Guiding your child to understand maths
According to the World Economic Forum’s global information report of 2016, South Africa was ranked 137 out of 139 countries for its quality of maths and science education.
The report ranked South Africa’s mathematics and science education lower than Nigeria, Mozambique and Malawi.
With these statistics and the worry that their children are not getting the best maths education in South Africa, parents are looking for ways to boost their children’s mathematics skills at home.
Parents will often try a number of methods to improve their child’s numeracy skills, such as- extra tuition and maths-based games.
These methods are very effective and helpful, but there are also plenty of everyday household activities that one can do to improve their child’s understanding of numeracy.
Here are a few activities that you can do at home to improve your child’s numeracy skills
Food shopping
Comparing prices of items, discussing nutritional information and discussing budgeting will help your child to understand the importance of maths, numbers and quantities. It will help them to understand the value of money and the simple functions of mathematics.
Cooking and Baking
Cooking and baking is an ideal way to practice maths in the home. By following recipe instructions, children can learn all about quantities, fractions, temperatures and cooking times.
Keeping track of time
Buy your child a digital or analogue watch and teach them how to tell the time. Teach them to keep to the household schedule, such as eating breakfast on time and leaving the house on time for school. These exercises will allow your child to be aware of the time of day and the length of activities.
Feeding pets
You child can help with feeding the pets- a fish may only need to be fed once a day, while a dog or guinea pig may need to eat two to three times a day. The amount of food also depends on the body weight of the pet. This exercise can develop measuring skills and create an awareness of time.
Counting items in the home
Household tasks require sharing out of items and counting. Encourage your child to help you set the table, counting cutlery and plates, sharing out bread rolls, or cutting the cake into eight slices. They can also help with general tasks such as pairing socks or distributing pocket money.
By Liesl Silverman
Photo credit: Freepik.com
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