Improve Your Child’s Maths Foundation With These Techniques

As a parent, you know how critical it is for your child to improve their math foundation. But where do you start? How do you ensure they grasp key concepts instead of just memorising facts? Let us share some proven techniques that can improve math foundation in children. With a bit of effort and creativity on your part, your child can gain the strong base in maths they need to excel both now and later on. Let’s make it happen.

Mastering Basic Arithmetic Operations

Teaching your child addition, subtraction, multiplication and division is fundamental. Focus on one operation at a time, starting with addition and subtraction. Use visual models, like blocks, fingers or a number line, to demonstrate what’s happening. Have your child practise simple problems repeatedly to build on their basic skills and improve math foundation.

Addition and Subtraction

Start with small numbers, like 1+1 or 3-1. Have your child count out blocks or their fingers to physically represent the numbers or draw number lines together to visually show how the numbers change. Give your child simple word problems to solve, like “You have 5 apples and get 3 more apples. How many apples do you have now?” With practice and good visualisation, they’ll get faster at solving these types of problems in their head.

Multiplication and Division

Use arrays, which are objects placed in rows and columns, to model what multiplication means. For example, 3 rows of 2 blocks shows 3 x 2 = 6. For division, have your child separate a group of objects into equal piles. An example of a question to ask would be, “If you have 12 blocks and want to put them into groups of 3, how many groups do you have?” Real-world examples, like figuring out how many 3-person teams can be made from 12 students, also help with visualising the problem.

Don’t forget to praise their efforts and achievements along the way! Building confidence and a positive attitude about math at an early age will benefit them for years to come, and is critical for improving math foundation.

Developing Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills

As a parent, helping your child develop strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills is one of the most valuable things you can do. These skills will serve them well for life and set them up for success in any career path they choose.

An excellent way to boost these skills is through regular practice of challenging word problems. Have your child work through story problems that require them to analyse what’s being asked, figure out what information is relevant, and determine the steps needed to solve it. Start with simpler problems and work your way up to more complex ones as their skills improve.

You should also encourage your child to explain their thinking out loud as they work through problems. This helps reinforce their understanding and gives you insight into their thought process so you can provide guidance. Ask open-ended questions to stimulate their thinking—for example, instead of just asking, “What did you get for the answer?”, ask something like, “What steps did you take to get to that solution?”

Finally, show your child how these skills apply in everyday situations. Discuss how you think through problems at your own work or in managing household tasks. You can set a good example by talking through your own problem-solving process. Help them understand that these abilities are useful for more than just math class!

With practice and patience, your child will get better and better at thinking critically and solving all kinds of problems.

Resources to Improve Your Child’s Math Foundation

Online interactive math games

Interactive math games are a great way for kids to build skills while having fun. Sites like Prodigy Game, DragonBox, and Math vs. Zombies offer games that teach operations, fractions, geometry and more. These games give students instant feedback and rewards to keep them motivated.

Flash Card Apps

Flash card apps are a simple but powerful way for kids to memorise and retain math facts like addition and multiplication tables. Some highly-rated free options include DragonBox, Prodigy Math Game, Matific and Math vs. Zombies. Using flash cards for just a few minutes a day can help build number sense and fluency.

Math manipulatives

Hands-on math tools like base ten blocks, fraction tiles, pattern blocks, geoboards, and tangrams give kids concrete models to represent mathematical concepts. Using manipulatives helps children understand how numbers work, builds problem-solving skills and makes math more engaging. Look for manipulative sets that provide a variety of tools for counting, comparing and constructing shapes, fractions, and more.

These resources can help strengthen your child’s math foundation and set them up for success. Encourage your child to use them regularly, monitor their progress, and provide positive reinforcement to keep them motivated.

Create a Positive Learning Environment

A positive learning environment is essential for building your child’s math foundation. Set up a dedicated space and time for math learning that’s free of distractions. Having supplies like pencils, erasers, scratch paper, calculators and math games easily accessible will make learning more engaging for your child.

Try making math fun by incorporating interactive math websites and apps into their routine. Many are designed like games, with rewards and challenges to keep kids motivated. You can also play simple math card games together, like addition snap or multiplication war.

Create a Growth Mindset

You should also create a growth mindset in your child by praising their efforts and strategies instead of their intelligence. Say things like “You worked hard on that problem” or “I like how you thought about it step-by-step”. 

Most importantly, be patient and encouraging. Stay positive even if your child struggles or makes mistakes. Help them see that math is a skill they can master, not an inherent ability. Your support and guidance will build their confidence and motivation to become independent, lifelong math learners.

Creating the right environment, mindset and motivation will set your child up for success beyond math.

Conclusion

Don’t let maths anxiety hold your child back— with your help and encouragement, they can gain confidence and excel. Maths should be fun, so remember to provide challenges, and celebrate milestones. As a parent, it’s important to plant those seeds now—the arithmetic skills and positive working habits are transferable to other areas of life, and will serve your child well for many years to come.