How To Motivate Children To Learn Math – Parenthood
A topic that is debated a lot in the news is that of the motivation of children to learn at school. One of the fundamental goals of the teaching and learning process is for children to face this challenge with motivation, something that seems difficult to achieve.
Motivation: a fundamental aspect for learning
Today, the great challenge of the education system is to succeed in motivating children to learn the different subjects that are offered to them each year at school.
Although motivation is necessary for all subjects taught, above all, there is greater difficulty in the process of teaching and learning mathematics.
In general, math is one of the most difficult subjects for children to learn. To be able to study it, they need concentration and to pay attention to what they are doing; however, in the majority of cases, this is difficult for them.
The point is, math is essential for cognitive development in children. It is a science that children must learn from an early age.
The challenge is to know the full importance of math and to make it fun so that children don’t get bored – a state that leads to distraction and lack of motivation – and are more willing to learn.
How to motivate children to learn math
How to motivate children to learn math is the big question many teachers ask themselves when preparing to teach math to their students. The reality is that the way to motivate them has to do with a quest for fun activities. Through these, children will be able to acquire the knowledge inherent in this subject.
Facilitating this learning will make them see this science as a tool. For this, we are going to offer you some tips to take into account to motivate children to dive into this fascinating world.
Start learning math at a young age
In order for children to understand and be motivated to learn math, it is important that they know it from an early age. This attraction must be born at home; for example, it can be done by teaching them to count objects in the house to ten, looking for patterns and recognizing shapes.
This is a daily job to be done at home, within the family nucleus. It is the sensations coming from this first contact with mathematics that, in a way, will motivate children to discover this new world.
Apply math in real life
When children start to grow up, a great way to motivate them to practice this science is to apply it in real, everyday life. For example: checking and comparing the prices of products in the supermarket, calculating prices, reading recipes, recognizing numbers in everyday life, etc.
Do not speak negatively about mathematics
It is important for parents and teachers to give a positive view of the importance of learning mathematics for life in general, if their role models tell them that it is a difficult subject that is useless , children will internalize this idea. They will then not find the necessary motivation for their learning.
Motivate children to learn every moment
As we see, the motivation coming from adults, especially from the role models of children, is fundamental. The engine of learning is motivation. It is therefore vital that children feel motivated and want to learn. This is just as important for math as it is for life in general.
Teaching through games
Games are essential in the life of children. Teaching them math through fun activities is a great way to motivate and captivate them. Through games, we learn but we also allow the child to have fun.
Although students should also know that mathematics requires work and effort, the best way to capture it is through fun activities or games. This will allow them to experience the world of numbers from a more fun point of view.
To conclude, motivating children to learn mathematics is a big challenge for parents and teachers today. They must get involved and be present in the learning process in order to be the driving force behind children’s motivation. There is no better motivation than to educate through games and entertainment.
