How to Make Subjects like Math Fun

“What’s your favorite subject?” is something you often hear adults ask young children. Reading, Science, PE, Values are common answers. Very seldom do you hear Math.  

A child who says he likes Math always leaves me impressed because this tells me that the teacher is doing a great job. Teachers become very important role-models for school-age children. To a great extent, a child’s love for learning and discovery will be cultivated in the classrooms. I believe that this is especially true for Math.

In Retrospect
During my early school years, I remember having so much fun counting beads and other objects, making sets, grouping, sorting, doing simple addition and subtraction, and following and making patterns. Until learning the multiplication tables and beginning division, I still enjoyed Math. When we started with word problems everything went downhill from there.

I have always believed that my difficulties with Math were my fault.  I just was not smart enough, I thought. When I did my Masters, however, and was exposed to current research and new methods of teaching, I made a life-changing discovery: My inability to comprehend Math concepts and problems did not have anything to do with my intelligence, but it had everything to do with how these were presented to me.  

Math Need Not Be A Terrifying Subject for Children
Teaching Math can either be exciting or it can be boring. Drills can be tedious and a turn off to most children.  As the teacher or parent teaching Math it is your responsibility to find creative ways to demonstrate these concepts to children and make it applicable to their experiences. The more children are able to see Math in their everyday activities or routines, the more they will appreciate and understand the ideas.  

So use actual and interesting objects when counting, making patterns, or compare sets. Use songs (even if you just make them up) to introduce concepts. Songs entice children to listen and help them retain ideas better.  Make a game out of everything. Children love games and it gives the illusion of play while actually teaching important points.

 

Click here to see suggestions on how to make Math a fun subject.

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Read on for suggestions on how to make Math a fun subject.

 

Here are more suggestions to add excitement into your Math teaching moments:

Logical Thinking Activities:
•    Classify blocks by size
•    Sort crayons, markers, pencils, buttons, keys, coins, pasta, cereal, fabric or paper scraps, marbles, balls, stamps, postcards, jar lids, leaves, shells, playing cards, etc. and explain why
•    Compare sets of objects using more and less

Seriation Activities:
•    Comparing number of sunny days, cloudy days, etc.
•    Arrange toys/things from shortest to longest/smallest to biggest and vice-versa

Measurement Activities:
•    Measure feet, height, length of limbs, other objects around the house using yarn, hands, popsicle sticks, etc.
•    Measure things using different sized containers
•    Build towers with blocks and compare to the length or height of other objects
•    Count the number of steps it takes to get from one point to another; make it fun by pretending to drive a car, row a boat, fly an airplane, et.
•    Measure ingredients for cooking

Shape Activities:
•    Have a shape hunt around the room or look for shapes in a magazine and paste them on a page
•    Trace shapes, then color them in

Numeral Activities:
•    Count how many of each body parts they have. How many noses? How many eyes, ears, chins, fingers, etc.
•    Make number cards using index cards. Set out glue and small objects such as buttons, toothpicks, cotton balls, circle stickers, etc.  Glue matching numbers of small objects on the correct number cards (e.g., 1 toothpick for the numeral 1, 2 buttons for the numeral 2, etc.)
•    Sing counting songs
•    Play fun board games
•    Car games: Play “I Spy the Number”, add up all the numbers on the license plates, count only the red cars, etc.

Pattern Activities:
•    Clap the rhythms of their name or other words
•    Explore patterns in wallpaper, wrapping paper, placemats, and on the street
•    Puzzles

Color Activities:
•    Cut red, yellow and blue circles out of construction paper and place on the floor. Set out red, yellow and blue objects that can be placed inside the matching colored circles
•    Make colored eyeglasses by cutting frames out of board paper or cartolina and glue colored cellophane squares over the eyeholes.  Use red, yellow and blue and combine the colors to make green, orange and purple.  Then attach pipe cleaners or rubber bands to the sides of the frames and fit over the children's ears.


Photography by David Hanson Ong

SOURCES:
•    Schwengel, Kurt. “How to Make Math Fun for Kids”. eHow.com. 15 September 2009. Web. August 2010.
•    Sara Manguiat, Lead Instructor of gymnastics and preschool classes at The Little Gym for 2 years now. She has worked as child photographer and store manager at The Picture Co. After college, she worked as a toddler teacher and had a little bit of theater experience.
•    Moira Bulan-Bunyi, Lead Instructor of gymnastics and preschool classes at The Little Gym for about four years now.  She has a degree in Broadcast Communications and a Masters in Family Life and Child Development from UP.
•    Rosette Robles-Palmario, Lead Instructor of gymnastics and preschool classes at The Little Gym for two years.  She has a degree in International Studies from UE and a Masters in Special Education from De La Salle University.
•    Sarah Gil, Lead Instructor of gymnastics and preschool classes at The Little Gym for five years. She has a degree in International Studies specializing in Communication and Psychology from Ateneo de Mania University and is taking up her Masters in Child Education and Development at the University of Asia and the Pacific.
•    Ann Louise Diokno, Lead Instructor of gymnastics and preschool classes at The Little Gym for four years.  She has a degree in Family Life and Child Development and is taking up her Masters in Education both from the University of the Philippines.