The younger child learns through play. This is a well-known fact that prompts many fun ideas in preschool educators; but once children hit elementary school, the fun tends to slowly diminish over time. Hands on projects are replaced with worksheets that display fewer and fewer pictures as kids make their way into higher grades.
Because math is a difficult subject for many children to grasp, keeping the fun alive may just be a way to assist students in their quest for knowledge. Realizing that not all children learn in the same manner, it makes sense to pepper your math lessons with audio and visual tools. For some elementary aged children, there is a need to be very hands on for learning and retention to occur.
For the teacher who presides over 20 or so squirming second graders, it can be a bit scary to consider introducing new lessons that may get out of hand. Classroom control is always in the forefront of the elementary teacher’s mind; and rightfully so. However, an outdoor lesson that is engaging and fun can hold students’ attention even better than a lesson in which they are sitting quietly at their desks.
To keep children engaged, give them real-life objects to use for counting. This could be stickers, gold coins or skittles if they have been very good. Kids enjoy counting objects that are interesting and familiar. Colorful objects can be mentally stimulating and kids get a kick out of the novelty. A teacher can make changes to objects used for counting throughout the year as a way to consistently challenge students and hold their attention.
When teaching about money, it makes a difference what you use. Whenever possible, use real money to teach about this subject. Handling money is a real-life skill, and for children to adequately grasp and retain information, it helps to use real-life objects as much as possible.
It is always essential for a teacher to relate with their students. This is true regardless of the subject being taught. Fun math will include kids’ interests. This is why using small snacks such as colored candies, grapes, pretzels or marshmallows goes over so well with younger students. Planning a fun math lesson that includes snacks can be a great end of the week treat to reward children for a week of positive classroom behavior. Kids also love sports; which allows a teacher to utilize some of their favorite sports when teaching statistics.
Word problems prove to be a real challenge for many students. A teacher can help by creating fun word problems that students can relate to. For instance, use the name of a student in the word problem, and a real-life situation that student may encounter. “Sally had three pickles in her sandwich and ate two...”
Kids and math can be a great mix with a little planning and a focus on the fact that children learn through play. These tips for fun math can be used effectively throughout elementary school and even into junior high.
Because math is a difficult subject for many children to grasp, keeping the fun alive may just be a way to assist students in their quest for knowledge. Realizing that not all children learn in the same manner, it makes sense to pepper your math lessons with audio and visual tools. For some elementary aged children, there is a need to be very hands on for learning and retention to occur.
For the teacher who presides over 20 or so squirming second graders, it can be a bit scary to consider introducing new lessons that may get out of hand. Classroom control is always in the forefront of the elementary teacher’s mind; and rightfully so. However, an outdoor lesson that is engaging and fun can hold students’ attention even better than a lesson in which they are sitting quietly at their desks.
To keep children engaged, give them real-life objects to use for counting. This could be stickers, gold coins or skittles if they have been very good. Kids enjoy counting objects that are interesting and familiar. Colorful objects can be mentally stimulating and kids get a kick out of the novelty. A teacher can make changes to objects used for counting throughout the year as a way to consistently challenge students and hold their attention.
When teaching about money, it makes a difference what you use. Whenever possible, use real money to teach about this subject. Handling money is a real-life skill, and for children to adequately grasp and retain information, it helps to use real-life objects as much as possible.
It is always essential for a teacher to relate with their students. This is true regardless of the subject being taught. Fun math will include kids’ interests. This is why using small snacks such as colored candies, grapes, pretzels or marshmallows goes over so well with younger students. Planning a fun math lesson that includes snacks can be a great end of the week treat to reward children for a week of positive classroom behavior. Kids also love sports; which allows a teacher to utilize some of their favorite sports when teaching statistics.
Word problems prove to be a real challenge for many students. A teacher can help by creating fun word problems that students can relate to. For instance, use the name of a student in the word problem, and a real-life situation that student may encounter. “Sally had three pickles in her sandwich and ate two...”
Kids and math can be a great mix with a little planning and a focus on the fact that children learn through play. These tips for fun math can be used effectively throughout elementary school and even into junior high.
Emily Suess, who loves creating lanyards and a graduate of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, writes about recent school trend topics like conference tips and college issues. She has worked for over seven years as a freelance writer/editor and is now focusing on early childhood education. Her works have been published in Children’s Digest magazine and Indiana Insight magazine as well as on the web.
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