Archive for February, 2010

Saturday, February 20th, 2010
010/365 10th January
Image by stuartpilbrow via Flickr

Math can be a troublesome subject for many students. There are some ways to make it more fun for the learner. Many teachers turn off their creative side when it comes to mathematics; keeping creative thoughts moving is key to making math fun and easy.

One key to making math easier to process for the student is using open-ended questions. Using this type of format protects the student from feeling so pressured into achieving the right answer even though this is the ultimate goal.

Asking questions that do not have one right answer allows the student to further explore thought processes to find a proper solution. When asked, “What is three plus two?”

A student is under pressure to come up with one solution, “Five.” However, if asked, “How many ways can you add three and two?” the student must further engage their thinking and come up with more than a simple answer.

Other questions can be asked about the problem which lead the student toward the correct answer. Asking open ended questions works on any level of mathematics to generate thought and productivity.

Another thing that makes learning fun is to use hands on materials. It is much more fun and engaging to count out and add items rather than just working a problem on a piece of paper. This is especially beneficial when studying units on weights and other measurements.

Keeping students actively, physically engaged in the learning process helps them with the discovery process. That is the one key to keeping the element of fun in any subject, discovery. Using real-life type situations to work math problems help keep a student engaged in the learning process.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Hegarty

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