Pango

So how do you make math enjoyable?

Math is a dreaded subject, but it should not be. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if your child looks forward to doing math homework daily like it’s playtime? The truth is it can be done and it should be done. Our children deserve to be presented the beauty and joy of math from a young age, and we parents owe it to them to learn how to make math enjoyable.

One of the simplest thing to do to make math enjoyable is, counterintuitively, to withhold your answer to a question that your child may have. Many parents think that all questions children have are to be answered by them. Nothing is farthest from the truth. When children have a math question that they cannot answer, that is when the fun begins.

Ask them to tell you why they cannot solve the question. Ask them what is the most difficult part of the question that they cannot answer. Ask them what the question wants. Ask them to put the difficulty in words for you. Many times before you finish asking them questions, they gain clarity and they would exclaim, “Oh! I see it now!” You just made math enjoyable for them.

So instead of giving them the answer, you help them explore the question. By engaging them in looking at the problem from different angles, you guide them to find the solution themselves. This is much more empowering and satisfying for them to conquer the problem themselves than you providing the answers for them.