Mathematics is one of the most interesting and fundamental subjects ever. It is also called the Mother of Science. However, it is still a nightmare for a lot of students. This is because some of the concepts are boring or tough, and improper teaching from an early age may cause their foundations to be weak.
There are three things that make learning fun. They are purpose, motivation, and rewards. The trick is to find the right combination of these three for each student and choose the right method to pique their interest and strengthen their foundation at an early age. That is why we have brought six simple but creative ways to teach math to students.
1. Learn from nature
The best way to learn geometry and identify shapes is to go for a walk. This will help the kids get some fresh air while looking at and recognizing different shapes and their concepts.
There are so many shapes found everywhere. A circle or triangle sign on the road, rectangular buildings, right-angle shadows, and many more. You can make kids look at them and recognize these shapes.
Nature can also be helpful in teaching kids counting and basic arithmetic.
2. Use sports to teach math
The best way to learn the concepts of basic arithmetic, statistics, and probability is to go out in the field and participate in sports. After all, sports are all about running, scoring points, predictions, and more. Besides being a good way to stay fit, engaging in sports can also become an amazing learning experience.
Let us take cricket as an example. The concept of probability is used during coin tosses. Fractions are used to calculate averages, run rates, strike rates, and many more. Meanwhile, statistics are used to calculate scores and predict who will win. There are so many things to learn in a single match!
There are different ways in which tutors use sports to teach math. If you are a teacher, you should definitely know them and apply them to your students. It may get them motivated to learn.
3. Take them to shops
Profit, loss, discounts, percentages, and taxes are the chapters in math which we regularly use in our daily life. The best way to teach these concepts to students is to take them to shops where we use them the most.
You can teach them the concepts of discount and percentage by calculating the selling price of commodities, or you can ask them to determine the price per product of bundle packs.
Going to the shop is the best place to apply all three things that make learning fun. You can teach them the purpose of these chapters. You can reward them by buying them snacks or something they like. These two things will motivate them to study and learn more.
4. Tell them math stories
Even though we have talked about teaching mathematics to students by going out in the real world and understanding their application, it is not always possible to do so.
In this kind of situation, the best way to teach them is to tell them stories where you recreate the problem scenario and encourage students to find the best solutions.
You can also enhance the creativity of your students by making them write their own math stories and making their peers solve them.
You can also link literature with mathematics. You can tell a fairy tale like Cinderella or The Red Riding Hood and ask them questions about basic arithmetic like the number of hours left to strike twelve at midnight. In fact, you can add your own pieces of action, which will create different problem-solving scenarios.
5. Teach math by playing video games
Games, who doesn’t like playing video games? Incorporating video games with learning mathematics is the best way to teach students while engaging them in activities they love the most. There are several games like the Math Blaster series and many more, which focus on building the foundations of students. To motivate them even more, you can also reward them for reaching on top of the leaderboard.
A fun fact is that video games are created using mathematics. You need to learn the concepts of geometry, graphs, and functions to develop 2D and 3D shapes and figures. You need to understand matrices, physics, and vectors to develop movements. A lot of things like discrete mathematics and advanced algebra are also used in developing video games. So, if some of your students are motivated towards becoming game developers, you must teach them how gaming and mathematics are related. This will motivate them to learn these concepts well and understand their applications. Don’t forget to reward them for their hard work.
6. Teach math with the help of visual arts
The best way to learn anything is to visualize it. You can implement this same strategy when teaching mathematics.
Videos can help students visualize the problems present in front of them. It will help students understand concepts by using new and easier techniques which could not be taught before using boards and chalks. Students can interact and relate to math videos, which increases engagement. Educational videos also help a lot in distance learning, making them highly useful in this ongoing pandemic. Also, it is easier to remember formulae and concepts when they are taught using visual methods.
If you surf through the internet, you will find a lot of high-quality educational videos on free platforms like YouTube, where people use animation and graphics to teach mathematics.
Wrapping Up
Thus, we conclude our list of simple but creative ways in which you can teach mathematics to students. You should definitely try these techniques to ensure that students develop an interest in math and excel in it.