Most students will say that math is one of the most difficult, if not the most challenging subject in school. But when introducing this subject to your child at an early age, there are many ways to slowly teach them. You can be creative by using DIY tools to assist you in teaching math you tour children.
But what DIY tools do you use in math? Since this subject’s scope is pretty huge, there are so many things that you can do using various DIY tools made by you. What are these tools? Please see below:
Using Coins Creatively
The most practical tool to introduce your child to numbers and math is using coins. A coin is a tool that you can use creatively to do many things. One of which is to teach the child the value of each coin.
You can slowly introduce the child to each coin until the kid memorizes the value of each. Once the child knows the value of each, you can gradually integrate simple math problem-solving such as addition and subtraction.
Teach the child to use the different values of the coins to come up with a specific amount. This simple exercise is like introducing simple addition and subtraction to the child. The child may not notice it at first, but this creative way of using the coins can possibly build the kid’s confidence in dealing with different math problems.
Using Beads for Counting
Another math counting tool that you can create personally is through the use of colorful beads. In this DIY tool, you will be making bead bracelets which will be used for counting. You can buy colorful beads and an elastic string to make the bracelet.
You will build bead bracelets with 10 beads inserted into the string. The bead’s color must be separated into two different colors with five beads each for a total of 10 beads. You will put these bead bracelets in cardboard and stretch them on the surface.
Once it’s done, your child can be taught the proper way of counting numbers, especially from one to ten. You can also introduce some addition and subtraction lessons using this DIY tool that you will be making.
Crayons as a DIY tool
Although crayons are intended for doing art activities, bringing your creativity can make them a DIY tool for solving mathematical processes. With this quantity, you can use the crayons to introduce your child to the simple counting process.
For example, you can draw a rectangular shape figure on a piece of paper while using it to teach the kid how to count. You can draw several rectangular figures while grouping the crayons in each drawing. This process will help teach your child to count each crayon group in a rectangular shape.
You can also introduce the addition and subtraction process by adding or subtracting some crayons into the other shapes. This process is very simple but needs patience and creativity on your end to make it more effective.
Using Post-It Notes
Using post-it notes creatively can also help teach your kid about different mathematical processes. One way to do it is to allow the children to use the post-it notes to answer the problem you will be giving.
For example, you can draw numbers from one to ten on the board. You can also write different numbers in the post-it notes. The child needs to position the numbers from the biggest to the smallest or vice versa. If your training is already advanced, you can use this method to arrange decimal numbers for the kid to learn.
Creating Dot Cards
Dot cards are a simple but unique DIY tool to let your children learn number combinations. There are several ways that dot cards can be used. First, the child can count all the dots found in the cards. Putting different colors into the cards will let them group the dots with the same colors, and you will have the option to let them count the dots with the same colors.
The options are unlimited when it comes to using dot cards. But to make it, you can use half-sheet cards and circle stickers. You must use several colors of these circle stickers for you to have different varieties when teaching your child.
Measuring Cups
If you are into baking, you probably own different types of measuring cups. If you have one, you can use these cups to teach your kid some mathematical processes. The measurements found in the cup can be maximized during the lesson.
A good example is to use the measuring cups to teach a child how to add fractions. You can pour water into the cup with ⅓ measurement while putting the same amount of water into another cup. After that, you can combine all the water and let the child see the measurement in the cup for the answer.
Blocks
If your child owns blocks such as lego, you can creatively convert this toy into a DIY tool for teaching mathematics. You can stack several blocks of legos and let your child count them. You can teach your child addition and subtraction by adding or subtracting the blocks while your child counts the remaining ones.
Conclusion
What DIY tools do you use in math? There are many DIY tools that you can use to teach your children various mathematics lessons. Some of these DIY tools are already available inside our house. All you have to do is use your creativity to convert these materials into a tool for teaching your child.