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Tips for Learning Maths

by Beverley Paine

With maths, whenever I began to get hopelessly confused I would go back to using concrete materials. Work with counters or blocks or cardboard, or whatever, illustrating what you are doing with pens and paper if necessary. Children 'see' the principles and concepts with their fingers and by moving concrete materials around. Most children are asked to shift to using abstract thinking way too early. Some children continue to count on their fingers all the way up to high school but most are embarrassed and simply give up and fake understanding. A few actually understand but in my opinion they are in the minority. Most of us simply learn the tricks and how to apply them but never really understand what we're doing with numbers and why, even as adults. Using concrete materials for as long as we need to and even occasionally as adults helps us understand the principles and concepts at work. Let children work sums and problems out in their heads and by manipulating real materials for as long as they want to. It really does help.

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The information on this website is of a general nature only and is not intended as personal or professional advice. This site merges and incorporates 'Homeschool Australia' and 'Unschool Australia'.

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