You hear a lot of people say – ‘don’t worry if you really don’t understand that – you won’t use it after school’ – referring to things like Pythagoras’ theorem, Algebraic Equations and other hard-to-grasp math concepts. But just because some things are harder to understand in Mathematics, doesn’t mean you can’t learn them or need them in life.
Often when things don’t come naturally and students disengage with the subject, they decide they are no good at it and, to avoid feelings of failure, they stop trying. We want to help you find ways to help your children try, fall in love with math, and become Math Wizards.
From preparing that next report or project at work to simply shopping for groceries, maths is an essential skill that can be applied to every aspect of our lives, so it’s important that we all know the basics. Maths can also open a whole lot of career doors as well – from accountancy and IT, to architecture, environmental science and engineering. Enjoying and excelling at the problem solving, numbers and logic behind maths can take you so many places – even to space! As the ‘M’ in STEAM, maths is versatile and helps provide the skills for innovation, growth and creativity.
But in school, maths isn’t always so easy and fun. From the classroom to the home, it is crucial to introduce educational tools and activities that engage and stimulate children. Understanding the subjects can even lead kids to enjoy learning!
For a well-rounded tool that encourages independent learning, look no further than Osmo – www.playosmo.com – an award-winning hands-on play experience praised by parents and teachers alike. With two brand new additions to their Math Wizard game series, Osmo supports the topics children learn in the classroom, encouraging them to apply things like algebra and multiplication in a fun and relaxed setting.
Creating positive learning experiences is key to building resilience in children so they have the confidence to seek help when they need it. Introducing basic maths like counting and looking for patterns and shapes from a young age allows children to apply mathematical principles to everyday life. To make things even easier, Osmo’s Math Wizard boosts confidence and decreases math anxiety often felt by kids by getting them to use creativity and imagination as they learn. The self-paced games let children experience maths through narrative and adventure, offering hints for struggling learners to help nudge them along to the correct answer.
There will always be children that struggle more than others to concentrate and keep engaged when learning. But, when learning is fun, it won’t feel like learning at all!
Great Resources and Tools for Learning Math
Osmo – Maths can be stressful enough as it is, especially in the foundational years of a child’s schooling. Osmo’s new Math Wizard games aim to quell the anxiety around maths to prevent delayed learning and understanding of the subject, by allowing kids aged 6-8 to learn at their own pace and experience maths through fun, hands-on, narrative-driven games.
These new games allow kids to experiment and actually understand how maths is used in everyday life. It builds confidence and understanding in their maths learning, a confidence that they can take to the classroom and beyond. The Math Wizard games act as your kids’ personal maths tutor, but affordable and available any time! www.jbhifi.com.au
www.learningplace.eq.edu.au – Is a great STEM Hub on the Education Queensland website providing great resources to support learning at home.
www.stempunks.com.au – Run a variety of online STEM and Design Thinking Programs, developed and delivered by qualified teachers to inspire students to learn in a fun and interactive environment.
Curriculum Connections STEM YouTube Channel – is a playlist of videos curated to match Science, Technologies, Engineering and Mathematics in the Australian Curriculum from foundation to Year 10.
www.learn4good.com – offers free fun and interactive mathematics games and quizzes of various difficulties.
The Math Dude – tries to decode the mystery and fear behind all aspects of mathematics with his free podcast.
To help your child get excited about Maths – tune into Episode 46 of the PakMag Parents Podcast with Karen McDaid from Cluey Learning. Head to www.pakmag.com.au
