Why Kids Struggle to Solve Math Problems
To be honest, it is pretty common to find young kids have issues with certain subjects.
As Dr. Jordan Peterson says, “Children are nothing but potential”, they experiment with a lot of things.
Math for kids being an important skill, cannot be overlooked in this case. If your kid struggles for a prolonged time, it is time to assess the problems. You cannot turn a blind eye as math is the core for a lot of the modern-day skills. With that being said, here are 5 signs that show your kid seriously has a problem with learning math.
5 Critical Signs that Shows Your Kid is Facing Problem
To help you out, all 5 of these signs are pretty obvious and you will find out very soon once you monitor how your kids approach to solve math problems.
- Kids forget their fundamentals
You will recognize this when they take tests and do their math worksheets. Their grades dip, they cannot be as bright as they are in other classes. Math is the only subject where your kid has to stay in touch with the fundamentals. A good number of kids barely remember them but they get away when they move to high school.
But if your kid still struggles to solve basic math problems, they are in trouble and you should make adjustments.
- All grades look fantastic except math
Your kid presents the report card. Everything looks almost perfect except for math. It seems math never got attention from your kids and it is the absolute truth. No matter how much your kid spends time learning math, it just doesn’t work. Their grades barely show any improvement in tests find math problems to be problems themselves.
- Your kid can’t do mental math
Seeing numbers and solving math problems in math worksheets is different. Mental math is essential and this will become evident when your kids struggle with it. You will find your kid cannot relating math with real-life problems. If they cannot relate what is in the books to what is outside, they cannot do mental math. It could also be Dyscalculia where your kid struggles to calculate, interpret, estimate, and relate to numbers. Even though the chances are narrow, not able to do mental math is a serious issue itself.
- Your kid’s mind wanders away from math
Does your kid get anxious and afraid about math lessons and math worksheets? Do they fear of getting poor grades in their tests?
This is not normal and it is a reflection of the difficulties that they face solving math problems. It could be ADHD and if it is, you must consult a doctor and act accordingly.
- Your kid develops an aversion towards math
If you notice this sign then Houston, we have a problem. When your kid comes and tells you that math class was boring or they hate it when they have math class, that is not a joke.
Your kid finds it hard to learn math and tries to find ways to avoid it. It is not a surprising thing if your kid is caught cheating in their math tests. They just want to get over with it.
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5 Ways for Kids to Solve Math Problems Effectively
Now you have diagnosed that your kid does not do well in math. You identified it early and do not want to avoid it anymore. Well, here are 5 ways to help your kid to learn math.
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Choose an online course for extra support
Unlike school where every child learns at the teacher’s pace, your kid takes math lessons at their own pace. Present your kids with specialized online math courses and start practicing. Unlike their school curriculum, these math courses target where your kid feels weak and work on them. Online math courses are great support for your kids to excel in school and help them understand the true power of math.
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Hire an online tutor
As we have come across a pandemic, everyone feels skeptical to send their kids to separate math classes. This is why should consider an online math tutor for your kids.
Why?
Well, contactless teaching might be one thing but learning from an online math tutor brings great benefits:
- You have a person to whom your kids can explain what they are not comfortable with. It could be algebra, trigonometry, or statistics and their math tutor can focus on that.
- Math tutors can track your kid’s progress and make adjustments right away.
- Bringing in a math tutor offers a new perspective and breaks the monotony of school teaching.
- You get some time off. You need it and your kid definitely needs it.
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Introduce them to maths games
Honestly, math classes for a long time can be boring if they just work on paper. A great change would be to introduce online math games. Can they help your kid get better at learning math? 100 percent. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics recommends math games for your kids and you better give it a try. They build the ability to solve problems, develop better approaches, find it relaxing and engaging than their school math worksheets. MathPlayground is a free online gaming option for your kids that has from grade 1 to grade 6. For smartphones, Monster Math is a free and easy option. To take this one-notch up, take math games that are dedicated to improving your kid’s accuracy in solving problems. The goal is to make your kid fearless to learn math and these mental math games serve the purpose.
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Consistency will reap its benefits
Once you have a map, it is time to start moving. An hour a day or a module a day will help them learn math and stay in touch. In fact, introduce math problems frequently every day.
The more frequent they involve in maths activities, the better they become. Abacus courses are a great option to build fast and accurate computational thinking. Studies show better neural pathway connectivity when your kids use an abacus. That proves abacus also helps your kid’s brain development. How can you deny that?
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Stop pushing and help them learn math
Once you find out that your kid struggles to learn math, it is time to take a step back from your current approach. They want to learn math in a different way and considering their slow learning, you need to help them rather than push them for better results. The goal is to master the craft and not grades and every parent has to understand.
The final verdict
“He who knows the why can bear any how”. Fredrich Neitzche said that and that applies here very well. You know the importance of learning math in your kid’s mental and career development and now you have the strategy to approach the difficulty they are facing. It will bear its fruit and soon or later your kid will become a prodigy in math.
