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Numeracy skills provide a strong foundation for your child’s education and will come in handy throughout their adult life as well. With this in mind, many parents are keen to help their children with maths but are often unsure where to start. Don’t worry – you don’t have to be great at maths yourself in order to help your child. Here are some tips from a private school in Surrey.
When it comes to attempting a mathematical equation, confidence is key. Unless they truly believe in their abilities, they will give up before they’ve even begun. With that in mind, a great way to help your child perform well, not only in maths but in other areas of life, is to help boost their confidence as much as you can. This means praising them when they deserve it and focusing on the effort they put in rather than the results at the end.
Always try and lead by example and demonstrate a positive attitude towards learning as much as you can, even if you hated maths as a child. An optimistic approach towards maths will help your child feel more comfortable attempting sums etc. On the other hand, if you are negative about maths and school in general, your child will lack the motivation they need to try hard with their homework.
There are lots of ways you can help your child with their numeracy skills around the home, without necessarily sitting down in front of the textbook. For instance, they could help you with the cooking, which requires skills such as measuring ingredients and working out cooking times. When you go shopping, ask your child to figure out what the overall cost will be and how much change you will require from the shop assistant. There are lots boardgames, such as Monopoly, that can help your child with basic maths skills, such as adding, subtracting and multiplying.
Be sure to contact your child’s teachers if you are concerned about their performance in maths, as they will be able to come up with some further suggestions on how you can help. It may be that you need to hire a private tutor to help them with their learning, or perhaps seek out some free resources and games online.
