7 Fun Ways to Spice Up Maths Education at Home and in the Classroom

Maths is a subject that many people dislike because it seems like such an abstract and complicated topic. However, there are actually many ways to make maths fun! In this blog post we will be looking at 7 different ideas you can use to help your child or your students fall in love with learning. Read on below if you want some extra tips for maths success!

1. Use hands-on experiences

Hands-on lessons are a great way to help students learn about maths concepts and give them a greater understanding of what they are learning. For example, if your child is studying fractions you could buy some fruit and cut it up into equal pieces to help them physically experience the idea of division and equal parts.

This hands-on approach lets students touch and feel the material they are learning which not only makes it more real for them but also helps to increase their understanding.

2. Diversify the lesson

Every child learns differently, that’s why it is important to mix up lessons and make sure you are not teaching in the same way to each learner. Teachers should consider how they can challenge students by giving them more difficult questions or how they can help students who are struggling by providing simpler tasks.

One way to do this would be allowing students to pick out their own material if they struggle with certain topics. This can make learning more engaging because students take a personal interest in the problems they are being asked to solve.

3. Make it relevant

Maths is everywhere around us and there are loads of different ways to make the learning relevant to your child. For example, a simple shopping trip presents a myriad of opportunities to engage in mathematical thinking. From adding up payments, to calculating percentage discounts, there are all sorts of ways that maths can be used in the real world.

When you’re at home, nothing beats involving kids in the cooking process. Children can learn about fractions, decimals and ratios through measuring ingredients. They also have the chance to combine their maths skills with science as they explore how to carry out different experiments in the kitchen!

4. Personalise the delivery

Some children learn best when hearing things, while others learn better by seeing or touching. It’s about finding the way that makes it easiest for each child to grasp new ideas and then tailoring the experience to their learning style.

As educators and parents, we must realise, when teaching Maths there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Every child is different and we need to make sure that education reflects these differences both in the classroom and at home.

5. Encourage Curiosity

Maths is all about exploration. It’s literally the language in which the universe has been crafted and can be used to explain so much about why things are the way they are! It’s important to encourage your child to be curious about the world and ask questions whenever they don’t understand something. Always encourage students to ask ‘why’ when learning a new mathematical concept. It promotes deep thinking rather than just memorising information. Lastly, remind students, there is no such thing as a ‘silly question’.

Pro Tip: Ask open ended questions of students, like ‘How do you think you could solve this?’ rather than questions that can be answered by a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

6. Inspire through play

Math is an imaginative subject and there are many ways to teach it through play. Games and rewards are enjoyed by all children and are a great way to get students thinking mathematically.

For example, learning about geometry by building an obstacle course, or probability from rolling a dice in a board game. Playing games or doing activities with kids before starting maths class also helps them to relax and can makes lessons more fun and engaging too!

7. Integrate technology

Kids love to learn through digital devices and the great thing is that it’s easy to integrate technology into maths education. There are a number of apps in which students can write numbers using their fingers, watch videos, solve problems as a team and even connect with other classrooms across the world!

Another great way to inspire kids at home is through high school tutoring. Having a one-on-one online session with an experienced mentor, can provide your child with the perfect mix of personalised assistance and digital learning to keep them engaged and excited about maths.

Pro Tip: Most online maths tutors offer free trials, so you can see if it’s right for your child before committing to anything long term.

Wrapping up

Learning maths should be fun, and it doesn’t matter if you are at home or in the classroom. Add a personal touch, use hands-on experiences, diversify the lesson by making it relevant and relatable to each learner, encourage curiosity, inspire through play and embrace the digital world.

If you would like help getting started, the team at Math Minds are always ready to inspire students with their online maths classes. Book a free assessment with them today and see how online maths tutors can help your child enjoy learning Maths more than ever before.