Tips for Sharpening Your Children’s Math Skills

(StatePoint) Math is often a student’s most challenging subject. And if your kids aren’t keen on it, it may not have anything to do with their natural aptitude, but that they could simply be lacking the tools they need to succeed.

There are many ways parents can help children do better in the classroom and unleash their math potential. After all, today’s crowded classrooms don’t always allow teachers the time to deliver a personalized approach to math instruction — a subject where it is especially needed.

Reinforcing math concepts at home goes beyond improving grades, as elementary math skills are essential for success in the real world and are the basis for more advanced concepts. As more jobs require a solid math foundation, getting kids excited early is more important than ever.

Math in the Real World

Education does not just need to happen inside the classroom. Draw on the connections between math, which is all around us, and your children’s interests.

For example, if you’re at the ballpark, use the time between hot dogs and cracker jacks to calculate batting averages and other vital statistics. Go bowling and let your children work out the score. Or take a trip to the park to reinforce the concepts of percentages and ratio. For example, have your children determine the percentage of people in the park walking dogs, or the ratio of boys to girls on the playground.

Go Digital

If you’re looking to squeeze extra math instruction and practice into a busy schedule, think about capitalizing on your children’s love for mobile technology. Kids can use digital math worksheets on iPads to solve problems just as they would on paper, at home or on-the-go.

Programs like Tabtor for example, an iPad-based e-learning program with personalized math tutoring uses highly visual and interactive worksheets to keep kids engaged and can help pinpoint where students are struggling, not just whether they got the correct answer.

Such technologies are being used in the classroom to unburden teachers of manually tracking student progress. And now, parents are catching on at home, using Tabtor as a unique, affordable and convenient math tutor service that provides personalized attention, feedback from a dedicated instructor and a reward system that makes learning fun. More information and access to a free trial can be found at www.Tabtor.com.

Be Vigilant

Once a student falls behind in math, playing catch-up is tough, as math concepts are not stand alone facts, but ideas that build off one another. Stay vigilant by regularly reviewing test scores. This is a good way to determine where students need extra help. An at-home digital tutoring program that delivers regular reports on student progress can help you effectively monitor the situation.

Whether your children are gifted math students looking to go above and beyond their grade level and school curriculum, or need extra help with their school work, parents can play a key role in sharpening the skills they need to achieve their goals.