| Uh oh.Your kids arrive home with their school | | | | checkout.3. Take life "step-by-step".Success |
| reports and it's | | | | in math - as in life - is largely about |
| | | | breaking |
| poor marks from the math department. Now | | | | |
| what do you do?You may not be a math teacher, | | | | large projects down into manageable, |
| but thankfully there are ways | | | | bite-sized pieces.Many kids feel overwhelmed |
| | | | when they see a list of math |
| you can help your kids improve their | | | | |
| grades.Studies have shown that children are | | | | questions, and it's at this point they may |
| much more likely to | | | | decide that math |
| | | | |
| perform well in a subject that interests | | | | is "boring" or "hard".Show them the magic of |
| them.So here are 5 ways to get your kids | | | | taking one question at a time, and |
| excited about math and | | | | |
| | | | breaking it into tiny steps that make it |
| actually looking forward to the next math | | | | easy.4. Encourage creativity.Kids may become |
| class:1. Inspire them.Some kids don't enjoy | | | | mentally "stuck" on a topic because they're |
| math because they just can't see the | | | | |
| | | | only looking at it in one way. Perhaps they |
| point of it. Unlike reading or painting, | | | | need to step |
| all those | | | | |
| | | | outside the box and see it from a different |
| mathematical symbols and numbers don't seem | | | | angle.Show them the beauty of alternative |
| to mean | | | | viewpoints. Help them |
| | | | |
| anything.What you need to do is show them | | | | to see situations from other people's |
| how important math is in | | | | perspective.Get them into the habit of |
| | | | exploring different ways of |
| the real world.Tell them stories about the | | | | |
| great engineering feats | | | | solving a problem. Even something simple |
| | | | like tidying up a |
| throughout history. From building the great | | | | |
| pyramids of | | | | room can have several possible "solutions" |
| | | | or ways of |
| Egypt, to the Hoover dam, to the latest | | | | |
| space missions to | | | | approaching it.Crosswords and lateral |
| | | | thinking puzzles are good for this |
| Mars, nothing would have been achieved | | | | |
| without mathematics, | | | | kind of flexible thinking.5. Be |
| | | | positive.Eliminate negative statements like |
| and mathematicians.2. Get practical.Involve | | | | "math is hard" (even if |
| your kids in some real world math away from | | | | |
| the | | | | you thought of yourself as a math dunce at |
| | | | school!).Explain how everyone has a natural |
| classroom. Find something your child is | | | | ability to do math and |
| interested in and | | | | |
| | | | that solving math problems isn't so |
| relate it to math in some way.For example, | | | | different from solving |
| do they like baseball? Terrific. During a | | | | |
| | | | other kinds of problems in life.Above all, |
| game, ask them how many points the losing | | | | inspire confidence in your kids. Teach them |
| team has to score | | | | |
| | | | persistence and how there's always a |
| to beat the other one. And how many games | | | | solution to every |
| do they need to | | | | |
| | | | problem.We all perform better when we enjoy |
| win before they have enough points to win | | | | what we do, and getting |
| the league?If they enjoy helping around the | | | | |
| home then let them do the | | | | kids interested in math is the real key to |
| | | | success.They may not turn into mathematical |
| "clever stuff". Ask them to work out the | | | | geniuses, but they'll |
| sizes for that | | | | |
| | | | thank you in later life when they enter the |
| wood you're going to cut. Or get them to | | | | world of work |
| measure out the | | | | |
| | | | and start counting their salaries.Now who |
| ingredients for the cake you're about to | | | | said your kids couldn't do math?'Fun With |
| bake.When you're in a store, ask your kids to | | | | Figures' shows anyone of any ability the easy |
| add up the prices | | | | way |
| | | | |
| and keep a running total while you shop. | | | | to do mental math. Visit the site today and |
| Then ask them how | | | | find out what |
| | | | |
| much change you should expect at the | | | | you didn't learn in the math class. |