Your second-grade child is fast-growing and developing more confidence and understanding of their school routines and expectations. This is a stage where they are also developing independence and self-discovery. Children also begin to deepen their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. These growth qualities are essential for a 2nd to thrive in many school subjects, especially when you want to develop your confidence in Math.
Second-grade math can be challenging to some students, even for children who did not have any difficulties beforehand in math. In the second grade, children get introduced to conceptual math for the first time. This requires them to pause and think about their thinking and understand steps to manifest the answer. Math vocabulary also expands and expects a deeper understanding of concepts such as place value, addition, and subtraction of two and three-digit numbers to 1000 and beyond. In first grade, manipulatives are often used to solved complex problems, but second-grade students must step away from manipulatives and gain greater mental math capacity. For example, they can’t use their figure to add and subtract anymore! For the second-grader to gain the confidence and independence needed to thrive in Math. The following tips will help parents achieve the goal.
Actively Participate in Math’s Activities and Games
Joining in on math activities and games is a great way to understand how math is being taught to your 21st Century child. Gone are the days where Math is taught with tricks and just a technique. Math is a whole new field, and many parents find themselves confused about how to support their child as earlier as first grade. Engaging together on math platforms like Khanacedamy.com or games is a great way for parents and children to learn together. I’ve spent many parent conferences, phone calls, etc., with a parent telling me stories about how their child is frustrated at home because “mom or dad are teaching me wrong and Mrs. M didn’t show us that way.” When children engage in skills that they are good at, being challenged by that same skills also becomes exciting to push through and master the process, that becomes a win-win! So enjoy a Math Game Night!
Math! I love it! Change Household Math Language!
Think about your first impression of math. Was it a positive experience? Did you hear the adults around you speaking about math positively or how great it was to learn math. Most often, Math is approached with the OMGosh feeling, will I get this! Give math the same weight as other subjects in school and model how math is everywhere from time, money, cooking, and so much more. While you may not love math or feel suitable to teach math to your child, there’s no reason to create a Math love language in your household. The key idea for parents here is to understand that math develops the mind, logic, and the most significant muscle a child can take into adult life: PERSEVERANCE. Add a reading night with your child: about math, such as “On Beyond a Million: Amazing Math Journey” by Schwartz and “Millions of Cat” by Gag Wanda.
Purchase with Real Money and Coins
Kids are used to seeing their parents pay with debit and credit cards, more than they see them use cash to purchase products or services. Engage your kid in money transactions by going with them to the store and allowing them to pay some money and count change. This will help your child develop real-life experience with math skills, and at the same time, you will improve their understanding of spending and saving money.
Math in Everyday Objects
You can improve the practicability of math to your 2nd grader by introducing them to both digital and analog clocks and everyday objects that contain math and numbers. This will help them read the time on both clocks, improving their counting ability. Such practicability will make math a familiar subject; hence they will develop more confidence in class. For example, use measuring cups for everything in the kitchen and cut our dinner meats and or veggies into factions. You can also use calendars to enhance their familiarity with numbers to do different calculations of days. Math is in our everyday objects!
Cooking Lesson Anyone?
Create a math cooking night where everything you do is discuss in math vocabulary terms. Integrating math into your cooking procedures takes the fear and worries of math abilities right out of the process. For example, you can speak of math when baking or cooking. Talk to your child about the minutes required to cook or bake, and ensure that they figure out the time of cooking most of the foods. Discuss which recipes need more time and which ones require less time to cook. Let them participate in mixing recipes and understand simple fractions. The practicability of such exercises will make them develop a love for math, which eventually will translate to confidence in the subject.
Teach your Child Sequencing and Patterns
You can develop sequencing skills by asking your kid to list down things, such as listing down her classmates’ sitting order in the classroom. You can also ask your child to outline simple procedures such as how to prepare a simple meal. Finally, engage your child in activities such as arranging sticks to make different shapes to improve their math skills. These activities will make math practical and honest and eventually enhance their understanding and confidence in the subject.
Final Quiz!
Math plays such a huge role in a child’s school life, both academically and Social-Emotionally. We all will need to overcome obstacles in life that will develop that internal powers. BUT that doesn’t mean we can not have a positive attitude when we feel challenged in life. In truth, there’s an incredible feeling when we feel like we have pushed past difficulty and gained strength from it. Expressing joy when we feel challenged as adults will translate to our child a message that it is possible! Here at Kids on the Yard, we bring math understanding and a love for math that turns our children into lifelong learners.
