How To Get Billy To Love Math (And Other School Subjects)

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

How To Get Billy To Love Math (And Other School Subjects)
By Grace Chen

At some point most parents will have a problem where their son or daughter decides that they are disinterested in school. And, if it isn’t school in general, then it will be one particular subject. Math is too hard, their history teacher is boring, and science is “whatever.” However, there are plenty of ways that you can help your child love his or her classes and enjoy going to school.

1. Be An Example - If you want your kids to love learning, you should show them how you love to learn. By incorporating learning into your daily life you show your kids how learning benefits them. Let them catch you reading a book, take a trip to a museum as a family, go to a music concert. You can even go back to school yourself. Your desire to learn will rub off onto your kids if you set the example.
   
   
2. Talk About It - When you talk about school, you show your child that school is important. Ask how their day went, find out what they learned, and talk about what they enjoyed about school. Try to have them find something positive about the experience. If your child is consistently negative, this may be a sign that you need to talk to the teacher about what is going on. Your child may benefit from some additional help like a tutor if they are truly struggling at school.
   
   
3. Use the Skills Every Day - There are plenty of ways that you can incorporate math into your everyday life. For instance, younger children can learn to count out change at the grocery store, while older children can help you figure out whether or not a candy bar fits into the shopping budget. You can open a checking account for your high school student to teach them how to manage their money. Practice measurements when you cook or counting as you drive to school. Not only are these activities good practice for your kids, but they show them that math has real life applications.
   
   
4. Turn Off the TV - Turning off the TV will inspire your family to try new activities together. Set a limit as to how many hours of TV can be watched a day and then find something that you can do together in the extra time. You will find a new opportunity for conversations so that you can get an inside peek into what is going on in your child’s life. Many family activities have learning built in – whether it is simple skills like counting out cards or learning to take turns on a board game, or more complex activities like building your own exploding volcano for a science project.
   
   
5. Try Fun Teaching Aids - Learning at home can be more fun than ever. While traditional flash cards are still available, there is also a wide variety of educational electronic games and software. Plus, these games can allow the whole family to participate and practice their skills.
   
   
6. Participate At School - Kids will be excited about school if you are. As much as you are able, try to participate. Attend parent-teacher conferences; join the PTA, offer to be a parent helper on the class field trip or an assistant coach for the junior varsity baseball team. When you make school a positive experience, your child will be more excited to learn.