Why helping at home is important
(Taken from the bbc schools website)
Mathematics is one of the most important subjects that
your child studies at school. Numbers are all around us and even if
you don't feel yourself to be a mathematics genius, there is plenty
that you can do. In fact, your child should enjoy most of the
suggested activities so much that s/he won't even realise that it's
educational!
Current teaching methods for maths and even the way
that sums are recorded appear very different from those used twenty
years ago. As a result, parents are sometimes reluctant to help their
children with maths homework for fear of doing things in the wrong
way.
However, children do really benefit when parents take a
keen interest in their mathematical learning.
You can help your child to gain confidence and develop a
positive attitude towards mathematics by talking about what has
been taught at school and helping him/her to notice and use
mathematics in an everyday context.
Ideas
and tips
Try
some of these to reinforce learning that has taken place at school:
ü
A key part of every numeracy session in school is
mental maths, so practise at home. Children must get used
to solving problems in their heads, rather than resorting to a
calculator. Play games with your child: throw two dice and
multiply the numbers, then move on to multiplying the sum of two
throws by the sum of another two throws. Try to get some pace into the
game!
ü
Play snakes and ladders, cribbage, darts, dominoes and
other games that depend on numbers, counting, calculation and
scoring. 'Battleships' is a fun way to use graphs. Invest in a range
of maths puzzle books.
ü
Talk
about pocket money
with your child. Help him/her to add it up week by week, and work out
whether she can afford a particular toy or treat. Shop using money and
calculate change. If you go on holiday, discuss the differences in
prices or even the exchange rates.
ü
Capitalise on hobbies.
If your child is car-mad, talk about relative engine sizes, fuel
economy, speed and performance. If she has a favourite pop group, get
her to compile a list of statistics such as the number of weeks each
single is in the charts. Watch and play sports that involve scoring,
timing, counting, measuring.
ü
Add
number apparatus to your child's toy collection - counters, a
purse full of change, dice, dominoes, a tape measure, ruler, pack of
cards, timer, different shapes - and use them to make mathematics come
alive.
ü
Be creative!
Ask your child to look out for patterns and shapes on floors,
wallpaper, plants, animals, and buildings - anything from the
arrangement of tiles in the kitchen to the markings on the cat.
Draw objects made entirely of triangles, rectangles or squares:
make 'butterfly' pictures by painting on one half of the paper and
folding it over so that the image is mirrored. Make mobiles by
suspending objects from coat hangers and ensuring they balance.
ü
Think about time.
Look at clocks, both digital and analogue. Estimate how long a
certain activity will take to do and see if you are right! Work out
how long it is until the next mealtime. Play games: how long is a
minute, starting from now?
ü
Think about calendars and dates too. Make a
timeline that includes the birthdays of each member of the family and
work out how far apart each one is. Use different units: months, weeks
and days, even hours, minutes and seconds. Add other important events,
such as a family holiday, and encourage your child to count down to
the big day
ü
Cooking
is great for helping your child get to know simple weights and
measures. An old-fashioned set of balance scales is ideal. Count
out spoonfuls of ingredients. Let your child help you set the timer
and count down to teatime! Later on, this is a good way to introduce
the idea of ratios and proportions, too. Bear in mind that your child
will be learning the metric system at school, so try to measure
amounts in grams and kilograms.
ü
Use learning games on educational websites:
check out the
maths
links for lots of ideas.
