Why teaching Math isn’t enough in homeschooling

Math is though. I totally get it. And now, you have to teach it to your kids. Ugh. That is probably not what you prefer.

But learning Math (or at least being proficient in it) is such an important skill that it cannot and should not be ignored!

The truth is that Math is a very important subject because children absolutely NEED to be able to be comfortable with mathematical thinking.

Research has shown that a child’s performance in math and their mathematical knowledge in kindergarten will be very telling on how they will perform in other academic skills, such as reading and concentration.

Let’s talk about why teaching Math isn’t enough in homeschooling.

Math Activities

Let’s face it, even if we don’t like math, we have it slapping us in the face daily and multiple times from the beginning of the day until we go to bed!

We have to do math to see how many times we can hit the snooze button, use measurement to make a recipe, calculate how much our groceries will cost, pay bills, and so much more.

Math is part of our daily lives. This is the same for our kids. This is why it is beneficial to use all of the opportunities we have to help children practice math in daily life events.

Not only will they become more independent in real life, but they will be more confident and readier for math in educational settings (school or homeschool).

Math Topics for Kids

Here are some (not all) topics that kids learn during their formative years:

• counting
• measurement
• data
• cardinality
• telling time
• algebraic thinking
• addition
• base 10
• subtraction
• measurements
• multiplication
• division
• fractions
• skip counting
• number names
• geometry

Math can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be

Is it daunting for you to teach these to your kids? You don’t have to! Talk to your kids about math topics whenever you have a chance.

Talking about it in an informal way will be less daunting to you and for them, too.

Why?

Because they are watching you. Once you become more comfortable with math, they will see it and sense it.

As a result, they will be more confident when it comes to math, too.

Research has also looked into this. They say that talking about math informally gives children confidence.

Cool Math is Awesome

Even if your children aren’t very good at math, your lack of patience will be obvious to them. 

It will contribute to them getting discouraged and not wanting to try anymore.

This is why it is so important to let your kids know that you believe in them.

Teach them, along with math, the character traits of perseverance, diligence and patience.

Both you and your kids will have a better outlook on math topics and you will become great problem-solvers (literally!).

One of the ways to do this is to focus on the problem-solving aspect of math problems over focusing on getting the right answers.

And another key element is to tell your kids that it is ok to make mistakes! We only learn from our mistakes and it is perfectly fine to make them.

Weird, right? But try it! You will find that it is true. See it as solving a mystery together!

Cool Math Games & Lessons

I know that changing the way you do things can take time. But that doesn’t mean that it is wrong or that it shouldn’t be tried.

Now, let me introduce you to an idea that might make you cringe, but could be the catalyst to change math in your home.

Consider hands-on math!

Yup. There. I said it.

Yes, I am aware that saying to you that you should try hands-on math involves manipulatives that cost money, take up a lot of room and make a mess.

But they work in pretty much all cases.

Why?

Because most kids are a mix of visual and kinesthetic learners.

They learn both by seeing and touching.

Hands-on math helps children rationalize the problems for them to understand how to solve them more easily.

And not only that, but hands-on activities are ingrained in their memories, so they can remember how problems were solved and make it a part of them.

Numbers, Counting and Math Bundle

And speaking of hands-on math, I want you to take a look at the Best Math And Numbers Resources At Your Fingertips! 

Get this bundle at 95% off, but HURRY!

This bundle is only open from January 22-27, 2020!

It has 64 incredible resources for kids who are in preschool and kindergarten.

This includes Montessori Math worksheet sets and printables!

These resources are foundational to help children learn:
✅ Counting and one to one correspondence
✅ Shapes, patterns, and foundational geometry skills
✅ Graphing, measuring, and sequencing
✅ Addition and Subtraction
✅ How to write numbers correctly
✅ And so much more!

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