Many elementary students struggle with learning fractions. But with the right information and know-how, you can instill a love of numbers in your child that will help them succeed both inside and outside of the classroom. That's why it's so important to take an individual approach when trying to teach them how to calculate fractions.
Consider
Their Interests
If you can find the place
where your child's interests meet the world of mathematics, they will take to
these new concepts like a fish to water. You can find ways to explain fractions using an activity they have already shown an interest in, and then a seemingly complicated concept like fractions is instantly more familiar and comfortable to them.
1.
Legos
Maybe your child loves to
create things with Legos. If so, you can use this existing interest to easily
explain how fractions work. Use the different colors of their Lego set to give
them a visual representation of a fraction. Then, have them draw and label the
fraction on a blank sheet of paper.
2.
Baseball
If your child has an interest
in America's favorite pastime, you can use it to teach them about fractions.
For instance, you can play a game of catch as a fun way to demonstrate a
real-life example of this skill. Throw the ball x amount of times – keeping track of the number of times you catch and throw the ball on a sheet of paper. After you're done, help your child write down the fraction that represents how many times they caught it compared to how many times it was thrown.
3.
Dominoes
If your family loves game
night – dominoes might be the perfect tool to teach your child about fractions.
Make up your own domino game to sneak in a math lesson with game night.
4.
Pizza
Who doesn't love a hot,
cheesy pizza? But you probably didn't realize how easily you can use it to
teach your kid about fractions. Next time you order a pie, count how many
slices there are and have your child figure out the fractions as it disappears
slice by slice.
5.
Smartphones
Put the "smart" in
smartphone by using it to help your child understand the concept of fractions.
There are a lot of great apps designed to make math both fun and easy for young
students, such as Squeebles.
Bottom
Denominator
Regardless of what subject you're teaching your child, it's important to make it relevant to their everyday experiences. Find something they already enjoy doing, then find a way to teach them about fractions using their unique and pre-existing interests. Elementary students at the Montessori School of Pleasanton are encouraged to use everyday activities to enhance their learning. To learn how to incorporate specific Montessori activities into your home life, contact us today to schedule an appointment with our teachers and staff.