What can I do to help my
child with maths?
Be supportive
Not everyone loves maths. But
everyone uses maths in their everyday life, so it is important for your child's
future that they are successful in mathematics. One of the easiest ways to help
ensure that this happens is to be supportive of their experiences in maths. You
are your child's most important role model and their attitude towards maths is
likely to reflect your own.
Listen to them
The Numeracy Project aims to
encourage children to think about different ways of solving problems, and to be
able to explain them to others. If your child is explaining how they answered a
question - LISTEN. They may not answer it the same way that you would, but that
does not mean they are wrong. Expect your child to use different strategies to
solve problems. Encourage them to explain their thinking. Sometimes you might
need to use materials, such as counters, or pen and paper for them to
demonstrate what they mean. Be prepared to try different strategies yourself!
Give them opportunities to do
maths
Maths is everywhere! Regardless of
the age or ability of your child there are opportunities for them to practice
their maths.
If your child is learning to count
- count things. You may count the number of steps in a staircase, the number of
toys on the floor, the number of cars driving past, or anything else you can
think of. The more your child counts, the better they will get.
If your child is learning to add -
add things. This could be easy things such as the number of knives on the table
plus the number of forks on the table, or more difficult things such as the
cost of items at the supermarket. Don't forget to subtract as well.
Ask your child what they are doing
in maths at school and try to use it in everyday life. If they are learning
about fractions, ask them about fractions "What fraction of people in our
family are children?" "What fraction of the milk is left?". This
will not only give them practice, but also show them that maths relates to the
'real' world.
Some great contexts for maths are:
Ø
Money - counting and calculating. Pocket money,
banking, shopping...
Ø
Measuring things - lengths, areas, volumes, cooking
ingredients...
Ø
Travelling - reading numbers on signs for young
children, calculating distances and speeds for older children.
Ø
Games - Monopoly, Bingo, board games, cards...
Ø
Time/timetables.
Useful maths links
http://www.nzmaths.co.nz/families
http://www.kns.ac.nz and visit your child’s
class maths cave for games to play at home.