Making Maths Fun in the Home

The interpretation of fun varies enormously depending on age, sex and intelligence but generally speaking the term “Maths” sends many parents fleeing regardless of age, gender, class or race.

Under the National Numeracy Strategy, increasing numbers of children enjoy mathematics. Parents are encouraged to share homework - love it or loathe it. “I hated Maths at school!” is an all too common phrase. But did you? Did you mean “I hated the way it was taught” - possibly?

Yet many parents expect the cycle to continue and hence perpetuate the myth. “I was doing long division by the age of 8 but never understood a word of it”. Typical! Methods of teaching are changing but as parents we stick to the routines we know. Of course we do, we are not trained teachers!

However the fact is that through modern teaching methods children are beginning to understand what they are doing! Shock-horror, not only are they remembering facts but using those facts to produce some really clever “stuff”. Some basic guidelines are required and, given we are not all mathematicians, here are some everyday tips for gaining interest and “getting involved”.

“I am really good at Maths“ claims my son. He is at a special school, which encourages learning through real life activities and decision-making. They plan meals, outings, buying petrol and cook on a regular basis, each time “subliminally” using Mathematics mixed up with enjoyment. The repetition of doing things we enjoy ultimately leads to proficiency. So talk to your child and spend time answering incidental questions. Consider modern life; we no longer expect children to walk to school, catch a bus at a certain time, run errands to buy 5lbs of potatoes or weigh out flour to bake a cake that is now cheaper to buy in a supermarket.

So jot down things that you can do involving Mathematics. You will be surprised, since the list will include telling the time, setting the microwave, planning your journey, apportioning quantities for each member of the family’s meal and dividing money for sweets. How did you learn those skills?

Help your children by giving them a chance to think, plan and take risks by “having a go”. Afterwards ask “ did it work?”, “Why not?” and “How could you do it differently next time?”, as you grit your teeth and clear away the mess!

You can leave teaching to the teachers but remember your great advantage is that you can share in the experience of everyday life. Look at signs, bus numbers, roof tile designs, patterns in nylons, bridges etc. Show your children how you do things.

For more information and some very simple and practical ideas visit the Thames Water “Home Counts” website or ask your child’s teacher to download a copy. It can be fun, so take the plunge and good luck!

Submitted by Barbara Carr