TIPS TO HELP IMPROVE MATH SKILLS TO YOUR KIDS

Tips to Help Improve Math Skills to Your Kids



• Help your child master the basic facts.

It is saddening that the ASER reports shows that more than 70% of students of class 8 cannot do two digit multiplication. The onus falls on all of us as the RTE 2009 has taken the toll and students are doing drastic in Mathematics. If you ask a class 10 students to tell you the table of 15 or square of 34, cube of 14 etc. in maximum number of time you will get a wrong answer. Mastery of the basic facts means that your child can give an answer to a math fact in three seconds or less. Drills are recommended to be able to give quick and accurate responses. My teacher used to say that Drill Mathematics until you get mastery over it.

• Make sure your child understands mathematical concepts.



Mathematics need to visualize. If you fail to make mathematics a lovable subject it is obviously your fault. You need to co-relate mathematics with daily needs or daily uses. You have to put the notion in the head of students that life without mathematics is nothing and they should have a proper attention to master the basic facts, then only they can be master in Mathematics. Explain and review the concept with your child and check for understanding.

• Teach your child to write numbers neatly.


Mathematical errors may occur because of messy number writing or not lining numbers up correctly. Let your child understand the types of numbers with its property as well. Let them differentiate between prime and rational, even and odd, natural and whole. They should understand the place value system and face value of a number and while noting numbers in their copy, they should be aware of the facts which number should be written where and at what place. Improve your child's number writing skills by having them trace over numbers you have written, or by using graph paper to write the numbers neatly and more organized.

• Help correct skill difficulty before your child moves to the next skill level.



Math is a subject in which everything builds upon what has been previously learned. If the foundation stone is missing you can’t expect a building to last long. If your child has a problem in doing addition and subtraction he/she will have difficulty in multiplication and division too. If one is not good in fraction he will not be able to arrange them properly and will fail in doing percentage problem.

• Review skill technique with their math homework.


Homework pays an important role in building the math concept in a child. Let your child be in a habit of doing homework regularly. Check your kids’ copy and give suggestion if a mistake is done. Let your child practice with worksheet or sample papers. Doing math homework reinforces the skills your child is learning in class.

• Encourage your child to do more than the assigned work.


Only the text book is not sufficient. Let your child practice with some other books and sample papers so that he/she can encounter a varieties of problems to solve. It is well said -Practice makes perfect and this is true with your lovely subject mathematics too. Practice is necessary for your child to become comfortable with their math skills.

• Explain how to solve word problems.


Solving word problems is a tough job even for a teenagers. I have seen the students of Higher class in trouble. Let your child be prepared to face such problem boldly and for that you need to Teach your child to read a word problem at least two times, if not more, in order to fully comprehend what is being asked of them. Relate the problem with a real life situation to understand it fully. You can make a chart in order to describe it. Ask them what is being asked, what type of operation is necessary, and discuss the steps necessary to solve the problem. Operation dealing is an area of concern and let your child understand the facts the sign changes when you change the side.

• Help your child learn the vocabulary of mathematics.



Understanding Mathematics words and learning it is important. Let your child understand the word with proper definition. Buy a small dictionary for your child and help them to learn it. You can teach the meaning with examples and proper definition.

• Teach them how to do math in their head- "Mental Math".



This is an era of doing fast calculation. You can read book such as – VEDIC MATHEMATICS, Trenchberg system of fast mathematics and let your child do faster calculation mentally. ABACUS also plays handy in doing fast calculation. Help them to understand that if they know 2+3=5, then they can solve 20+30=50. Similarly if 2 x 3 = 6, so as 200 x 300 = 60000.

• Make math a part of your child's daily life.



The sad parts of Mathematics is that it has the stigma of being unpopular or insipid. The reason behind it that teacher hardly relate mathematics with the daily life. Math will become more meaningful when your child sees how important it is in real life situations. Encourage them to use math in practical ways. I remember that when my son Nilabh was 3 years I used to teach them 3 digits numbers or 4 digits numbers while driving with the help of car or bike number plate. I also use to give him a 10 rupee note and tell him to buy chips or something and teach him the concept of minus, plus or addition.


DR. RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR