Mathematics is a fundamental subject that can be witnessed everywhere around us and therefore, its fusion with daily activities makes it exciting for the children to learn and engage. Every aspect of our lives is directly or indirectly related to the concepts of mathematics. The interest in numbers, shapes and problem solving develops gradually with time and effort. Parents have a particular responsibility towards developing their child’s interest in maths from an early age. As a child progresses from the pre-primary classes to the primary ones, it becomes important to figure out the level of dedication and interest the child has towards mathematics.
It is significantly easier to establish an interest in numbers at a tender age. If the child will develop a keen interest in the subject, it will prove to be very beneficial in the successive classes. Parents don’t need to force their children to study mathematics at any and every cost but they should take necessary decisions that correlate to the benefits of their children. You will find the most favourable ways to ensure that your child takes a keen interest in mathematics from Class 1 itself in this article. Parents should take note of the following methods they should adopt so that their child responds positively towards mathematics:
- Take a slow start and notice the syllabus for Class 1. Interest in anything develops gradually, with significant time and effort. In the case of mathematics, many children are already curious about learning something different every day. The parents have to figure out whether their child is excited and fascinated about learning anything new and unique. As a parent, you must be aware of the concepts that should be introduced to the child in Class 1. Check the syllabus from the Class 1 Maths NCERT Books here. Children at this young age tend to lose attention quickly and if you try to push them towards grasping some concept that is too difficult for the child at that age, they will neglect and ignore the very idea of learning. Therefore, to avoid creating an unnecessary burden on the little ones, it is better to go through the concepts yourself and try to involve the child in a discussion about these concepts.
- Figure out Creative activities to learn the concepts. Do not think that buying educational toys or puzzles is necessary for creative learning. There are more than enough ways to use the basic concepts in maths and promote creative learning using household items. Adopting the Creative methods of learning will engage your child in learning new concepts and also have fun while learning. The best place to experiment with the ways to learn creatively is undoubtedly the Kitchen in any house. All sorts of calculations, sorting and basic maths operations are done in the kitchen every day. You must involve your child in the kitchen, while segregating the groceries, filling the fruit basket etc. There are sufficient ways to make your child interested in maths using creative methods such as these. It is up to your understanding and mindset to figure out more ways to work towards your aim.
- Play various games that involve mathematical concepts. You must play board games with your child to subconsciously convey the message that numbers are easy to deal with and can be easily used in games. You can also create games based upon simple addition or subtraction whatever complements the situation. But the basic idea behind playing board games is to develop the ability of the children to contemplate the numbers and calculations comfortably. The basic idea that should be developed in the child’s mind is that maths relates to every task we do in our daily lives. As intricate it may be, some concept of maths is involved behind every task. If the child perceives that maths is surrounded everywhere, then it is very likely that the child won’t be intimidated as the difficulty level aggravates with successive classes.
- Make fair use of Technology. With the world becoming interconnected due to the use of technology for each and every task, it is more than necessary to employ technology in your favour. Parents must try to define various concepts to their children through the medium of the internet. There are loads of educational videos and animations available online. Children at such young age can easily grasp the concepts when the information is transmitted visually. Various concepts are taught to the children using poems, rhymes or jingles. The idea is to make learning creative as well as productive at the same time. Technology will have a significant role to play in developing the children’s interest in mathematics. Children should also know about the basic usage of gadgets such as Calculator, to enhance their understanding of concepts.
- Refrain from pushing your child too hard. No child is born super brainy. Some can intuitively do better than others but this does not mean that parents try to push too hard and force their children to be at par with others. Every child has his capabilities and potential. You must accept this fact and try to divert your attention from comparing your child’s attitude or performance with others. There is no point forcing something on the little ones when they are not interested. Your efforts will backfire and the child will try to evade the situation when the time for learning mathematics arrives. The idea is to develop an interest gradually rather than mouth feeding emphatically just because you feel like doing so. The decisions taken by the parents will have a major impact on the performance of the child in the successive years. So make sure that you take these decisions in an enlightened way.
A child studying in Class 1 is too young to set the perceptions or notions of fear. So, it becomes comparatively easier to develop an understanding in their mind that Maths is an easy subject and there is no point dodging its existence because it is related to even the most basic tasks we do. Adopting an empathetic and supportive approach is thus necessary if you want your child to be interested in maths and perform well in the successive classes.