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7 Tips to Help Your Child Love Maths

March 25, 20253 min read

📚 Introduction: Why Maths??
How many times have you heard the phrase, “I’m just not a maths person”? 😩
From the classroom to the dinner table, maths often gets an unfair reputation. But when a child says they don’t like maths, what they often mean is “I don’t understand it” or “It’s hard”. The good news? As a parent, you can play a massive role in changing your child’s attitude and helping them build a more confident, positive relationship with maths—yes, even long division! 😅


👂 1. Listen to Your Child
Sometimes, the biggest issue isn’t maths itself—it’s how your child feels about it.
When they say “I hate maths,” what they might mean is “I feel lost,” or “I’m embarrassed to get it wrong.” Just like adults, children might find it easier to dislike a subject than to admit they’re struggling with it. So listen carefully, stay open, and create a space where they feel heard. 🧠❤️


🧩 2. Identify Prerequisite Skills
A lot of maths frustration comes from trying to learn new concepts without fully grasping the building blocks.
If your child is stuck on fractions, they may not have fully mastered multiplication. Work with their teacher to identify any gaps in learning and go back to strengthen those foundations. Think of it like Lego—missing one brick can collapse the whole tower. 🧱


🎮 3. Make It Fun with Games and Tech
No need to throw out the pencil and paper completely, but do switch things up!
Try educational apps, online maths games, or classic board games that involve number skills. A balanced mix of digital and hands-on activities helps break up the monotony and keeps your child engaged. Prodigy Game and other UK-based maths mastery tools are great places to start! 🎲🧮


🎭 4. Switch Roles: Let Them Be the Teacher
Role reversal works wonders! Let your child “teach” you a maths concept they’ve mastered.
Not only is it fun (and sometimes hilarious), but it also strengthens their understanding. Explaining a concept to someone else is one of the best ways to reinforce learning. Bonus: you might learn something too! 🎓📢


🛒 5. Make Maths Part of Daily Life
Maths isn’t just for the classroom—it’s everywhere!
Let your child help with the shopping list and budgeting 🛍️, bake together and discuss measurements 🍰, or count cars, shapes, and road signs on the school run 🚗. Regular exposure to practical maths helps make the subject feel useful—and even enjoyable.


🎶 6. Connect Maths to Their Interests
Whatever your child loves—sports, art, music, cooking—you can connect it to maths.
Football stats? Percentages. Baking? Fractions and ratios. Music? Rhythm and counting beats. Tapping into their passions is a clever way to show them maths is already a part of their world. 🎨⚽🎼


📖 7. Link Maths with Literacy
Who says maths can't be part of story time?
Read books that include maths concepts, or find picture books that explore shapes, time, or problem-solving. Storytelling helps children process maths in a new way—plus, cuddles and counting go together beautifully. 🛋️📚


📝 Conclusion
You don’t need to be a maths expert to help your child love maths. With encouragement, curiosity, and a little creativity, you can turn maths fear into maths fun. Whether it’s through play, real-life problem solving, or a sprinkle of humour, your support makes a world of difference. So let’s say goodbye to “I’m not a maths person” and hello to confident, curious little mathematicians! 💪✨

Centre Director at the Kumon Colindale Study Centre since 2010.

Background in IT and educator for over 25 years. Working with students and preparing them specifically for their 11+, SATs, GCSEs, IGCSEs and A-levels. Aside from Kumon, an AI Expert who loves spending time creating automations and AI agents! 😊

Ms Ade'Kunbi

Centre Director at the Kumon Colindale Study Centre since 2010. Background in IT and educator for over 25 years. Working with students and preparing them specifically for their 11+, SATs, GCSEs, IGCSEs and A-levels. Aside from Kumon, an AI Expert who loves spending time creating automations and AI agents! 😊

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