Niños Curiosos, Mentores Creativos

Teaching mathematics in early childhood is crucial for the development of cognitive and analytical skills, and the approach followed is very important for this.

Traditional approaches based on memorization and repetition are being complemented (and sometimes replaced) by more interactive and meaningful approaches.

In this article we will explore some of these new approaches that can be applied by parents and educators to enhance children’s mathematical learning:

+ game-based teaching: math games are an excellent tool for teaching math concepts in a fun way. Board games, digital educational apps and puzzles can help children understand concepts such as basic arithmetic operations and geometry,

+ problem-based teaching: this approach invites children to solve real-world problems, which helps them understand how to apply mathematical concepts in everyday situations. This approach develops critical thinking, which is fundamental to mathematical learning,

+ math manipulatives-based teaching: this approach is based on the use of materials such as building blocks, buttons, rulers, to explore mathematical concepts in concrete ways. These visual and tactile materials help children understand abstract concepts such as fractions and addition,

+ personalized teaching: this approach is based on a basic principle: each child learns at his or her own pace. The use of personalized teaching tools (which adapt the difficulty of exercises to the child’s learning pace) can be very effective as they allow children to progress through mathematical concepts at a speed that suits their needs,

+ teaching based on everyday life: involving children in everyday activities that require mathematical skills such as cooking, shopping, or planning a trip can help them see the importance and practical application of mathematics in real life.

It should be noted that the above approaches are not mutually exclusive as more than one can be used at a time.

As a family, we have learned that math teaching should be dynamic, interactive, fun, and tailored to our child’s specific needs and to that end we have tried to use all the above approaches. And we have learned that with time, patience, and love, learning math can be a positive and enriching experience for him.

If you would like us to share specific examples of activities we have applied as a family to our son’s math learning, leave us a comment.

See you soon!