Highly Useful Math Tips & Tricks

posted on Oct 23, 2024

Gurukul The School, considered the best school in Ghaziabad, India, have observed that most children who dislike Math are unable to perform well in the subject.

Parents, we have a question for you. If we were to ask you to go down the memory lane and think of that one subject that you as a child and your peers back then detested the most, most of you would come back naming Math.

On the face of it, Math isn’t a very tricky subject. At least that is what our years of experience and expertise in the field of education says.

However, we at Gurukul The School, considered the top schools in Ghaziabad, India, have observed that most children who dislike Math are unable to perform well in the subject. If you find your children sailing in the same boat, it is time to say hurray, for we are here to share some useful and practical Math tips and tricks that will soon make your children start adoring this subject. Let's dive in, then?

• Get Your Children a “Ghost Student”:

Before you start thinking of the extremes, let us assure you that this is a simple exercise where your children will have to teach another student the many concepts of Math. Just that this student would be an imaginary one created by you by putting all your creative abilities to the test.

It's more like putting your child in an authoritative position, where they start seeing themselves as capable of teaching someone else, eventually polishing their subject-matter expertise. Let's not forget, most children love to play the "teacher-teacher" game.

• Make a Mess Notebook:

Math is a subject of trial and error. Essentially, there are problems that need to be solved to arrive at a solution. Many times, children are hesitant to mess up their formal notebooks for the fear of being judged or scolded.

This is where we at Gurukul The School recommend getting a messy notebook into play where children can write down their half-cooked mental Math ideas and work around problems making as many mistakes as they would like. While this division looks like a subtle one, the outcome is solid.

• Create a Visual Storyboard:

Most children who detest Math are the ones who face difficulty solving complex Math problems. This is where the visual storyboard can do the trick.

As parents, you will have a pivotal responsibility to play here as you will have to draw the step-by-step visual representation of the Math problem on the storyboard. One of the leading benefits here is that visual depictions ensure better retention by children, making it possible for them to remember complex Math concepts, eventually leading to them falling in love with the subject.

• Include Real Props:

We at Gurukul The School have seen the extent to which 21^st-century students have progressed. Today’s children no longer want to use artificial toys and fruits/vegetables to break down and memorize Math concepts. They are more inclined toward real props such as our day-to-day use currency to understand numbers and related Math functions. This is because real props make them feel like adults, which eventually pleases their mental state further boosting their learning capabilities. Also, it's an add-on when children understand currency, its various denominations, its value, and overall use.

• Focus on the Negatives:

The title of this hack is likely to make you question the suggestion, but trust us when we say this must become your go-to when explaining Math problems to your children.

When breaking down a Math problem, it is common for you to focus on that one right solution, which on some occasions may not be understood by your child. This is where you can try solving the problem incorrectly and then explain to the child why the solution wasn’t arrived at.

When children understand "how it shouldn't be done", "how it should be done" becomes easier. This is a tried and tested Math hack by tutors at Gurukul The School.

• Go the Anti-Clock Way:

Many of you might find it difficult to understand this, but sometimes solving a Math problem in reverse helps clarify a concept in a much simpler way.

All you need to do here is first address the solution and then work your way up through the various steps. Give this a shot and the hack will surprise you.

Math made Merry!!

If you have been struggling to get your children to make merry with Math, we at Gurukul The School, regarded as the best school in Ghaziabad, India, would want you to put the above hacks into play.

Before you dismiss these hacks as the usual, repetitive ones with no successful outcome, we urge you to give this blog post an in-depth read. Make sure you don't overwhelm your children by putting all these tips and tricks into play at once. To make the process enjoyable, you can make chits and get your children to pick one and go about with it as the first Math hack.

Trust us, Math does not have to be Maddening if you know how to make Merry with it!