10 Ways to Make Learning Math More Fun

Published by Ganit Charcha | Category - Math Articles | 2019-11-05 02:27:56

Are you an educator or a teacher? Have you found yourself in situations in the classroom where you glanced at your students and found them staring blankly into the board? You’re not alone! A lot of teachers have admitted that they’re doing whatever they can to make their lesson plans perfect or engaging, but by the time they come close, they’re frustrated to find the students are unfocused and in recess.
There was a time when we send our kids to kindergarten to play and learn how to tie their shoes, but things are different now. Now educators alongside politicians are advocating for educational policies to make students "college-ready." How can we get there is the topic for another debate, but the focus here is how can we make learning a subject say learning math fun again?
 
Teachers must keep finding ways to keep their classes’ fun and interesting so that students can absorb and retain the lessons that are taught. For years, educators are testing new teaching strategies to keep learning exciting and keep their students on their toes. It undeniable some strategies have failed, but some of them are proven to be effective. Here we will explore 10 ways to make learning math and other subjects more interesting and engaged. Let’s get started:
 
10 Ways One Can Make Math Learning More Fun
 
Some adults and kids naturally find math fun, while others struggle at it or finding for ways to spice up the subject. Here are some tips:

1. Make Math Learning A Game - 
If you’ve kids try out card games and board games like Yahtzee. You can go for something more old-school puzzle games or something more high-tech. Children are often attracted to hands-on activities if they sense an element of competition with a sibling, another student, or parent.

2. Use Math Apps and Games - Kids love their iPads and their multimedia tablets. So why not to put them into much better use by installing math apps and games on their devices. There are apps and games will teach and reinforce basic mathematical concepts to kids. We recommend you check out games such as Mathville, Prodigy, and Dreambox.

3. Make Math Relevant - We lose interest in learning something we don’t see a purpose for. The same applies to students too. So it’s important for teachers to continuously make aware of real-life applications of math to students. Tell them how useful math is for cooking, baking, measuring things, checking the temperature, telling time, and using money.

4. Encourage Students To Learn Math - Often we see teachers when they find students struggling in math saying things like, “I was bad at math”, or “I never enjoyed math”, and so forth. Teachers may think it will help or encourage students to embrace the challenges of math, but this never helps. Instead, teachers should make math learning fun and encourage them to practice. This will have a more positive response. Teachers can also share his or her ideas about how to reinforce what’s being taught at the moment.

5. Combine Math and Literature - If teachers find someone reluctant to learn math, yet he or she is an avid reader, then literature may help provide some motivation to make learning math more fun. There are picture books and nonfiction textbooks that explain various math concepts in an engaging. We suggest you study books by Greg Tang, Joan Sweeney, and Stuart J. Murphy which seems to be popular with the kids.

6. Make Your Lessons A Mystery - You can make learning fun if your students have no idea what to expect. Surprise and mystery are great elements to incorporate into your lessons to make not only math but any subject fun and intriguing. Before starting a new lesson, ask your students about what they might expect or give them a new clue every time before the start of a new lesson.

7. Avoid Repetitions - It’s essential to review classroom material consistently and it’s appropriate, but don’t repeat it now and then because this will make whatever you’re planning to teach or review less interesting for students. If you want to review the previous lesson, consider doing it by playing a review game in which the information you presented the second time is different from the first time.

8. Use Technology - Everyone loves electronics and technology and it is an excellent way to keep your lessons engaging and fun. Try incorporating various educational technology into your overall teaching strategy. For example, use Smartboards or Smart TVs to display math equation instead of standing and lecturing in front of the room.

9. Stop Taking Teaching Ever So Seriously - A teacher is an important job, but that does not imply that you should remain serious at all times. Relax, loosen up a little, laugh at yourself at times, and accept the fact that your students may have a different way of learning than your own.

10. Flip Your Lessons - The term "flipped" has been in and out in the education world in 2012 when it was presented for the first time. The idea here is students can learn new information at home and use the class time in school for critical thinking and work on activities that reinforce the concepts. It is unique, however, after using this strategy, teachers have reported they’re achieving positive results as student engagement and interaction in the classrooms have soared.

Author Bio

 dr_gajab

This article was contributed by Dr. Gajab, a math tutor currently teaching mathematics at SmileTutor. He enjoys using technology and creative methods to teach maths. Dr. Gajab has also written a few books on the mathematics curriculum in Singapore and India.




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