You have heard the words “learning maths for 8-year-olds” before. This age group is thought by some to be too young to learn the concepts of mathematics. Others think that they are quite smart but just not developmentally ready for the more challenging concepts. If you feel this way, take heart in the fact that there is no such thing as a “born math genius”. Everyone learns at their own pace and will develop abilities according to their individual brains.
Maths should be fun for your child. Do not leave it until the last minute when they are tired, in pain or simply not feeling up to it. This is not the time to become testy or yell at them. Instead, just try to stay calm and encourage whatever learning you have done thus far.
Set some achievable goals. Give your child some room to grow. If they already seem to be doing well, then you can move on to more difficult tasks. Do not push too hard, though, as your child may react negatively. If they are not ready now, wait a little longer and they may be ready next week or the next month.
It is best to have realistic expectations. Your child will never reach the top of the Eiffel Tower. At some point they will need to stop admiring yourself and start aspiring to greater heights. Make sure that you are not setting unrealistic goals. If they want to play baseball every weekend, then go for it. Set reasonable goals and your child will more easily follow them.
Be sure to make your child feel confident. Don’t criticize what they are doing or how they are learning. Acknowledging their effort will make them want to do more. Also, take some time to compliment what they have accomplished so far. Praise good behaviour and acknowledge their mistakes but do not make comparisons between them and your child.
Do not talk down to your child. Instead of asking what they did wrong, why they didn’t do it, or who they need to practice with, simply tell them that their performance was not up to scratch. Make it clear that this is not acceptable and that they will need to work on it. You may even want to get help from someone who is more skilled in this area. That way, your child will be able to learn from someone else’s mistakes.
Try to keep things fun. Older children often get caught up in what they are trying to do and forget the fun side. This is not a good attitude to have if you expect your child to perform well in school. Explain this clearly to your child and encourage him/her to find out more about the subject.
Maths can be daunting for younger children and that is why it is so important to make the learning fun. If they don’t take to it straight away, then go back to it later. This is an essential stage in their education and it doesn’t do any harm to try and hold their interest.
It is so important to hold your child’s interest, that when they start to do work that they really enjoy, make sure they work hard. This will make them want to do more of it. They will also love to show off their work to you, and it could get them thinking differently too, helping them develop their problem solving skills.
Give your child regular praise and attention. Children respond well when they are praised for their work. If they don’t do as they are expected to do, then they will be discouraged and this could make them less likely to take part in further work. This way, the tasks are more fun and they enjoy more of them.
Don’t let your child get worried about their work. It is easy to let worries and pressure to get the better of them. If you have been spending too much time worrying about your child’s mathematics lessons, then it may be time to take a step back and try and relax a little. Not every parent can be expected to be able to spend every spare moment with their child but it should not be the main priority either.
By giving your child positive reinforcement and encouraging good habits from the start, then the task of teaching them new rates will not seem as daunting. Make sure that you keep up the games that you have been using too. If they do begin to learn from these good habits then you will find the whole process much easier. There are no real limits to what your child can achieve, if they are kept in practice for a long period of time then they will get there.