Plates you need to set the table. Toys are on the floor. Stop signs are on the way to school. Stairs are in a staircase.
For a younger child, try a number puzzle or playing hopscotch. For an older child, try bus numbers at a bus stop or the house numbers on a house. As the child becomes better at recognizing numbers, try phone numbers or car license plates.
Comparing prices at the grocery store. Measure ingredients for a recipe. Calculate coupon discounts.
There are lots of shape-based puzzles for younger children. They usually require the child to match a set of shapes or name different shapes. For an older child, try building a simple box out of paper and tape. Have them measure and cut all the pieces with a ruler and scissors. Point out shapes in the real world, such as octagonal stop signs and traffic cones.
For instance, an estimation question could be, “How much water do you think will fill up this pitcher?” Let your child try their hand at estimating, and then you can do an experiment to see how close the guess was. For younger kids, you might need to first show them how much a cup is. For older kids, you can try more complex questions, such as “How long will it take to fill the bathtub with water?”
You can also write out numbers or outline them with dots or dashes and have your child trace them, then try writing the numbers on their own. You can try more tactile methods, such as drawing numbers in shaving foam or sand.
Start with numbers less than 10 at first. Once they have that down, you can introduce adding 10 to a number. [8] X Research source This method also works for multiplication and division. For instance, if the problem is 4 X 6, the child would draw 4 groups of 6 dots, then count to get the answer. You can challenge your child by asking questions like, “What if it had been 4 groups of 7?” For basic math, you can teach your kids to use their fingers to add, similar to the dot method.
You can work on memorizing times tables, for instance, by using flashcards. One exercise that combines understanding and memorization is having your child count by 3s, 4s, 5s, and so on. Your child will need to think through the problem, and they will eventually realize that multiplying is just a form of adding. At the same time, repeatedly counting by these numbers will aid with memorization.
You’ll likely be able to find fun worksheets and games to help your kids learn more math.
Sit down and play blocks with your kid. When your kid sees you building a rocket ship or a castle, they’ll want to build their own structures.
Take things further. Make a bunch of different origami figures, then have your child count how many are in each group. Children might be more interested in animal-shaped origami figures than vases, flowers, etc.
Kids of any age, including tweens and teens, will benefit from learning music. Consider enrolling them in a music class at their school or community center. If you can also have a friend or family member teach them too.
You don’t have to stick with the classics. For instance, bluffing games such as the Sheriff of Nottingham require your kid to think about the probability of certain outcomes.
Look online for spatial games for young children. You can also make up your own game!
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That doesn’t mean they can’t look up help for similar problems online. Having them look up how to do a problem themselves still teaches independence.
For instance, you can do science experiments where kids need to measure out ingredients. You could also incorporate math into history, such as figuring out what percentage of the population was wiped out by a plague.
Different kids learn in different ways, so it may take a while before you find an approach that works for your kid. Once you find an approach, stick with it!
For instance, you could say, “I know you find math hard, but that means you just have to work a little harder at it. Anyone can be a ‘math’ person. Plus, you’ll feel so good when you work hard and finally figure it out!” Look up example of real people who struggled with math but turned out famous or successful. Family members count too!
