 |
|
|
As a homeschooling parent, I’d always wanted to make math
fun for Brian (my first grader.) I use lots of interesting hands-on activities
to teach him (shopping, cooking,
etc.) and he seems to love that. We’ve sailed past addition and subtraction and
he can’t wait to start on more advanced topics. And guess what he thinks is the
best part of learning math?
I know, I know. They’re boring, they’re repetitive,
they’re an absolute no-no for kids. But if there’s one thing I’ve learnt as a
parent, teacher and fellow learner, it’s this – if your child enjoys doing
something, it’s (probably) good for him.
And let’s face it, there’s no way of learning basic math
facts except by memorization. Much as I hate admitting it, addition worksheets
are wonderful exercises in memorizing the rules and properties of addition.
Besides, worksheets offer a healthy dose of structure and discipline that most
kids I know could definitely do with.
So every time we go back to addition, out comes a sheaf
of printable addition worksheets and we have one happy first grader in the
house.
Not to mention one happy parent who’s saving loads of
money printing out free online worksheets.
If you’re still chary of worksheets, try using them in
creative ways like I do.
How
to Make the Best use of Addition Worksheets
Make your own. Yes it’s easier to print readymade ones
but if you want to keep the learning relevant and hold your child’s interest,
try creating customized ones, based on the topics he’s already learnt in school
or on topics you think he needs to learn.
Create a background and context. No matter how many
addition worksheets your child completes, his understanding of the topic will
be incomplete without a preliminary introduction. Use manipulatives and toys to
show him how to add. Or use coins and play money or board games such as Chutes
and Ladders to make him comfortable with counting and numbers. Once you’re sure
he understands the concept of addition, have him complete a simple addition
worksheet to help him lock in the concept.
Don’t use addition worksheets in isolation. I always let
my little one know that the worksheet is only one of the ways of gauging how
well he has understood a topic. I avoid using them to actually teach him a topic. This is probably why
he loves these worksheets so much! Every time he solves all the problems on a
worksheet correctly, it gives him a feeling of accomplishment and motivates him
to master the next topic. Of course, worksheets don’t necessarily work well for
all topics and subjects, but I’ve found them extremely useful when it comes to
addition.
Don’t use addition worksheets in isolation. I always let
my little one know that the worksheet is only one of the ways of gauging how
well he has understood a topic. I avoid using them to actually teach him a topic. This is probably why
he loves these worksheets so much! Every time he solves all the problems on a
worksheet correctly, it gives him a feeling of accomplishment and motivates him
to master the next topic. Of course, worksheets don’t necessarily work well for
all topics and subjects, but I’ve found them extremely useful when it comes to
addition.
No comments:
Post a Comment