Since school started, students have had a lot of breaks and are at a higher risk of forgetting math skills.  In addition, this time of year is where teachers make the big push to cover new material before spring break. Students during this time can quickly fall behind. Therefore, one should focus on reviewing math facts and studying new concepts.

“Math, Yuck!” is the typical response by most students and parents.  Reviewing math and going over new concepts doesn’t need to be “Yucky”.  Math can be fun: by making math hands-on, making math move, and making math technological.

Make Math Fun by Being Hands-on

Math concepts can be made into hands-on games, which is a great way to make learning fun. Games such as Yahtzee, teach children to utilize skills such as addition, subtraction, and multiplication. Dice can be used to quiz students on their multiplication and addition facts, by having them manipulate the pieces.  Trips to the grocery store can be utilized to assist students with rounding numbers, addition, multiplication and can be made into a competitive game of who can guess the final grocery cost. Cooking a meal can be utilized to assist students with fractions, doubling, and following directions.  A student’s comprehension of academic problems also can be enhanced by finding real world applications.

Make Math Fun by Going Outside and Get Moving

Movement stimulates students brains and engages different senses which can help them learn. Drawing shapes on the ground can help a child visualize math problems. One can modify Hopscotch with sidewalk chalk, create math facts that students can jump onto and call out, and geometry can be brought to life outside by having students jump in and out of the shapes, finding perimeter, area, and identifying right angles.

Make Math Fun with Apps and games

Many schools suggest specific online games for students to practice math concepts.  Many of the major textbook publishers have created apps that supplement and enhance a student’s learning.  Set aside around 20 minutes each night to focus on math skills on the computer.  Be sure your student stays focused on one specific game, to make it worth their time.  Many of these games function by starting a player at an entry level, and as a user performs better, the game increases in difficulty.   To match what a student is learning in class, examine the textbook and correlate the best game option.

Remember to set up a specific spot in one’s house for your child to do their homework.  If you have already done this, don’t forget to get back into the routine after these long breaks.  Make sure this spot has all the materials one needs: pencils, eraser, scratch paper, ruler, and a calculator. If you place these items in a container, have your student decorate it to give them ownership.  Again, with a little creativity math can be fun at one’s house!