MATHEMATICS IS AN

ART

“The first thing to understand is that

mathematics is an art”
- Paul Lockhart

The word mathematics came from a Greek word “μάθημα” (máthēma) which means
science or study. Mathematics is, "the branch of human enquiry involving the study
of numbers, quantities, data, shape and space and their relationships, especially their
generalizations and abstractions and their application to situations in the real world”.
As early as kindergarten, kids are introduced to math. As they progress in grade
school, children will learn math skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication,
division, and more.

While math can be fun and challenging for some children, it can be a very different
experience for others.
When you ask a student what they think about math, typical responses likely include
"I hate it," "It's boring," or "It's too hard." Many find it boring or irrelevant because
many of the reasons why maths is important only become apparent later in life.

This blog is a life saver to many parents as well as teachers since it will discuss and
give you all the detailed framework of why children hate mathematics, what are the
existing boring methods of teaching and what are the new interesting way to teach
math. Apart from that, this blog also suggests how teachers and parents can help a
child love math. First, we shall start with the reason behind every single child’s
nightmare: Math.

Three Reasons for children not loving

mathematics

Boring Mathematics

The problem is usually that Math is never taught in an interesting way. One says that
Math is too “abstract”. On the contrary. Math is entirely concrete. And to most people
concrete is, well, boring. It’s a lot of formulas and applications. Everything in Math
must be done the same way every time to get the desired results. There is little room
for intuitive thinking in Math. That’s why it doesn’t appeal to most.

Children should be given a chance to discover something on their own. Something to

discuss and learn from each other. Something to trace and feel. Something connected
and relevant to their daily life. Owing to the lack of these implementations, Math
stands boring all the time.

Mathematics is meaningless

The stream of meaningless mathematics kills the children’s curiosity to learn. Maths is
an art. The essence of the art is killed by teaching only the methods and formulas to
solve a problem. There is nothing wrong in learning the techniques in solving
mathematical problems. But if we remove the “why” part of mathematics and just
focus on “what” to do, we are making mathematics meaningless for children.

Fear

Math anxiety is the feeling of tension and fear that many people experience when
called on to work out a sum. For children, it can lead to behavioural problems in class,
as well as physical symptoms such as butterflies in the stomach and a racing heart.
They can feel anxiety about not getting the answers right and not understanding what
is being taught. They may feel frustrated and upset about not doing well in math and
may develop a dislike for the subject, making the development of math skills even
more difficult. Parents and even teachers can help a child overcome math anxiety by
offering reassurance, practical assistance, and by making it fun.
 The ultimate goal of mathematics is understanding the material presented,
applying the skills, and recalling the concepts in the future. There is a list of concepts
revolving around multiple formulas that help to solve different problem sets and make
different decisions. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the material rather than
memorizing the procedures of mathematics.

Mathematics is a subject that requires constant practice and revision. If this is

not done, students tend to forget the concepts. Some students find it interesting while
others find it difficult. This is because of the strategies applied by the teacher
regarding how to teach maths. As it is such a different subject, the teachers have to
apply a whole different set of strategies while teaching mathematics.

“There is surely no more reliable way to kill enthusiasm

and interest in a subject than to make it a mandatory part of
the school curriculum”
- Paul Lockhart

Let’s see the existing methods and techniques in which math is being taught in
schools.
 Traditional educational methods are still widely used in schools. In
traditional methods of Mathematics learning, students are guided through a curriculum
established by a teacher.

In general, traditional methods are based on direct instruction where students

are shown one standard method of performing a task such as decimal addition, in a
standard sequence. The teacher usually uses a black or white board to work on a short
set of examples and to explain the concept. It is a teacher-centred instruction. It
emphasizes memorization and repetition, and fail to promote conceptual
understanding or to present math as creative or exploratory. Only very few students
prosper from this method and that too their creative level will be at stake.

Research tells us that there should be more emphasis on teaching methods

which include less lecture, more student-centred classes and more discussion. Experts
suggest problem-solving and discovery learning methods of teaching. Problem-
solving method is where a teacher teaches the students how to use different steps to
solve a problem. Meanwhile, in discovery learning method, a teacher plays the role of
facilitator through involving students in varied activities associated with the discovery
and construction of the knowledge.
The findings suggest that problem solving and discovery methods not only contribute
to better mathematics learning but also enhance students’ creativity to cope with life
challenges.

In the traditional methods of teaching, when we enter the class, we can find the
desks are arranged one after the other and the students are seated in a way to have a
clear view of the black board. The teacher will be in a lead role. The teacher usually
uses a black or white board to work on a short set of examples and to explain the
concept.
 However, in Modern Methods of Teaching, instead of the rows of desks seen
in the traditional classroom, we will see desks grouped together so that students can
interact with each other as they learn. Therefore, the emphasis is on students. This
differs greatly from traditional teaching methods, where students are seated in order to
ensure that the focus is on the teacher. Students are divided into small work groups up
to five to six students each. These small groups can be formed based on student Math
skills or randomly. In this way, students are used to work together and they are
convinced that, if necessary, their friends can provide support for them to successfully
complete their work. Modern learning methods involve students in activities by using
concrete materials, simulations and games to explore new Mathematics.

Games:

Games are a fun and engaging way to reinforce concepts taught in the
classroom. Often, students are having so much fun that they don't even know they're
learning. For instance, Math Attack is one of the favorite games to many to play in the
kindergarten class to improve addition and subtraction. Students are split into teams
and given a variety of resources (manipulatives, a whiteboard and markers, a pencil
and paper, etc.) to help them solve problems. A teacher flashes a problem on their
document camera or on black board for five seconds and students must work together
to solve the problem using the resources provided. The first team that gets the correct
answer receives two points and the other teams that get the answer correct receive one
point. This game is not only a great way to teach your students but it pushes them to
work together as a team.
 Mathematics is a subject that is quite different from others, both in terms of
difficulty and in terms of usage. As we have seen before, many schools still follow the
traditional method of teaching math which makes a child hate math. Hence, here are
few suggested ways that a teacher can use to teach math interestingly.

How can a teacher make math interesting!

There are 8 ways in which teachers can make math interesting for students,

[Link] an effective environment that is open for

discussion

Teachers should start by laying down the agenda of the class and must keep an
open platform wherein each and every student must be encouraged to raise questions.
Teachers should understand that students will take time in understanding the concepts
of mathematics. Therefore, provide them with due feedback, practice assignments,
doubt clearing sessions, and revision papers.
Explain to them the purpose behind learning a particular topic.
 [Link] the topics using multiple examples

Mathematics is a subject which could actually be visualized and compared to

practical life. Therefore, teachers can come up with creative ways like images or
videos to teach maths in an interesting way to students.

They can illustrate the problem sets by making a child visualize the practical side
of what is mentioned in the problem.

[Link] students for reasoning when solving

problems

In order to determine that every student has actually learned the objective of a
class, it is necessary that every student communicate both orally and in writing with
the proper reason.
Reasoning gives a proper idea about the understanding of the student about the
concept. This will promote their engagement and learning.
 [Link] the class by giving a summary and homework

As stressed upon before, mathematics is the subject where you require constant
practice. Therefore, we encourage every teacher to provide students with some
practice assignments for their home.

Make sure that these assignments are not very tough and help the student to
understand the concept in a better way. These assignments are given in order to boost
the morale of the students and make them get a relevant hold of the subject.

[Link] the difficulty level slowly

Before starting to teach any particular topic in mathematics, it is very important to

segregate the problem sets based on that level of difficulty. Start with a few easier
problems.
Teachers must keep raising the bar for all the students slowly and steadily.

[Link], modify, and re-evaluate

 Many teachers become very rigid in the pace of completing a particular topic.
They often forget to evaluate the homework given by them. Well, we say this is not a
problem.

But a teacher must walk through the classroom and observe the dynamics of the
students. The teacher must talk to every student individually and ask them questions.
This will give them a fair idea about how much a student is understanding.

[Link] maths talk and games

This will help the students to develop their mental abilities and skills. This will
also give them a whole new learning and thinking process. They will be able to
describe and solve a problem in their own certain way.
 Games will also encourage active engagement and participation. There are many
math games available. It will promote their strategic mathematical thinking,
computational fluency, and understanding of operations.

[Link] last, be patient

We all know how difficult maths could be. We all have been there. Therefore, it
becomes very important to be patient with the child and to teach them in a step-by-
step sequential manner. This will prevent them from getting afraid of mathematics.

In a nutshell, Paul Lockhart puts it how to teach students mathematics, “By

choosing engaging and natural problems suitable to their tastes,
personalities, and level of experience…. In short, by having an
honest intellectual relationship with our students and our subject” (A
Mathematician’s Lament)

Every parent’s desire is that their child succeeds in mathematics. But, teaching a
child the concepts of mathematics is difficult. This is the reason why most of the
parents are confused regarding how to teach maths in an interesting way to their
children. Here are some ways parents can help their child avoid stress about math.

How can a parent help a child love math!

1. Play math games. Start playing math games with your kids, get out some
number-centric board games such as Monopoly or Double Shutter, or get
activity boxes or use some common kitchen items to play with numbers,
playing games that are math and numbers-oriented is an excellent way to make
math fun and get children interesting in doing the math.
2. Be aware of your own attitude toward math. Have you ever
said things such as, “I’m not good at math,” or “I just don’t like math”? If so,
consider changing your attitude, or at least not voicing such negative ideas
about math out loud. Your child is watching and learning from you, and if you
express negative feelings about math rather than talk about the fun and
important aspects of math, then you are doing your child a disservice.
3. Practice with your child. When it comes to math skills such as
addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, nothing beats practice. And
learning multiplication facts is a matter of drilling. Practice multiplication
tables on the way to school, while your child is having a bath, right before story
time at night — whenever you can squeeze it in. Print out math worksheets and
practice doing math problems, making things fun and challenging by using a
timer or giving your child a treat for finishing the problems and getting faster
doing them.
4. Stop comparing. This is a particularly important message for parents
since parents tend to compare their kids to other kids regarding math skill or
the grade they get in the exams. Stop doing it. No one is alike hence try to
understand the skill set level of your kid and help him accordingly rather than
putting him down, encourage him to achieve high.
5. Help your child shake off mistakes. One of the best things you
can do as you help your child develop math skills and learn other academic and
 life lessons is to assure him that mistakes are something that will happen and
that they are learning opportunities. If you can help your child, put math
mistakes into perspective and remind him that they are what will ultimately
help him learn, your child will be less likely to develop anxiety about math.

Coconut Boxs for Mathematics

As we have seen before, games are the most effective way to teach math to
children. That is the reason Coconut Boxs comes up with an idea of an activity
boxes which will boost your kids not only math skills but also life skills. You can
bring out new energy to your kids instantly using Coconut Boxs. They have
different set of activity boxes to celebrate math. For instance, Coconut Boxs For
parents, For schools, and For teachers.

By using Coconut Boxs your children can,

Practice math every day in a
fun way

Improve their love for math

Eliminate their math anxiety

 Develop imagination

Develop focus

Reduce screentime

I hope some of these approaches and strategies of teaching mathematics will

effectively improve the dynamics of a classroom and also improves children
personality to math. Teachers and parents must not worry about how to teach maths.
Rather they must focus on how to teach maths in an interesting way.
 Making things fun makes everything easier. In the entire process, it becomes very
essential to understand the mindset of the child. This will help elders to develop and
connect better relations with the child.

Keeping these tips in mind the next time you plan an activity for your students or
sit with your kid in the evenings to teach them math, this blog can help you push your
kids to love math. Don't be surprised if your children are suddenly looking forward to
math time because you've successfully made learning more meaningful.