Why Is Learning Maths So Important For Children?

My 14-year-old nephew out of frustration asked me one day; “Why do I even need to study Maths?” “I want to be a lawyer; I don’t think I need Maths”

This reminded me of when we were younger, we were taught that if you were not doing engineering, architecture, accounting, etc., you did not need Maths. However, this is far from the truth.

Maths can be found in our daily lives. From comparing prices when shopping to measuring when cooking to paying bills to balancing your expenses against your income or determining if you made a profit or a loss. All these require Maths skills.

So, there’s no escaping Maths lol.

As Educators and parents, we have a responsibility to help children love, learn and appreciate Maths while they are young.

Here are 5 reasons why every child should learn and love Maths:

1. It develops critical thinking skills

To solve a Maths problem, it must be broken down into steps which followed in the right order helps to arrive at the answer. The process of breaking down tasks into smaller steps and following these steps in the logical order is the foundation of critical thinking. Children who are good at Maths tend to have good critical thinking and analytical skills.

2. It develops problems solving skills

Solving mathematical word problems is a good way for a child to develop problem-solving skills needed for their everyday lives. For instance, if a child is given 20 sweets to share equally amongst 5 of his friends, he will have to apply Maths to solve the problem. When shopping, how do you determine which item to buy that gives the best deal? It’s a problem that Maths comes to the rescue.

3. Maths helps creativity

Art involves shapes, patterns, symmetry. Maths is useful when creating patterns and symmetries in artwork. An artist applies Maths when creating three-dimensional (3D) sketches, a painter needs Maths when mixing colours and paints, an architect needs Maths to guide his drawings in terms of areas and volumes of shapes and symmetry.

4. Maths is key to money management

Maths is one of the key pillars of financial literacy and money management. Managing money requires your ability to balance your income and expenditure, plan a budget, determine what investment will bring the highest form of return – simple interest, determine if you are making a profit or a loss. All these require Maths to solve.

5. Maths is used in most life skills

Maths can be found in various life skills such as cooking (measurements), balancing expenses when shopping, balancing check books, calculating your bills, calculating your taxes.

There’s no running away from Maths.

Children should learn early that math is something that requires work. And doesn’t mean that it can’t be fun; keep the fun in Maths by playing games with your children.

The good news? It has actually never been easier to do Maths from home. You just need to know what resources are available to you.

9ijakids have put together a number of ways through games and eBooks to help struggling children develop interest and love of Maths which are perfect for engaging children.

Download the 9ijakids app today and get 30 days access to 10 FREE educational games.

Limited time offer.                                                                             

Don’t miss it.