Reshaping the Way We View Math

Why do I have to study this?

This doesn’t make sense at all.

This is useless – I’m not going to use this in real life.

I hate Math!

These are just among the countless tirades against Math I’ve heard from the kids I’ve tutored over the years.  I bet even you yourself have uttered these very same words. It’s a sad reality, but a great number of people do have an utter dislike for numbers. What’s even sadder is we pass this fear and loathing to the next generation.

Just as our kids inherit our genes, they learn to assimilate our fears – including our fear of Math. When kids are raised by parents who proclaim that “Math is hard.” or unabashedly admit that they are “not good in Math”, they consequently view Math as a difficult subject that they would have to gruelingly face.

If we want our children to have a positive attitude toward Math, we ourselves have to reshape the way we view Math.  The first step to doing this is to believe that “we are all good in Math”. In a blogger’s conference held last June 20, Ms. Rowie Matti, CEO of Galileo Enrichment Learning Program, said those exact words and stressed how parents influence their children’s openness to learning whether in Math or in any other areas.

Believe that you can do anything

Learning Math the Fun Way

Parents play an important role in harnessing the right attitude towards Math. Once you yourself have changed your own attitude towards Math, the next step is to make learning Math fun for your kids.

One way of doing this is by incorporating Math concepts during playtime.  Research have shown that kids are more receptive to learning when it is associated with play. Board games such as Monopoly, Set, Connect, and Game of Life not only provide fun bonding moments but also develop logical thinking, visual perception, and decision-making. Even building blocks – and we all know that all kids love Lego – can be used to teach basic Math concepts and hone essential skills.

You may also opt to enroll your kids in learning centers such as Galileo Enrichment where competent teachers can guide them and make learning fun and exciting. Learning centers provide kids with varied programs that are tailor-fit to their specific needs and are able to discover the best approaches to encourage love for learning.

Make Math More Relevant in Real Life

Lastly, we can harness a positive attitude towards Math by showing its relevance in our daily lives.  We may not be conscious of it but all of us – and I do mean ALL – use Math skills every single day.  From checking the time the moment we wake up to preparing the next day’s menu before we sleep – Oh yes, they all involve Math.

Ask young children to help sort their toys, clothes, and even the laundry.  You not only help develop their early Math skills but also instill discipline and keep the house clean! 😀 Cooking and baking are also fun ways to teach measurement, sequence, and patterns. Older kids can already be tasked to do grocery shopping and budgeting. When kids see that Math is part of everyday life, they become eager to learn more.

Whether at home or in learning centers, make Math a fun  bonding time with your kids.  If we associate Math with fun, pleasure, and love, your kids would have no reason to fear it.  Instead, they would embrace it as an integral part of life.