Even if mathematics was not your favorite subject in school, you can still help to pass on basic math skills to your child. Mathematical skills will prepare your child for academic success, and will also help them to make decisions and use logic in everyday life. As with any subject, some children will find math easier than others, so make sure you pay close attention to your child’s reactions and match your pace to their understanding.
One of the easiest ways to teach basic skills like addition and subtraction is with real-life examples. For very young children, playtime is a great place to start. Take advantage of a group of marbles or Legos to illustrate these concepts, starting with counting up through the numbers and going back down. As your child gets more comfortable with numbers of things, introduce concepts like addition and subtraction. “If I have two marbles and I take three more, how many marbles do I have?” Besides toys, crackers or candies also work well as examples (and are a great way to teach subtraction).
There will likely be a lot of repetition before your child starts to get the hang of numbers, and it won’t help either of you to overwhelm him or her. Instead, keep things interesting by connecting math to different things that your child enjoys, like a favorite television show or going food shopping. Besides providing variety, this will also help to show how math is connected to many activities that grown-ups do every day.
For older children, there are a variety of simple games you can play that use mathematicsand you won’t need to spend a fortune on them, either. Instead, grab a pair of dice and use them to come up with mathematical problems. Your child may even catch on to the commutative property (the fact that 23=32). You can also use a deck of cards (minus the face cards) in much the same way.
Before trying to start a lesson, make sure that the environment in your home is conductive to learning. Turn off the TV (if not using it) and make sure that there are minimal interruptions. This will help both of you to have a more productive and entertaining experience. After all, you want your child to develop a skill for mathematics that will continue to grow with them through the years.