5 Ways to Encourage Child Who Hates Math

Kids can have a hard time understanding the importance of maths in our daily lives. As a parent, however, you can testify on the benefits of having a good foundation in mathematics later on in school and future careers. Did you know that only 36% of secondary school students go to poly/JC well prepared for university-level mathematics? This leaves behind 64% of students who struggle semester after semester with math-related courses. Thousands of parents have kids struggling with math. Therefore before we go any further, you need to know that you are not alone. Most children develop a negative attitude towards maths in their early school years. The main reasons being they think it’s too hard or they are not smart enough. This kind of mentality can significantly affect their performance and hinder them from improving. The good news however is, there is something you can do about this. Here are some strategies you can use to encourage a child that is not doing well in maths. 1. Offer Unlimited Support Kids do well when they think they are part of a group. Because they won’t always spend their time at school with classmates and teaches, be their support when they are at home. Whether its homework, classwork, or revision, be there to support him/her physically, psychologically, and emotionally. Instead of sending them to their rooms to do homework, accompany him/her, and offer assistance when needed. The good thing about being around 24/7 is that you will be there to jog his/her memory when he/she forgets maths formulas and concepts. 2. Know What to and Not to Say to Your Child Son/Daughter: ‘I hate math’. Dad/Mom: ‘Me too, I really hated my maths teacher’. This isn’t the kind of narrative you should feed your child. Academic performance isn’t genetically inherited. Just because you weren’t good at math that doesn’t mean so will your kid. When you do this, you are fuelling up their hatred for this subject. Instead, be more positive about the matter. Encourage them that math is not hard once you understand the concepts. 3. Praise Efforts and Not Results If your child is struggling with math, don’t focus more on their test scores. Instead, praise how hard they are working to improve their knowledge. When they bring their results home, don’t start analysing the grade. Dive deeper into how they tackled the problems. Pat them on the back for a formula well written even if the answer was wrong. Correct them and move forward to the next question. 4. Don’t be Afraid to Highlight their Progress There is no overnight magic pill with mathematics. It’s all about progress. However, don’t wait till they reach their final goal. Divide it into smaller projects and make sure you point out on milestones accomplished. 5. Sign them Up for Math Tuition Classes When it comes to maths, hard work pays off. Complementing what your kids learn at school with a math tuition class can really improve your child’s performance. Other than that, skilled math tutor know how to encourage students who aren’t doing that well in this interesting subject. Sign up your child with us today for math tuition class and notice an improvement in a matter of weeks. As a math tutor, we are familiar with relevant techniques that can be used to encourage kids that aren’t doing so well in maths. We use an approach that will build a child’s confidence and attitude towards learning maths. At the same, we also make learning fun and interesting.