Ever wonder how you could get your child to be more interested in maths?
Every child has a natural affinity towards maths or English. If maths is no problem for your child, then hats off to you. But for those who struggle to even understand the simplest maths concepts, it can be quite crushing. If you’ve tried everything you can to help your child to understand maths to no avail, why not try some maths games?
Maths games don’t have to be as relentless as a lesson in mental arithmetic. They should be fun, with some maths work as a by product. Some prime contenders are:
Reception and year 1: Snakes and Ladders
This is great for reception and year 1 children who are struggling to count and do basic addition. They’ll quickly gain an awareness of adding and counting on, while enjoying the thrills of climbing ladders and sliding down snakes.
Years 2 and 3: Ludo
This is a very strategic game – it really pushes the children to think tactically, and they will need to work out how many more jumps before one of their counters goes ‘home’. They will be juggling several counters simultaneously so it will really help them think about the impact of their choices.
Years 4, 5 and 6: Monopoly
For older children, the tactical element of the Monopoly game can be great for creating an understanding of money. Monopoly explains in fun terms the acquisition of money and how it can be lost, and children will need to be able to count money to do well at the game.
There are many more games that you can use – try looking online for more suggestions and ideas. There are also numerous apps in the Apple Apple Store and in the Play Store for Android users.
Positive reinforcement is a proven technique for children. By mixing learning and playing fun maths games, you’ll not only grab your child’s attention for learning maths, but help to make the subject a lot more ‘real’ for them.
In between the maths games, you can use some fun worksheets too – be sure to check out our maths worksheets.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.