If you’re someone who dreads taking your math class every time the bell rings, you’re not alone! Many students tend to look down on the subject, and call it ‘boring’.
But what if we told you that the same subject you dislike so much, could be most enjoyable with a little effort of yours? Sounds unlikely, doesn’t it?
As a matter of fact, math is quite an engaging, fun, and rewarding subject to study. Since, some of the mathematical problems present challenges; once you become good at the subject, it’ll become hard for you to get enough of it.
Above all that, the best thing about math is that it can get you a 100/100 in the exam unlike any other subject, where there’s a higher margin for losing points. So, if you want to become a math expert, we’ve put together a list of effective ways to help you get there!
Make it Fun!
Whether you’re a passionate teacher looking to spark your students’ interest in the subject or a student trying to get better at math, you first need to make the subject fun and interesting.
Understandably, making math fun can seem a bit challenging, but that’s not true! There are several ways you can make the subject super fun and engaging for yourself, your child, or your student.
a) Hands-On Learning
Attending math classes where the teacher keeps demonstrating complex math concepts, without letting them do something practical can certainly make students fidgety and bored. You can make it hands-on asking them to do some interactive exercises available on Up-skool. If you teach elementary kids, you can also ask them to place numbers on an interactive number line to support number sense.
Playing math puzzles like Tangram puzzles and Magic Squares can also help kinaesthetic learners practice their math skills.
b) Picture Books
Are you a book lover? Do you like colourful graphical ways to learn things? Teachers can encourage their students to study math by using picture books. If you’re a middle school student, you can use these books yourselves as well.
You can find a plethora of math books on a wide range of topics. Whether it’s basic counting, multiplication and divisions, sums, or even algebra and geometry! If you want to explore and understand interesting math games, get yourself G is for Googol: A Math Alphabet Book by David M. Schwartz. The book is great for 4 th to 8 th class students.
c) Play Games
If you love playing digital games, you can find plenty of exciting math games on the web. If you are a teacher, then you can get printable math games’ sheet available at Up-skool. Today most kids prefer online games. These games can help you review your math concepts.
Some common math games include Bingo, Concentration, War, and many more!\
Math games offer an adventurous learning experience with quizzes, quests, rewards, and new worlds to explore! Some highly engaging mathematic websites include Math Game Time and Kahoot!
d) Quiz Your Friends
The best way you can evaluate how good you and your friend are at the subject is to indulge in math talk! If you solve different math problems together, you may notice that both of you followed entirely different methods but got the same answers. After matching answers, you can discuss the methods you used with each other and find out which method is simpler, easier, and faster! Alternatively, you can ask random mental math questions to each other and see who wins!
e) Learn Math with Real Objects
Math task cards help you review and practice math skills in enjoyable ways that won’t make you feel bored! You can use math task cards to play competitive games with friends, play SCOOT, or just for partner practice!
Some other tools that can help you picture the math concepts in the real-world include, manipulatives like clocks, and base ten blocks, prisms, and spheres for geometry, playing with the money, an abacus for number sense, or even small objects like buttons and gummy bears for making patterns!
Take it Seriously!
While you can make math fun, it’s important to remember that you can’t excel in the subject without taking it seriously.
Attend Every Math Class
Every mathematical concept you learn in your math class acts as a foundation for another. If you’ve played block games, you may already know that every block plays a key role in building a tower or any other structure. If any block falls, the whole structure collapses.
The same goes for your mathematical concepts. You need to attend every lesson carefully to avoid missing important knowledge. If you miss any one of the classes, you may find it difficult to grasp the ideas presented in the next one!
Seek Help
If your teacher assigns you a task, and you get stuck somewhere, ask them immediately! If you delay your query for the next time or the ‘right time’, chances are you’ll get left behind and will eventually lose all your motivation to study the subject whatsoever. The next task they’ll assign will be even harder and you won’t be able to solve it unless and until you get your confusion cleared, right then!
Practice and Revise
Math abilities are accumulative and hence, what you learn in your 5 th lecture builds on what you studied and practiced in the 4 th one! The more you practice, the more you would be a pro at Maths. It is an ever-evolving subject and offers certain ways to solve the same question. This skill is developed only when you practice a lot of questions.
Looking for integrated online worksheets to help your child at Math?
If you think you need help in improving your math, don’t worry!
At Up-skool, we offer analytics which help your kids to identify their strengths and weaknesses and list the areas where they need help. Accordingly, as per the assessment, customisable worksheets are provided to help students practice many questions and master the topics.
If you’re looking for online built-in worksheets for your child K-8 with self-paced learning, our Up-skool platform will be a great choice!
Visit our website www.up-skool.com to learn about our pricing details and contact us at contact@up-skool.com to learn more!