I hate math and my kiddo hates math too. This is a tough situation. Recent studies have shown that you’re not alone. For you, it can help examine your lens on math as well as your child’s lens. What gets in the way of you enjoying math?
- Was too hard
- The Way I was taught didn’t work for me?
- It was boring and irrelevant
- All of the above
Sometimes when we can can reframe our previous struggles and see it with new eyes, we can approach it as a new learning experience to explore with our kiddo.
Here are a couple of resources that can help. Uf you’re a reader check out Jo Boaler’s book:
What’s Math Got to Do With it?
Or her newest book/ audio: Limitless Minds. https://amzn.to/37WdYeu
I just listened to it on a road trip a few months ago and found her voice to like that of a friend driving along beside me.
If you prefer to watch a video: Enroll in Jo Boaler’s free online course: “How to Learn Math” for students of all ages who don’t think they can learn math 🙂
https://www.youcubed.org/online-student-course/
This has been helpful for a number of families I’ve worked with over the years.
How about your kiddo? What gets in the way of her enjoying math? How can you be her ally on the journey?
For working with kids, It is often helpful to go slow and start with games and activities you both can enjoy. Being flexible in our approach and keeping it fun go a long way to encouraging reluctant math learners. Many of the resources for the reluctant math learner are helpful for both of you :-).
Traditional games such as Yahtze, Cribbage, Mancala, Chess Othello, Go, Quirkle, Blokus, Racko. Card Games such as SET,24, Blackjack,War, Rummy. A newer one I found in the past year is Clumsy Thief available from Amazon. Below are some of my favorite resources from two of my favorite math teachers, Peggy Kaye and Denise Gaskins
For Elementary Students
- Times Tac Toe
- Contig Game: Master Your Math Facts
- 30+ Things to Do with a Hundred Chart
- Hundred Chart Nim
- Euclid’s Game on a Hundred Chart
- The Game that Is Worth 1,000 Worksheets
- Thirty-One
- Multiplication Models Card Game
- Review Game: Once Through the Deck
- Princess in the Dungeon Game
“If you play these games and your child learns only that hard mental effort can be fun, you will have taught something invaluable.”
Middle School to Adult
- Fraction Game: My Closest Neighbor
- Target Number (or 24)
- 30+ Things to Do with a Hundred Chart
- Hit Me! (A Math Game)
- Alcumus Online Problem-Solving Game
- Math Games with Factors, Multiples, and Prime Numbers
- Logarithm War
- The Function Machine Game
If the very thought of learning with your child produces too much anxiety and keeps you up at night, it can be helpful to barter or hire another adult who enjoys math and is willing to meet your child where he is to with your child. Often an outside person can bring a new perspective and it can become a more enjoyable learning experiences.
