Mum of three Katie Higham has been a teacher for over 10 years and has created Katie's Classroom to help children and parents further their education at home. Here are her tips for helping your kids with maths...
Regular interaction with your child’s maths teacher
Speaking to your child’s Maths teacher will help you to understand the gaps in your child’s maths so you can focus on less confident areas at home.
Practise, practise, practise!
If your child has an end of term test or is going through the rigorous and competitive process of 8+ and 11+ entrance exams then past papers are essential. Completing past papers will help identify specific areas to focus on and is the best way to help your child gain confidence.
Little and often
Even 15 minutes a day can help your child’s confidence in that specific area of maths that they’re worried about and improve their ability to problem solve.
Always show your working
Getting into the habit of showing working will help to show where your child may be struggling and or need help with technique. It’s a really important part of the process – it is not enough to just write down the answer! Encourage your child to jot down notes or show workings out – mental maths doesn’t mean you have to do it all in your head.
Give (small) rewards and praise
Small rewards and praise along the way will help to make your child feel like he or she is achieving. Even small things like setting a goal to buy them a book they love or taking them to see a film or for a family meal can help motivation. Try and build your child’s confidence. Change the mind set of “I can’t do it” into “I can’t do it yet”.
Good knowledge of their times tables
Good knowledge of their times tables makes all maths much easier. So keep practice makes perfect in their heads! Look for games on the internet or rhymes to help them consolidate number bonds and times tables. Try making them into a game - throwing a tennis ball to each other, one asking a quick fire question and the other answering.
Go back to basics
Checking calculations is a great way to consolidate learning and if that proves too hard, go back to basics and start with simpler calculations.
Try and understand their learning style
All children learn differently. Some children like a more hands-on approach so using equipment can help. Draw things out - this way you’re making it more visual and practical to allow for different learning styles.
Create a working maths wall
Display times tables and calculation methods or whatever their tricky area is around the house.
Make Maths meaningful
Making Maths part of everyday life makes it more meaningful. Real life situations like train timetables, recipes and receipts help your child see that maths is needed in all areas of life.
Specific areas children find difficult in Maths
• Decimals and Fractions: fractions of amounts, equivalent fractions and converting between the two. • Division: Bridge division and corresponding division facts • Time: 24 hour clock, telling the time, reading timetables and elapsed time word problems • Money: Finding change from £10 and £20 • Area: Finding the area and perimeter of compound shapes • Time tables
For more tips go to www.katiesclassroom.com and then click on the free trial link or on the menu bar there is a sign up page