I recall my dad telling me that I couldn’t learn new things if you did the same thing as your parents, so I suppose I didn’t ‘catch on’, but I definitely did not learn them well, I just stuck with what I knew! Now, as an adult, I’m still struggling to understand the most basic of numbers, so I thought I would share a few ideas on how to improve your child’s understanding of numbers.
If your child struggles to understand the ABCs then start by taking him/her to an actual maths lesson, or at least have your child write down a few questions for the teacher. This is a great way to introduce maths to children, because you can get their mind working with numbers without having to spend a lot of time in front of the computer.
An important thing to remember is that learning to read is a completely different process from learning to count. It takes a lot more practice than just trying to learn to multiply or divide numbers and will also take a lot longer. However, if you are struggling to understand the ABCs for your children, it may be worth trying to read a few books about it.
It’s also a good idea to start teaching your child numbers when he/she is very young, because they are still developing their understanding of things and the concepts will be easier to grasp. It is important not to overwhelm your child with too much information at once though. Make sure that the number of units that you are asking him/her to learn is easy for him/her to understand and remember.
Once your child is able to read a sentence, ask him/her to identify the numbers in that sentence and give them a good explanation of how each number relates to the other. By teaching them at a young age, you can help them develop a better understanding of how the basic number system works and they may well be able to identify individual digits after some practice.
Another good idea is to teach your child to match one digit to another, such as ‘two – three’four’. This is called matching. If your child cannot match one digit to another, you could also show him/her how a combination of digits can be combined to make a larger number such as ‘five’ or ‘six’.
Your child should also be taught about all the letters of the alphabet in terms of how to find the correct letters to spell the number. Using pictures helps your child to understand what is being taught, and also shows him/her how many ways there are to match one letter to another.
As your child gets older, introduce him/her to multiplication tables and the rules of addition and subtraction, which you can teach at your child’s school. Math will only improve once you have introduced it to your child’s friends and in particular if your child feels confident using the multiplication table, especially when they are younger.
It is also a good idea to make sure that your child is prepared for the tests that they will have to take when they get older. As well as helping them with learning the basic techniques, it helps them to improve their skills when they are taking exams, helping them to identify where they are getting it wrong.
Math can also be used in helping your child’s development as they become more aware of numbers and their place in the world. It can help them develop problem solving skills and help them to identify problems more easily, helping them to look for solutions to problems that they may have.
It is important to help your child to develop a good relationship with his/her teacher at first, and not only because this is a good way to build a stronger relationship, but because the teacher will be able to help them to understand how much they are valued. Helping your child to understand that they are doing well in class can help them to be more positive about themselves and work towards a successful outcome in life.
