If any of your children are studying Grade 3 math, one of your primary concerns should be helping them master the subject. After all, math is an essential skill they need forever. Whether they compute their monthly budget, pay taxes, balance checkbooks, etc., they need proficient arithmetic skills to sail through life.
Why Study Math at Home?
Getting into a habit of reviewing and practicing math will help your young kids love this subject. After all, they only fear and dread what they cannot understand. Additionally, providing a helping hand also means you prepare your kids to cope with more complex math problems. Let’s face it, the older they get, the harder the topics will become.
Practicing good study habits when kids are young will set them on a path to success. Just keep in mind that kids develop math skills at different paces. Some children pick up new math concepts in one go. In the meantime, others will need more time to process lessons. As such, those kids who struggle need more assistance and practice to catch up. Take a look at the following tips, which you can do at home, to help children master Grade 3 math.
Practice With Fun Workbooks
It would help if you used fun Grade 3 math workbooks made by professional math educators. They are packed with worksheets that match your children’s level. This means you provide enough challenges to foster critical thinking; at the same time, you reinforce concepts.
Because the materials suit their level, your kids won’t readily feel frustrated with math problems that are too complex. Consider purchasing math ebooks because they provide so many benefits like:
- Offers convenience because you can print as many worksheets as you want
- Gives you an answer key so you can cross-check your children’s progress.
- Fosters critical thinking and analytical skills with age-appropriate topics.
- Provides many interesting challenges that make learning fun.
- Accords supplementary support for subjects learned in school.
- Paves the way for mastery with diverse activities.
Think of Fun Games and Activities
Today, a lot of people, including adults, stress over math. If you don’t want your kids to grow up dreading numbers, then you need to make it fun for them right from the start. It would be best if you modeled positive behavior by showing math is not a subject to fear.
In fact, make them understand knowing basic Grade 3 math skills will help them succeed as adults. Instead of just doing standard paperwork, think of fun activities and games you can do with your children. Make it a multi-sensorial experience because studies show the more senses used to learn a topic, the better they learn. For example, you can try the following engaging techniques:
- Try visualizing patterns and numbers with beads and cereals.
- Use colored cubes and stacking tiles to teach multiplication and division.
- Draw math problems instead of just looking at the numbers.
- Teach with pizza slices when explaining about fractions.
- Make charts and fun tables using their favorite things.
Incorporate Real Life Learning
Children tend to dread subjects that they see have no real-life application. When you analyze it, if you just stick to the same numbers over and over again, it can get pretty boring. Hence, you must prioritize showing how math works in real-life situations. Ask your children to help you solve basic math problems when you go out like finding out how many apples you can buy with $20 or helping you calculate change.
Furthermore, you must be creative. For instance, instead of learning fractions from a book, demonstrate how it works by making several mini cakes. Use various measuring cups, and then later on slice the cakes into various sizes. Through this, they can have a tangible example of what 1/4, 1/3, or 1/2 looks like. When your children can see the actual value of math, they will be more interested in studying it. If they appreciate the concepts and see how they can apply it, the lessons provide more enrichment.
Use Tech Tools To Help
If your children are struggling with Grade 3 math problems, you can use interactive digital solutions. Try various apps and software to help reinforce skills. You’ll even find many Youtube videos that thoroughly explain challenging concepts. Sometimes, the ones on the videos are even kids, so your children will be more receptive. When they see a fellow kid is explaining, they feel motivated to get things done because someone their age can. By leveraging technology, you can reduce your children’s stress and help them figure out what’s wrong.
Open Communication Lines
It is common for kids to struggle with Grade 3 math or other learning areas. One thing you can do to address the problem is open communication lines. When kids get low scores, they feel frustrated. But when they know you won’t get angry, they feel more inclined to discuss their problems.
Talks things out to find out what’s wrong so you can offer solutions. You can also share your own experiences as a child when you were confused with new math concepts. Now is the time to assure your kids that everyone struggles at one point. And not getting it right the first time means they are dumb. Above all, don’t forget to assure your kids that with practice, they can also become better at math. After all, as the famous motto says: practice makes perfect.
Final Wrap Up
As the parent, it is your duty to give your children age-appropriate math activities. If you see your child excelling, provide better stimulation with advanced problems. In the meantime, if your kid is struggling, you need to provide intervention so they can practice and master new concepts. Helping your children understand math with creative methods results in a more fun learning experience.
Above all, don’t forget to remind your children that math doesn’t just pertain to numbers. The world around them is built on mathematical concepts. By studying math, they hone their logic, reasoning, analytical, and critical thinking skills. As such, when faced with challenges in the future, they won’t readily crumble. They can be calm amidst adversity because they’ve toughened their minds with daily math reviews.
