Maths is a compulsory school subject in the UK until the end of GCSE level, as it is considered to be a necessary life skill. Young children benefit from maths lessons because they allow them to make sense of shapes, patterns and, of course, numbers. Every parent can help their child with maths; you don’t have to be an expert yourself in order to provide support. The trick is to help your child establish a positive attitude towards maths, along with the confidence to apply themselves and attempt solve problems. Read on for some tips from an independent school in Buckinghamshire.
Monitor Your Child’s Progress
In order for your child to progress sufficiently in maths, they will need to nail the basics. Unless the basics are properly understood, it can be difficult for them to learn new skills. So, how can parents monitor their child’s progress, aside from reading their school report?
Firstly, it’s worth checking in with your child regularly. Of course, you can directly ask them how they’re getting on in their maths lessons, but they may not always give you an honest answer. Instead, be a bit vague wit your questions and watch how they respond. Ask them what they’re learning about in class at the moment and find out what grades they got on previous pieces of homework or tests. Do they seem to be positive when talking to you about their maths lessons? If not, it could be a sign that they’re struggling.
You should also communicate with their teachers, as they will be able to give you an understanding of how your child is performing compared to the rest of the students. What’s more, they will be able to talk to you about the curriculum so that you have a better understanding of what skills your child should be able to demonstrate at this stage.
This might be the point when you could consider online maths tutors to help your child secure the all-important basic concepts. Additional help outside school can simply reinforce the curriculum and give your child the confidence they need to get the most from their time in class.
Practise Maths in Everyday Life
Once you understand your child’s strengths and weaknesses, and what’s involved in their curriculum, you should be better able to help them improve through practise at home. For instance, if your child is struggling with their times tables, you could put a poser up in their bedroom or somewhere else in the house so that they are exposed to multiplication every day.
Take your child shopping with you and ask them to work out which items might be more affordable after discounts have been applied. Cooking is another great way to help your child practise maths in everyday life, because it involves, counting, temperatures, measurements and sharing out portions.
Games and puzzles are another opportunity for you to explore maths with your child because they involve problem solving. It’s also a chance for you to demonstrate to your child that maths doesn’t have to be boring; it can actually be quite fun.