent on learning formulas and ready-made basic concepts. Help your children master these elements, such as addition and subtraction tables, and it will be easier for them to solve problems later. For example, if a kid knows that to add fractions, they must find a common denominator, it will be easier for them to solve a fractions problem later on.

5. Check their homework

To ensure that the child progresses and understands the concepts, you can review the homework when completed. If need be, do not hesitate to offer them more help if there are some concepts that need to be studied further.