3 Effective Ways To Help Your Child Learn Lower Primary Math

The trick to making Math relevant in your child’s life is to use Math in activities that appeal to him or her. This allows your child to learn practical applications of Math. 

Studies by Jo Boaler, Professor of Mathematics Education at Stanford Graduate School of Education, have shown that students learn Math best when they work on problems that they enjoy, rather than exercises and drills that they fear.

The key is to always be on the lookout for methods to creatively integrate Math into daily activities so that your child can make a positive connection between fun and Math, thereby boosting their confidence.

Related Article: Math Skills: What to Expect At Different Ages

Helping Your Child See Math in Action

At The Learning Lab, Math lessons are linked to real-life scenarios to help your child see the relevance of Math. Instead of pure rote memorisation, we also use hands-on activities, songs, games and stories to help him or her learn better.

Watch the video below as Elizabeth Chin, Math Subject Head of The Learning Lab Tampines, shares about what your child can look forward to in our Primary Math programmes. 

Here are 3 easy ways to integrate learning Math into your child’s daily life so that he or she might learn to love the subject.
 

1. Start with Counting Money

One of the best ways to incorporate Math into everyday life is by getting your child to manage his or her own money. You may start with his or her weekly allowance — give your child a set amount of money each week and devise a plan for spending.

Once he or she is comfortable in managing his or her own money, you may even get your child started on managing a savings plan — this does not only help him or her to be more responsible, but also makes Math relevant to daily life.
 

2. Engage Your Child with Math Vocabulary

According to Goh Wan Mei, Curriculum Head of Mathematics at The Learning Lab, “Math is not a stand-alone subject. An integrated approach towards the subject can help to increase your child’s awareness of mathematical concepts.”

Simple addition exercises can help your child become quicker when it comes to mental arithmetic. Ask your child to add up journey times between stations or add up car plate numbers while on the road. You might also like to ask your child to add the number of people in “white shirts” or “with spectacles” while you are out at a shopping mall together. 

Turning addition exercises into fun games not only helps your child to reinforce what he or she has learnt in class but also allows him or her to spend time productively even when he or she is out and about.

Did you also know that numbers matter in idioms too? Download our special Number Idioms Poster and get your child excited on how Math shapes language too!

3. Identify Shapes and Patterns

Being able to recognise shapes and patterns is a key part of mastering Geometry. You can start by asking your child to search for primary shapes such as triangles, squares, rectangles, circles or ovals at home or when you are out.

Whether you and your child love examining the shapes of leaves or patterns of tiles, walls and decals, show your child just how much Math informs the way things and places are designed around him or her. It’s a fun way to see the beauty of Math and to help your child get excited about this subject.

Let Your Child Discover the Fun in Primary Math with Us

Your child’s learning journey should be filled with fun and relevant knowledge. Our Primary Math lessons help your child to build numeracy skills and a strong interest in Primary Math by using manipulatives, games and visuals to better understand concepts.

At The Learning Lab, we believe in helping your child develop a strong number sense, so we do our best to give your child opportunities to explore number concepts to allow him or her to fully understand the subject.