Ask a kid what their favorite subject is, and they will probably say recess, lunch, or P.E. When asked about academic subjects, they are likely to say math.
For those who teach math, this is great news. It’s also a lot of pressure. How can you keep students interested in math day after day?
It’s hard to sit and listen to a dry math lesson no matter what grade you’re in. Math can become a chore instead of an engaging activity—for both students and teachers.
The good news is, there’s a lot you can do to spice up your math lessons. Keep reading for 5 exciting tricks for teaching math.
1. Make It Interactive
For students, one of the most exciting ways to learn math is by doing. No matter what the concept is, there’s an excellent chance there’s a way to make it hands-on.
If you’re working with students on basic math operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division), give them objects to manipulate. Small toys or counters work beautifully to allow students to physically add objects or group them to show multiplication.
Another way to make math interactive is to use the students themselves to demonstrate a concept. Students can be classified by any number of properties (hair color, shoes, likes and dislikes, etc.). They can measure height or body parts. They can make shapes with their hands or arms.
2. Use Literature
One of the best ways to teach math is through literature. There are so many great picture books you can use to help illustrate whatever concept you are working on.
Children of all ages love to listen to stories, and this can be a great way to either introduce or reinforce a concept. To get started, here’s a list of books that cover all sorts of topics.
3. Math Games For the Win!
Kids love to play games, and math games can be a great way to practice concepts. Math games can be played in a whole group, a small group, with partners, or solo.
In a whole group, you can practice counting by tens and have the student who gets to say “100” jump up and dance. In a small group, you can have math races. A pair of students can work together to solve a math puzzle.
Students can even play math games on their own using a computer. There are a lot of great sites out there where students can practice a whole range of skills.
4. Cooperative Learning
Often, students are their classmates’ best teachers. Somehow, instinctively, they know how to teach math to each other. Cooperative learning is a great way to make math engaging and meaningful.
Students can work together in small groups or in pairs to solve a math problem. Having strong math students work with students who may struggle with math can benefit both. The stronger students can strengthen their skills by explaining the concepts. Struggling students get a chance to work on the concepts with a peer who may explain things in a new way that clicks.
If you’re looking for great activities students can work on together, check it out!
5. Songs About Math
Songs can be a great way for students to learn math concepts while getting up and moving. You can introduce a new concept with a song or you can practice skills with a song. These tunes can become familiar to students, and they can refer back to them time and time again.
Math songs are also a great way to remind students about concepts they learned at an earlier time as a refresher.
Fun Ways to Teach Math
As you can see, there are many fun ways to teach math. You don’t just have to sit the kids down and demonstrate a concept on the board.
Keep your students engaged and excited about math by trying out one of the tricks above in your next math lesson. When your students are asked their favorite subject, there’s no question they’ll say math!