ITSE March/April 2011 Issue - Article: Is It Time To Make Mathematics More Fun?

In working with kindergarteners, I need to both teach content and make learning fun. Since kindergarten may be the first formal education experience for these young students, I realize that in order to get their attention, keep them focused and engaged, I have to "make learning fun". In some ways, these children may have already been exposed to the attitude, either blatantly or subtly, that "math is hard, and you won't like it", perhaps from an older sibling, or even a parent! Math is actually a fascinating and amazing subject, but it also requires some abstract thinking at gradually higher grade levels. I think the conceptual nature of math puts people off, and makes them think math skills are unobtainable. (I don't exactly think of myself as math-skilled, as I have problems with logic and reasoning.) However, using the tips from this article, I think I could present math in such a way that it will intrigue and interest students better. Counter to that from my own math education, the author's perspective begins with the advice to let students use calculators to solve equations or problems. He believes that the most important thing in math is not necessarily being able to do the algorithms - it is more important to make math a part of our lives by making it relative to what we want to know (the weight of something, how large an object is, etc.) Making math a natural aspect of a student's life can motivate him or her to want to use math skills to find out answers. Another tip is to present math in a game-like format. I know this is good advice, because my own students love to play math games in computer lab - and they are very good at it! They enjoy seeing how many points they can acquire, or if they can "get to the next level" in a math game. It surely makes the learning fun! The third tip is to teach the reasons behind ways to solve a problem. Some children can devise their own method, which makes perfect sense to them. Perhaps more sense than solving a problem through rote steps which work, but don't lead the student to understanding why they work! I really liked this article, as it is so "kid-friendly", and even moreso, "kindergarten-friendly"!