Creative ideas for teaching math to kids

How to teach math interestingly? This is one of the most disturbing and simultaneously important questions for teachers and parents. How to bear a kid’s love of learning math besides boredom and laziness? Find out the key secrets in the article below.

What makes teaching math for children complicated?

Kids start learning math from 2-3 years old when the core knowledge of different sciences and subjects of life should be learned. For sure, math is more boring in comparison to entertainment which makes studies hard and undesirable. When simple books are not effective enough, teachers try to find out some new methods and ways to boost interest and develop creativity in math.

There are a lot of education online platforms that incorporate innovative practices and lessons, which allow pupils to adopt knowledge via interesting formats. For instance, learning division through watching videos and playing games online will both draw the attention of a child and the wish to visit lessons again. 

Why do some kids not want to attend math classes?

If only children have a choice to attend lessons or not, they will choose the second option. Kids have different reasons to avoid visiting math classes, among which the most popular are:

1. Complicated tasks. Each lesson which brings new patterns and theories is difficult. Starting with numbers and additions, kids find it hard to understand and try to escape. The harder lesson brings less encouragement to learn something new. 
2. Boredom. Pupils think a lot about the reason for learning. When they do not see the vital reasons for it, they will escape the lesson, feel disengaged, and have no desire to learn new concepts of math. Creativity in math can overcome this reason. 
3. Purpose. Kids at such a young age do not see the reason for learning something uninteresting. To get the result, you have to explain the reason for getting math knowledge and show the path to it.
4. Anxiety. When making mistakes, children feel discouraged and fear of being punished for it. In this way, they should feel that mistakes are the normal way to improve their knowledge and get better results. 

 

10 creative ways to teach math

There are a lot of interesting ways to encourage kids to learn math. Each way works separately and can be mixed with the others. The education platform uses a professional approach and gradually new ways to learn math and attract their attention to it. Among the most effective new ways to learn math are the following:

• Math games
• Visuality and picture books
• Make use of technology
• Real-life examples
• Encourage group work
• Implement individual learning techniques
• Apply lessons to life
• Use humor
• Encourage Cooperative Learning

1. Math games

Math games are the tried-and-true way to bring excitement and interest to learning math with kids. There are different types of games like table computers or card games. Playing games in the classroom, children will feel the atmosphere of competition and struggle to get better knowledge.

1. Visuality and picture books

For classrooms primarily composed of visual learners, utilizing charts, picture books, and other visual aids can significantly enhance their understanding of new concepts and provide valuable reference points during their learning process. Encouraging students to create their own visual aids can further reinforce their retention of key terms and concepts.

1. Make use of technology 

The advent of technology has transformed the landscape of education, offering numerous math-related apps and websites that enhance the interactive and engaging aspects of learning mathematics for students. Take, for instance, Mathletics, a website designed to provide students with personalized math challenges and activities aligned with their individual abilities.

1. Real-life examples

Mathematics often appears abstract and disconnected from students’ everyday experiences, leading to a sense of irrelevance. To counter this, teachers can enhance the relevance of math by integrating real-life examples into their lessons. For instance, when teaching fractions, a teacher might utilize familiar objects like pizza or cake to demonstrate dividing them into equal portions.

1. Encourage group work

Collaborative work has the potential to rekindle students’ enjoyment of math by fostering an interactive and engaging learning environment. Through group work, students can exchange ideas and pool their strengths to tackle mathematical challenges effectively. Teachers can facilitate this process by assigning group projects or problem-solving tasks that necessitate collective effort and cooperation. In doing so, students not only enhance their mathematical proficiency but also cultivate invaluable teamwork and communication skills.

1. Implement individual learning techniques 

The abilities of children are different. You can keep attention on the gaps in knowledge and adapt the earning program to the needs of kids. For instance, the homework assignment could be personalized to the pupil’s needs. Tutors from education platforms like Brighterly use the individual approach to the students and implement methods that allow them to develop math skills equally.

1. Apply lessons to life

This is not the new way to teach math, but well-known and effective. 

Implementing techniques that involve physical movement and hands-on learning activities can cater to various learning styles and enhance student engagement. Consider incorporating the following strategies in your classroom:

• Encourage students to write and act out skits that illustrate math concepts, fostering creativity and deeper understanding.
• Organize a scavenger hunt where students search for geometric shapes or patterns in their environment, promoting active learning and observation skills.
• Integrate brain breaks throughout the class to help students maintain focus during extended periods, allowing them to recharge and refocus.
• Utilize interactive games such as flashcards, dice, manipulatives, or “Around the World” competitions featuring relevant math problems to make learning enjoyable and dynamic.

1. Use humor

Using humor can effectively enhance the enjoyment of learning mathematics and make creative math classroom ideas simpler. Educators have the opportunity to incorporate jokes, amusing videos, and memes into their teaching to alleviate the monotony of lessons and foster a better relaxed atmosphere for learning. Nevertheless, maintaining a balance between humor and the gravity of the subject matter is crucial.

1. Encourage Cooperative Learning

Establish a setting where students frequently collaborate in pairs or small groups. This allows them to tackle math problems collectively and hold each other responsible for their learning. Additionally, they will derive satisfaction from collaborating with their peers.

1. Add encouragement 

Fostering a supportive atmosphere can alleviate the apprehension some students feel toward math. Cheers serve as an excellent motivational tool, particularly when students offer them to one another, enhancing their effectiveness in boosting morale and confidence.

Conclusion

To sum up, modern technologies and approaches offer a lot of ways to make both learning and teaching techniques creative and effective. The pattern for success is simple and consists of the purpose, the way to it, and the start point – desire. Use the described ways of teaching math and gain the end goal quickly.