Improving your Child’s Numeracy Skills: 6 Simple Ways Parents Can Help

Many parents want to help boost their child’s numeracy skills. Here are eight effective ways of supporting your child’s math education.

Healthy childhood development includes learning a number of crucial skills that will set children up for success in adulthood. Numeracy is not only one of the most important skills for any child, but poor numeracy can also affect other areas of life. 

Adults with low numeracy are more likely to become depressed and are two times more likely to develop a disability. While numeracy skills are important for earning a living wage, they are also critical for participating in the social world.  

Developing these skills in early childhood can give your child a healthy mindset towards math and ensure their success in the future. If your child struggles with numeracy, there are ways to help strengthen their skills.  

Keep reading to learn six ways to improve a child’s numeracy skills and how to find the right support. 

1. Integrate Math In Conversation 

One of the ways that you can help your child with math skills is by incorporating math into the conversation. 

There are several ways that you can fine-tune your child’s skills with small activities around the house, and then talking about them. Be specific when you ask your child to bring you an item. If you’re setting up the dinner table, ask for three spoons and five forks.

You can also ask them to organize their toys and books. Tell them they can bring four stuffed animals to bed and pick two storybooks for you to read to them. These are some examples of how to integrate math into everyday life so your children have a chance to embrace it. 

This kind of regular exposure also encourages them to practice often.  

2. Involve Them in Real World Math 

A great way to get your kids to enjoy math is to show them how to use it in the real world. Outside of math class, they can learn how to use math in a way that is useful. 

There are plenty of activities that involve fractions, time, measurements, and money. These are some fun ways to show your child how to use math naturally. 

Go Food Shopping 

Have your child gather and count items. You can use verbiage that gets them to think critically such as bigger, smaller, add two, take away one.

If your child is older, you can help them learn money management skills. Talk about savings, discounts, and understanding credit cards. This will be a crucial life skill in adulthood. 

Hunting for bargains, comparing prices, and ticking off the shopping list also makes math fun for your kids. 

Ask For Help With Cooking and Baking

Getting in the kitchen and getting hands-on is a great way to help your child with their numeracy skills. Cooking and baking both have many math elements involved. This includes fractions, measurements, shapes, and time.

Your child can read instructions, follow a recipe, and measure out ingredients. They can check the temperature, follow a timer, and measure portions. 

Get messy and have some fun learning math with your child.  

Go Gardening 

Helping out in the garden is another way you can show your child how math applies in the real world. You can use a scale for measurements, show how to space out seeds, and ensure optimal temperature for plant growth. 

3. Use Play and Games as a Form of Learning 

Games are a way to get math support in a fun way. Using play, your child can have a healthy association with math. There are many games that incorporate math.

Many board games include features that require counting, identifying shapes, and logic. Games like chess, dominos, and cards can also help improve numeracy skills. Puzzles are great for kids of all ages. 

With a child who uses a tablet or phone, you can add some learning apps to make their technology time useful. 

4. Incorporate Books That Include Math

Reading books that use math and logic is another way that you can give your child numeracy support. 

There are a variety of books that include math themes. They can incorporate adding, subtracting, fractions, shapes, and probability. Helping your child develop critical thinking skills and logic will help with their understanding of numeracy. 

5. Try Tactile Activities 

For some children, hands-on learning is the best way to understand new skills. 

Using arts and crafts is an effective way to help your child understand math in a different way. You can use all kinds of materials for learning such as dry pasta, paper clips, or crayons.

Have your child physically count out a certain number of any of these items. Or they can use them to create various shapes. The options for tactile activities are endless. 

If your child needs math help, Pear Tree School has programs dedicated to helping your child excel in numeracy. 

6. Practice Math on a Daily Basis 

Like all skills, practicing every day is the only way to fine-tune them.

Encourage your child to practice math each day and watch their skills improve. Practicing math can be done in a variety of ways. They can solve a math problem, play a math game, put blocks together, or practice counting.

Depending on the age of your child, the activities will vary. The important thing is to get your child used to practicing math and incorporating it into daily life. 

Elevating Your Child’s Numeracy Skills

Numeracy skills are critical for success in many different areas of life. Equipping your child with numeracy skills and a healthy attitude towards math can help ensure their health and happiness in the future. Be sure to talk about math, show them how to use it in the real world, real books that involve math, include games and play, use tactile activities, and practice on a daily basis. 

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