You might have often heard your child refusing to do their math homework or showing a dislike for the subject. More often than not, this is because your child might either be struggling to understand core math concepts or finding it difficult to solve math problems. This is where parents can step in and help children with their math skills. With online math tutoring and by using the strategies mentioned below, you can slowly help your child develop a positive attitude toward math and see it as an exciting challenge rather than a chore.

With patience, persistence, and creativity, you can inspire your child to embrace math and all its opportunities. Let’s discover six practical ways to encourage and motivate your child to do math when they don’t want to.

6 Effective Strategies to Use When Children don’t Want to do Math

1. Make Math Relevant to Daily Life

By showing real-life examples on how math is relevant to their daily life, you can make it evident to your child that math is not just limited to textbooks, but is an essential skill for navigating the world around them. Here’s how:

  • Help your child recognize the presence of math in their daily routines and surroundings.
  • Point out instances where math is utilized, such as telling time, calculating distances, or estimating quantities.
  • Involve them in activities like measuring ingredients while cooking, determining the correct change when shopping, or reading graphs and charts in newspapers or magazines.
  • Help your child see the relevance of math by presenting them with real-world math problems that they can relate to. For example, ask them to calculate the total cost of groceries at the supermarket or determine the best deal when comparing prices of different products.
  • Encourage critical thinking, data analysis, and decision-making skills by involving them in activities like budgeting, planning trips, or organizing events.

Example: “We’re planning a pizza party. How many pizzas should we order to ensure everyone gets an equal number of slices? Let’s use math to figure it out.”

2. Provide Hands-on Math Experiences

By incorporating hands-on experiences, you can make math more concrete and enjoyable for your child while reinforcing their math skills. Here’s how:

  • Engage your child in hands-on math experiences that can greatly enhance their understanding and retention of math concepts.
  • Encourage them to participate in activities that involve measurement, estimation, and spatial reasoning, such as cooking, baking, or constructing models.
  • Use manipulatives like blocks, measuring tools, or household objects to make math tangible and interactive. For instance, have them measure ingredients while following a recipe or build geometric shapes using blocks or play dough.

Example: “Let’s bake some cookies together. We’ll need to measure the ingredients accurately, follow the recipe, and adjust the measurements to make more or fewer cookies.”

3. Gamify Math Learning

By gamifying some math concepts, you can make teaching math fun while reinforcing important math skills and concepts. Here’s what you can do:

  • Make math learning engaging and interactive by incorporating math games and activities into your child’s everyday routine.
  • Explore online platforms or mobile applications that offer educational math games aligned with their grade level.
  • Play board games that involve strategic thinking, problem-solving, and math concepts.

Example: “Hey, let’s play a fun math games called Math Memory! It’s a game where we test our math skills while trying to match pairs of math problems and solutions. Are you ready?”

4. Celebrate Math Achievements

When you celebrate your little one’s achievements, you instill a positive attitude towards math and reinforce their belief in their abilities. Here’s what you can do:

  • Recognize and celebrate your child’s achievements and progress in math, no matter how small.
  • Display their math work or accomplishments in a prominent place to boost their confidence and motivation.
  • Offer praise and rewards for their efforts and improvements in math skills.

Example: “You did an amazing job solving that complex math problem! Your perseverance and problem-solving skills are commendable. Let’s celebrate your achievement together!”

5. Be a Math Role Model

Demonstrate your enthusiasm and curiosity for math. Here’s what you can do: 

  • Share how you use math skills in your profession or daily life.
  • Engage in math-related discussions and problem-solving activities with your child to show them the value and relevance of math.
  • Encourage open-ended conversations about math concepts and allow them to ask questions and explore their ideas.

6. Seek Online Math Tutoring

By leveraging the expertise of online math tutors, you can provide your child with the extra help they need to overcome their math struggles. Here’s how online math tutoring can help your child:

  • Online math tutoring can help your child with complex math concepts by providing effective math strategies, tips, and tricks and simplifying the concept.
  • Online math tutoring provides personalized instruction and targeted guidance tailored to your child’s specific needs.
  • Qualified math tutors can address your child’s challenges, clarify misconceptions, and provide step-by-step explanations.
  • They can also offer additional practice materials and resources to reinforce learning and build confidence in math.

It’s essential to address the challenges children face when they don’t want to do math. Using the above six tactics, you can help your child overcome their math struggles and develop a positive attitude towards math. 

Remember, every child is unique, so it may require patience and experimentation to find the best strategies for your child. With your support and encouragement, they can develop the confidence and skills needed to excel in math and beyond.

If you need help in online math tutoring, explore the reliable option of BYJU’S Math Companion. With qualified tutors, personalized learning, 1-on-1 sessions, and a wealth of interactive resources, it offers transformative support for your child’s math education. 

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