How to get interested in math?
Many people think that understanding math including definition of zero is a talent. That you have to be born with a certain kind of mind. Ideally, a modern and progressive school education should communicate a simple truth: Mathematics is for everyone. This science is most clearly related to real life, where people travel, buy tickets, travel distances and luggage weight norms, take out loans and mortgages, invest, observe statistics, run businesses, and program.
We tell you how to get kids excited about math in high school, even if the subject didn’t work out in elementary school. Four applied tips for middle school math teachers.
1. Math = reality
Showing the connection between the topics of mathematics and real life is a trite advice that is best used at every opportunity. Especially since mathematical literacy (or the ability to use mathematics in life) is one of the criteria that will be tested by the international PISA study in 2021.
When talking about definition of additive identity and proportions, you might think of recipes: for example, in what ratio do you dilute powdered milk with water? Adding up a roll of toilet paper rolled down a school hallway will help in learning geometric progression. When introducing negative numbers, it is important to remember where they are used: negative can be the balance of a phone, the temperature outside, or even visual acuity. Percentages are better understood with a deposit yield calculator on any of the bank websites.
Usually the teacher has a number of such practical examples of the use of mathematics in life in his methodical piggy bank. To stimulate interest in mathematics, it is important to follow new trends and keep up with reality. To regularly update their examples, it makes sense to share ideas with colleagues in methodological associations in the school or in various professional forums, or, better yet, to involve their students.
2. Adult homework about number bonds sum 8 assignments.
The aim of math lessons is not to solve as many of the tasks in the textbook as possible. It is more important to gain experience which will help future adults not be confused when they have to pay for electricity or calculate the cost of delivering furniture to the second floor of the country house. In other words, to apply mathematics to life.
Therefore, as a homework assignment, you can offer your child, for example, to find an electricity meter at home. What is it: two-rate or three-rate? The student can take readings, write them down, find out the cost of a kilowatt-hour, calculate how much he has to pay, and try to pass the readings.
Another positive effect of such tasks: when children do them, they feel grown-up and responsible. Remember: who as a child was not in a hurry to grow up? Being independent as a teenager is a special kind of fun, and it also raises the level of interest in math.
Other interesting life math problems: ask how to dilute 70% acetic essence so that you get a 9% solution or ask the kids to imagine that they are flying to another city and distribute between the luggage compartment and hand luggage a suitcase, laptop bag, box and ficus by reading the airline rules.
3. Tricks + Ciphers.
In order to help kids love math, it’s important to use playful methods, whatever age the kids are. For example, you could show the kids a math trick. And then work out together whether it’s magic or math, and how exactly it works.
To spark interest in math, you can have a “spy” lesson: come up with a cipher with the class based on mathematical calculations and exchange messages. You can share the cipher with your colleagues or leave a secret message to the kids in a WhatsApp chat.
4. Numbers * “digital.”
The current generation loves gadgets. Therefore, almost any task to be done online, a priori more interesting than the one that should be written in a notebook. And information from the screen of modern children is perceived better.
