Learning and Teaching

Building Positive Attitudes towards Maths 

Mathematics can be a highly subjective and emotive topic and therefore helping our children to establish positive attitudes towards maths is extremely important. So here are some food for thought statements for you to consider and potentially talk to your child about in regards to how they feel about learning Mathematics:

• It is important to remember that everyone can be successful with maths. For many children believing that they can do something is half the battle won. 
• Establishing a Growth Mindset and understanding the power of ‘yet’ really can have a profound influence on a child’s perception of themselves as a maths learner. Thinking to themselves, “I can’t do that yet but if I work hard I will be able to” can have a positive impact on many aspects of their schooling.
• Seeing mistakes as a vital part of learning and for us as adults to model making mistakes and learning from them is another great way to help our children develop positive attitudes towards Mathematics. In fact, I often tell students that mistakes are proof that they are learning something new and their brains are working hard. We should embrace mistakes and see them as opportunities for learning and growth.
• Understanding that maths is a part of our everyday lives and that it is important and useful can also support children to build positive attitudes towards Mathematics.

Below are some great tips from the DREME Family Maths website (https://familymath.stanford.edu/):

‘One of the best ways for parents and caregivers to support positive math attitudes is to actually do math!’ 

‘For example, parents and caregivers can:

• Point out the math in activities their child likes.
• Praise success and effort by talking about how hard children worked (“You worked so hard!”) or the process they took (“You figured it out!”), rather than just saying “You’re so smart!”
• Talk out loud about their own mistakes.
• Allow children opportunities to make mistakes and recognize their own mistakes. After they make a mistake, encourage your child to try again or provide a hint that helps them think about the problem in a different way!
• Provide lots of opportunities for (them) to engage in math activities, including the spatial thinking involved in activities like blocks or puzzles.
• Point out how adults use math in different types of jobs.

Incorporating these little messages into everyday conversations and interactions can go a long way toward helping children feel excited and confident about learning math and practising their math skills!’

The DREME Family Math website is a great resource for educators and families to explore ways to incorporate maths into our home lives and discussions. I recommend you take a look.

Emma Davies

Maths Leader