Have you ever tried explaining a mathematical concept to your children, but they just couldn't understand no matter the approach you took? If so, you are definitely not alone. It is quite common for parents to try every method they can think of teaching their child, but still get that confused look on the child's face. At this point, some parents may get frustrated and even yell at their child. If your child does not understand what you are teaching him or her, it is generally best to take a math break.
Taking a math break.
Take the time to think of other ways to teach your child the concept.
Do some research online to discover methods that other parents and educators are using to help their students with math, and try some of them out when you reconvene with your child. A good resource on how other parents are addressing this issue, filled with lot's of references, can be found at this "33 Easy Ways Parents Can Help Their Kids With Math At Home" article.
Knowing when to end the lesson is an important part of keeping your child interested in mathematics. We certainly do not want our children to view learning math as a miserable experience. Learning should be a fun, fulfilling experience. If your math break is over an extended period of time, consider engaging your child with other mathematical activities including math games and math puzzles.
Use math tutorials.
Another alternative is to find online tutorials that your child can watch so you can take a break while someone else explains the concept to them. With this method, your child can watch the tutorial several times and go at their own pace. There are several good resources available online, and while you're here, you can find some free tutorials in our resources section. A subscription is required to access all our tutorials, but the free ones we offer may be of help to you.
Talk about math at home.
If a child is already struggling with mathematical concepts, this struggle will most likely not be overcome in a few of days. One way to start the process of overcoming this struggle is to find a way to talk about math at home whenever the opportunity presents itself. By no means should this be an exhaustive process, simple analogies such as 'sharing with siblings' being similar to a division problem, or 'taking groceries out of the car' being similar to a subtraction problem are a good place to start in helping your children embrace mathematical concepts. While your at-home math examples are unique to your experience, incorporating mathematical concepts into your daily conversations with your children remains an effective way to help your children become more confident with math.