Many children struggle with math, including basic concepts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. You can help your child improve their math skills with multi-sensory activities, real-life math exercises, and fun games that build number sense and core math skills. Help your child develop stronger math skills with the ideas detailed below.
Basic Ways You Can Help Your Child Improve Their Math Skills
You can help your child develop stronger math skills by doing the following:
- Using multi-sensory learning tools
- Practicing math with real-life, everyday activities
- Making math fun with cooking or baking
- Playing games that build math skills
Let’s take a closer look at these ideas:
How Do Multi-Sensory Activities Help Children Understand Math Concepts?
For many children, a multi-sensory approach, including seeing, feeling, and touching items, can help them better understand math concepts. When you are teaching your young child addition and subtraction concepts, for example, take out beads or M&Ms and show them what it means to start with two beads and add one more (addition) or to start with four M&Ms and eat two of them (subtraction). Once you show them several examples using concrete objects, you can use a mini whiteboard to write the corresponding equation, like 2+1=3 or 4-2=2. Do several practice problems like these until your child grasps what it means to add and subtract objects. You can also use base ten blocks to help them create numbers and understand place value; number lines to visually understand addition and subtraction; and pizza slices for understanding fractions.
How Can Grocery Shopping Help Children Practice Math?
Help your child build real life math skills while shopping at the supermarket! Bring your young child with you to the store and take them to the produce aisle. Select three oranges and two grapefruits and ask your child to count them and tell you how many pieces of fruit in total you picked out. Then ask them to put one back and tell you how many you now have left.
For older children, you can tell them to look at the price per pound of a certain item and ask them how much it would cost if you bought three or four pounds of that item. Additionally, you can look for items on sale and ask them to tell you how much it would cost for two cans of soup that are $2 each if they are “buy one, get one half off,” or how much 25% off a $10 item would be. At checkout, have them estimate how much they think the total will come to, then compare it to the actual total.
How Does Baking Help Children Learn Math Concepts?
Baking with your child can be another great way to help them build their math skills. Have them find a recipe for cookies or muffins they’d like to bake and take out the ingredients they’ll need. They may need to measure 1/2 cup of water, 1/4 cup of oil, or 2 tablespoons of sugar, which is a great way to build their understanding of fractions and measurements. Ask them how much of each item they would need if they doubled or tripled the recipe. They can also build sequencing skills by following the step-by-step process the recipe requires.
Which Games Help Children Build Stronger Math Skills?
Play games with your child to further build their math skills. Games such as Monopoly, Dominos, Sequence, and Concentration can all help your child develop stronger math skills while having fun. They can also play online games, such as Math Playground, Fun Brain Math, and Mr. Mishal to further enrich their math skills. Have fun while playing these math games! The more your child enjoys math and practices their math skills, the more their performance will improve.
Why Do Some Children Struggle with Math?
Some students excel with math and learn concepts easily, but others struggle to grasp basic math skills and find abstract concepts difficult to understand. They may need multi-sensory tools such as math manipulatives to help them understand new math concepts. Other children might have difficulty with their working memory, focus, or executive functioning skills, all of which can affect math performance. A comprehensive evaluation can help determine if your child has a math learning disability and would benefit from additional math intervention.
When Should You Consider Math Tutoring for Your Child?
If your child continues to struggle with math concepts despite practicing these exercises at home, they may benefit from individualized one-one-one math tutoring. A math tutor can identify gaps in your child’s math skills and provide hands-on, multi-sensory tutoring to help them build these key skills.
Math Tutoring in Boca Raton and Palm Beach County
If you are looking for math tutoring in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, or other areas of Palm Beach or Broward Counties, Knowledge Plus Tutoring can help! We specialize in one-on-one, multi-sensory in-person and virtual tutoring in math and other academic skill areas.
Can Step Up Funding Pay for Math Tutoring?
Yes! If your child qualifies for Step Up Scholarship funds, you may be able to use these funds towards specialized math tutoring. Learn more about Florida’s Step Up Scholarship program and whether your child qualifies at Who Is Eligible for Step Up for Students in Florida? Scholarships & Tutoring. At Knowledge Plus tutoring, we accept Step Up funding for our tutoring programs, and we are an approved Step Up tutoring provider.
Read more about using Step Up Funds for tutoring at Does Florida’s Step Up Scholarship Cover Tutoring Services?
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I help my child improve their math skills?
You can help your child improve their math skills by using multi-sensory learning tools, practicing math in real-life situations such as at the supermarket, and playing fun games that reinforce key math concepts.
Can tutoring help children who struggle with math?
Yes! Individualized one-on-one math tutoring can help your child build their foundational math skills and strengthen their self-confidence. Math tutoring should begin with an initial assessment to gauge any gaps in your child’s math knowledge and identify skill areas that need development. If your child has dyscalculia, or a learning disability in math, they will likely benefit from hands-on, multi-sensory math tutoring that is catered to their individual needs.
How can I find a specialized math tutor near me?
When looking for a math tutor for your child, try to find a tutor or tutoring service that specializes in math instruction at your child’s level. They should begin with an initial assessment to determine your child’s math needs and then come up with an individualized plan for the tutoring using research-based, multi-sensory techniques. At Knowledge Plus Tutoring, we specialize in one-on-one multi-sensory math tutoring.
Dr. Emily Levy, the executive director of Knowledge Plus Tutoring, holds her Doctorate Degree in Education and has over twenty years of experience helping students strengthen their math skills with individualized, multi-sensory tutoring.
