As
you know much of any type of learning is repetition and practice. When it
comes to teaching math to your child, no other subject holds more true to that
statement.
The
difficulty in teaching math to children isn't so much your limited knowledge
on math (if you feel that's the case). Rather it always seems that the
urgency to keep moving forward is at the sacrifice of allowing the child to
get the necessary repetition and practice with the current math unit.
Teaching
your child math is about teaching them the rules of mathematics or the
mechanics of math. Math's bad rap has always been and still is..... when am I
ever going to use this stuff? This is where it is crucial when teaching your
child math that you always make a concerted effort to bring home the
concepts of math and how they are used in every day life and real
situations.
Practicing the mechanics is the tough part of your instruction. But this is
the most important part. Children need repetition and practice with the
mechanics. Have your child memorize the basic rules even before they totally
grasp the actual concept. So many times we move forward to the next section
or level when, in fact, the child needs more practice.
Math,
more than any other subject, is a building upon what I have mastered in the
last section. Not fully understanding a particular mechanic or concept
before moving to the next thinking that the child will ‘get' the next
section better is a recipe for failure.
Practice,
practice, practice your child's skills when teaching your child math. I
can't overemphasize this enough. Review, and go back, not letting the
child's skills get rusty.
With
today's computer software there are programs of all kinds to aid you in your
effort to get your child enough practice and to bring home the every day
uses of math. By in large, most of us are not math subject matter experts,
but today's software programs are and many of them have built in tracking
programs so you can monitor your child's success rate as they go. Remember;
take your time so your child can get a excellent understanding of each level
before you move to the next. Teaching math continually builds upon itself and a good
foundation must be laid.
