Top 15 Tips Parents Should Remember to Help Their Kids Excel in Math

The advent of calculators is one of humanity's greatest inventions, making calculations simpler than ever. However, for children learning math, excessive reliance on calculators can be harmful. It makes them lazy and slows their cognitive development. Therefore, parents should encourage mental math. Teach your child how to quickly and accurately perform mental calculations.

Additionally, you should regularly check in with your child to ensure they don’t forget their lessons. Once they become proficient in mental math, kids tend to enjoy helping parents with simple calculations in everyday situations.

The assignments given by teachers often serve to reinforce the basic knowledge children learn in class. For this type of homework, parents should encourage their children to develop the habit of tackling problems as soon as they are given. In other words, kids should complete the assignments right away. Additionally, to enhance their math skills, parents can refer to books and find similar or more challenging problems to solve together.

These advanced study sessions with parents will help children solidify their understanding and broaden their problem-solving skills. To keep these study hours engaging, parents should avoid being forceful or rushing the child. Foster self-discipline and create a fun learning atmosphere instead.

"Learning by Doing" – this principle is invaluable for math. When you and your child frequently apply math in real-life situations, the knowledge becomes more deeply ingrained. Parents can turn abstract numbers into meaningful and engaging concepts.

For instance, you can take your child shopping or to the market, asking them to pick and count 20 oranges. Or, if there are 20 oranges in the bag and you remove 5, ask how many are left... As children become familiar with calculations, they’ll find math more enjoyable and see it as a useful tool, not as difficult as they once thought.

If your child’s math performance is not as good as their classmates, don’t worry too much. Their effort will pay off with the right guidance from parents. Instead of scolding or comparing, encourage and advise your child.

You can work through problems with them, starting from the easier ones and gradually progressing to more difficult ones. Be patient and stay by their side so they don’t feel discouraged or think they’re bad at math. Your care and guidance will serve as the motivation for them to improve in math.

Group learning is one of the most effective methods to help children improve quickly in their studies, including math. No matter how good a child is, there will always be concepts they don’t fully understand. Some children are better at numbers, while others excel in geometry. By studying in groups, children can discuss and share their strengths, helping each other with difficult topics and problems.

Additionally, group learning often involves debates over correct answers and the best formulas to use, which helps children grasp the core concepts and retain knowledge for longer. Beyond improving math skills, group learning also teaches children valuable teamwork skills and helps them make lasting friendships.

The way children learn greatly impacts their learning outcomes. If children adopt the right and scientific approach to studying, they can absorb a lot of information in a short amount of time, making problem-solving much easier. On the other hand, if they lack a structured learning method, they may waste time and make mistakes. Therefore, parents should encourage and help their children discover creative learning methods.

Sometimes learning together on YouTube, using online resources, or engaging in math games can make learning more fun and effective.

It's also important that children learn consistently every day to reinforce the knowledge. Cramming should be avoided, as it causes stress, fatigue, and significantly hinders learning ability.

To encourage a love for math and help your child excel, parents can make use of the household calendar. For example, count the days of the week, calculate the time between family members' birthdays, or figure out the number of days until holidays or summer vacation.

These activities will not only help your child solve problems in 1st and 2nd-grade math but also develop a greater passion for learning math.

Nothing strengthens family bonds more than parents setting aside time to help their child with homework or learning at home. Compared to school or additional lessons, having parental support makes learning math feel much more comfortable and accessible for children.

The confidence built through encouragement from parents will become an essential foundation as your child grows.

Many parents are eager for their children to solve math problems quickly and accurately, but forget that young children are just starting to familiarize themselves with math. The most important aspect at this stage is understanding, enjoying, and building a solid foundation. To help your child get comfortable with mathematical thinking, guide them slowly and thoroughly so they can understand and gradually retain the knowledge.

Although mathematics may not be directly applied in everyday life, crucial fields such as economics, science, computing, research, and medicine are all linked to subjects like physics, chemistry, and biology. These subjects, in turn, rely heavily on mathematics. Additionally, math helps in developing critical thinking and stimulates brain growth.

As a result, students will naturally improve their approach to learning math effectively and successfully. For these reasons, parents should clearly explain the importance of math to their children and consistently remind and encourage them to stay focused and dedicated in their studies.

Children generally love games, which is why parents can teach math through games to make the subject more enjoyable and spark a love for math in their children.

Parents can play cooking games with their kids, especially with young girls. Discuss the prices of toy food, then give the child 30,000 to 40,000 VND and ask them to buy dinner for the family. If the child exceeds that amount, they will need to figure out how to adjust their spending. On the other hand, if they have any remaining money, they can calculate how much. For boys, parents can teach math through buying toys such as building blocks or action figures.

Once children master these simple games, parents should encourage them to play more challenging ones that require more math knowledge. Teaching math to children is not hard; parents just need to pay attention to everyday surroundings to come up with math-related thinking games for their children daily.

In learning, children don't always find things easy or comfortable. Particularly with math, as they advance in school, they encounter more difficult and complex concepts. This can lead to frustration, stress, and confusion over certain lessons and exercises. Therefore, parents should regularly ask their children about any difficulties they face when learning math.

However, when children struggle with tough problems, parents should not immediately offer solutions. Instead, they can say, “Let’s read and think of a way to solve this together” or “What do you think would work? I think this… what about you?” If the child still cannot solve the problem, parents should remain calm and avoid scolding or being harsh. They should calmly explain the problem and possibly suggest ways to approach it without causing the child stress or pressure. Sharing and solving math challenges together will help the child regain confidence and motivation to tackle even tougher lessons.

Music and art are often more engaging for children than mathematics. Therefore, teaching math through music is a fantastic approach. Additionally, music can significantly boost your child's mathematical thinking. This method of learning math through music and art can be applied to students of all ages.

Furthermore, enrolling your child in extracurricular classes could also help enhance their cognitive development.

The charm of math lies in the numbers that may seem dry and complicated at first. To help children excel in math, the first step parents should take is to instill a love for numbers and calculations. Engage them in interesting conversations to help them understand the importance of math.

For example, when you take your child to the supermarket, point out the cashier calculating the total. Ask your child to quickly estimate how much 10 eggs would cost, and compare their speed with the cashier’s. Over time, through small real-world exercises like these, your child will develop a passion for math and will become more enthusiastic about learning this essential subject.

Math is defined by formulas, calculations, and clear, precise, accurate numbers—that's what makes it unique. However, these seemingly dry numbers become more interesting when parents teach their children how to approach them with the most effective and scientific methods.

Encourage your child to memorize and accurately recall math formulas, and make sure they regularly practice using them. Only through consistent practice will your child develop and refine their math skills day by day.