Tips to Make Math Enjoyable

Mar 08, 2024 • Math

Math is generally thought of as being the toughest school subject. However, the reality isn’t that simple. According to poll results, more students enjoy it than despise it.

But love it or hate it, understanding it is a key part of not only school but also of life.

In life, students may never again need to calculate the circumference of a circle; however, basic math skills such as multiplication, division, and percentages are needed skills throughout life.

Perceptions Matter

Whether students perceive the subject to be easy or difficult influences their performance. Not surprisingly, parents’ perceptions strongly influence their child’s performance. A series of studies show that parent influence has the biggest impact on student attitudes, surpassing even teacher influence.

Basically, when students have a positive attitude about math at home, it translates to a positive attitude in school. This, in turn, impacts math performance.

So how can students and parents adopt a positive subject attitude and work toward making it enjoyable? Check out these tips to change perceptions and build better math skills.

Tips to Make Math Fun

1. Don’t Give Up. Adopting a growth mindset is key to understanding that not everything comes easily and that working at something can bring rewards.
2. Don’t Miss Class. Math is cumulative (concepts build upon one another), so missing one class can mean falling behind.
3. Work With Friends. Friends can offer different ideas and approaches to solving complex problems, explain concepts differently, and share notes and strategies.
4. Ask Questions. Speak up when a concept is not understood.
5. Seek Solutions Online. Practise challenging problems online or with an app.
6. Review Work. Analyze and understand mistakes to avoid repeating them.
7. Build Basics. Keep working on the basic skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. These skills are the foundation, and feeling confident in these skills will translate into confidence in other skills.
8. Play. Board games or apps can make learning more interactive than a textbook.
9. Get Help. Seeking extra help at the first sign of struggle is key.

Math Tutoring at Oxford Learning

Reading is the foundation of all learning, including in math. When reading skills are weak, it can influence student math performance. At Oxford Learning, our custom programs help student build stronger basic skills while also building reading comprehension. Understanding what a question is asking is the first step to finding the solution. Get better math grades with help from Oxford Learning.

Find a location and enrol today!