Mama Life - Collaborative Post
Maths doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but unfortunately it is a compulsory element of the curriculum until the end of GCSE level. In fact, many schools will provide students with one maths lesson per day. If your child is struggling, there are lots of ways you can help. Start by trying to demonstrate how useful numeracy skills are in daily life and show them that maths isn’t always as boring as it seems using the following methods:
Every now and again, measure your child’s height. Ask them to calculate how many centimetres they have grown since the last time you measured them. Talk to them about how they can talk about their height in terms of centimetres, metres, inches and feet.
Play games with number plates next time you’re on a car journey. Ask them to do basic sums with the numbers in the number plate of the car in front, like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Bake a cake with your child and encourage them to be ‘head chef’ buy weighing and measuring the ingredients and calculating the oven times and temperatures.
Next time you are grocery shopping, ask your child to calculate how much the full price will be when you get to the till. Also, if you’re paying with cash, ask them how much change you should receive.
Try and help your child with their confidence when it comes to maths. Whenever they attempt a sum or are completing their maths homework, praise them for trying, even if they don’t come to the correct answer. You should also be a good role model by talking about maths in a positive way. In other words, avoid saying things like “I hated maths as a child”.
If your child is truly struggling, don’t hesitate to contact their teachers for some additional support. They will be able to suggest some learning resources and talk to you about the curriculum, so that you are in a better position to support your child at home. If necessary, perhaps consider hiring a private tutor to help your child on a one-to-one basis.
