5 Things to Do to Help Your Kids Become Epic in Math

Want to boost your child’s math skills? Here’s how you can make math fun, approachable, and part of everyday life:

1. Math Talk: Discuss math during daily activities like meals, shopping, or playtime. Use open-ended questions to encourage critical thinking.

2. Quality Math Apps: Choose apps that are engaging, age-appropriate, and cover a variety of math concepts.

3. Help with Complex Problems: Break challenging problems into smaller steps and guide your child through them.

4. Use Visual Aids: Everyday objects like Legos, coins, or measuring cups can make abstract math concepts easier to understand.

5. Promote a Growth Mindset: Teach your child that math skills improve with practice and effort. Praise their process, not just results.

These strategies help kids build confidence, improve problem-solving, and develop a love for math. Start small - like counting items during breakfast - and watch their skills grow!

4 Steps to Unlock Your Kid's Math Potential | Shalinee Sharma ...

Start Math Conversations

Talking about math regularly can help your child build strong number sense and better understand mathematical ideas. Studies show that when parents include math-related talk in daily activities, it can lead to improved math skills later on[1]. Here’s how you can weave math into everyday moments.

Understanding Math Talk

Math talk isn’t about formal lessons - it’s about pointing out and discussing math in everyday life.

"Having conversations about math supports young children's mathematical learning. During math conversations, children hear words that describe quantities, sizes, shapes, and locations. These math words help them notice the math in everyday life. Participating in math conversations also allows children to practice using math words themselves and to think about math in more complex ways." [2]

This kind of dialogue strengthens their understanding. Instead of asking yes/no questions, try encouraging your child to explain their thinking. For example, instead of saying, "Are there three fish here?" ask, "How many fish do you see?" This invites them to think critically and use math vocabulary [2].

Daily Math Discussion Ideas

You can easily include math in your daily routine with these simple ideas:

• Mealtime Math

  • Count items like plates or utensils

  • Talk about portion sizes and sharing

  • Compare amounts using words like "more", "less", or "equal"

• Shopping Adventures

  • Compare prices while shopping

  • Count items and estimate the total

  • Weigh fruits and vegetables

• Playtime Opportunities

  • Count toys while cleaning up

  • Identify shapes in building blocks

  • Sort objects by size or color

  • Create and recognize patterns

Different activities naturally encourage different kinds of math talk. For instance, counting often happens during board games, while block play introduces measurement concepts [3]. Adjust your questions to fit your child’s age and interests for more engaging conversations.

Math Questions by Age

Here are some ideas for math-focused questions based on your child’s age:

Focus on open-ended questions like "how" and "why" to spark deeper thinking. For example, ask, "Why did you sort these shapes together?" or "How do you know we need five plates?" These questions help kids explain their reasoning and strengthen their understanding [2].

You can also build on their observations to encourage curiosity. If your child notices a triangle in their sandwich, ask about other shapes they see or how many sides the triangle has. These small moments can boost their confidence and prepare them for more complex math problems later on [3].

Choose the Right Math Apps

Educational apps can be great resources for building math skills. Studies show that children using well-designed math apps can achieve in 6 months what usually takes 18 months to learn [4]. These apps turn abstract math concepts into interactive experiences, helping kids strengthen arithmetic, spatial reasoning, and problem-solving through activities and puzzles.

Key Features of Math Apps

When picking a math app for your child, focus on features that encourage effective learning:

These features help create a well-rounded learning experience, like what Funexpected Math app offers.

Funexpected Math: Combining Fun, Structure, and Variety

Funexpected Math is a well-designed educational app that brings these features together in a thoughtful and engaging way. Recognized as the Best Original Learning App at the Kidscreen Awards in February 2025, it makes math both fun and approachable.

"I have a math background myself and I wanted to find an app with a wide curriculum. Smth about logic and geometry, not just counting. And this one was the perfect choice. I see how my daughter starts to understand even complex concepts." - Jon Favertt969 [4]

The app includes personalized learning paths, a broad curriculum, and engaging games to teach math concepts. It works well alongside daily math discussions and problem-solving exercises, making it a valuable tool for your child’s learning journey.

Track your child’s progress and celebrate their milestones to build their confidence. While the app provides structured lessons, your involvement ensures concepts stick and keeps motivation high.

Help with Hard Problems

Support your child in tackling tough math problems by combining daily math conversations, interactive learning, and guided assistance.

Making Problems Simpler

Break down complex problems into smaller, easier-to-handle steps. Use everyday examples to make concepts relatable - like explaining fractions and ratios through cooking measurements.

Here’s a simple method for breaking down math problems:

Once the problem is simplified, encourage your child to try different ways to solve it.

Teaching Problem-Solving

Give your child a 5-minute "thinking window" to work on problems independently [5]. This helps build their confidence and critical thinking skills.

When they need help:

• Ask them to explain their thought process.

• Start with a similar, simpler problem.

• Let them talk through each step.

• Encourage them to try different methods.

Bring math into everyday life to make it more engaging. For example, have your child compare prices or calculate discounts while shopping. These real-world activities make abstract math concepts easier to understand and remember.

Building Math Confidence

Help your child build confidence by focusing on their reasoning and encouraging a growth mindset [6].

Here’s how to provide constructive feedback:

"Teach your kids to change their mindset towards math and keep trying rather than being worried or giving up. Once they decide that math is not that tough and they can do it, they'll continue to practice and eventually get the hang of it." – GTS [7]

With the right support and positive reinforcement, your child can develop resilience and confidence to tackle even the toughest math challenges.

Use Objects for Learning

Transform everyday items into tools to help kids grasp math concepts more easily. Research shows that using visual aids can make students six times more likely to solve math problems correctly [8].

Math with Everyday Items

Your home is full of items that can double as math tools. Here’s how to use them to teach different concepts:

"Manipulatives are a great way of helping kids understand conceptually. The use of manipulatives really helps students see that conceptually, and it clicks a little more with them." – Kim Paulsen, EdD, Associate Professor, Special Education, Vanderbilt University [8]

Hint: digital versions of classic math manipulatives, like Tangram or Geoboard, can be found alongside other games in Funexpected Math app.

You can always incorporate math into daily activities like baking to explore fractions, building with Legos for spatial reasoning, or counting items while organizing a party. These practical tasks naturally lead to visual strategies that make abstract ideas easier to understand.

Drawing Math Problems

After using physical objects, drawing can help kids transition from hands-on learning to abstract thinking. Visual representations play a key role in connecting real-world objects to math concepts. Studies confirm that accurate visuals improve problem-solving [8].

Try these simple visual aids:

• Number lines: Perfect for addition, subtraction, and counting.

• Strip diagrams: Great for showing fractions and ratios.

• Dot arrangements: Useful for basic arithmetic problems.

For example, when teaching addition like 2 + 4, encourage kids to draw dots in neat groups. This approach helps them see the relationships between numbers and arrive at the correct answer[8].

Drawing dots to solve problems is part of a larger approach known as the Concrete–Representational–Abstract (CRA) framework. This strategy helps children move from hands-on experiences to abstract thinking in a structured way [8].

Develop a Learning Mindset

While hands-on tools can make math more approachable, a positive mindset is what keeps the learning going long after the tools are put away[12].

How kids think about math plays a big role in how they learn. If they believe their math skills can improve with practice, they’re more likely to take on tough problems and stick with them.

Learning Mindset Basics

A growth mindset is about believing that math skills can get better with effort, turning challenges into opportunities to learn. Research shows that students who believe they can improve through hard work tend to make more progress than those who feel their abilities are fixed[9].

"Math learning is a process, and mistakes are a natural and important part of that process." - DREME Blog [9]

When your child encounters a tricky math problem, try reframing the way you respond. Here are some examples:

These small changes in language can help kids see math as something they can grow into, not something they’re stuck with.

Praise Learning Progress

Acknowledging effort rather than just results helps build motivation. When kids notice their parents or caregivers showing a positive attitude toward math, they’re more likely to feel encouraged.

"When children see their parents and caregivers with positive math attitudes, it encourages them to learn and stay motivated." - DREME [9]

Turn Mistakes into Learning

Mistakes aren’t setbacks - they’re stepping stones to understanding. Emphasizing this can help reduce anxiety and make math feel less intimidating.

"Emphasize to students that mistakes mean they are learning and that they are actively changing their brain." [10]

Here’s how you can help your child view mistakes in a positive light:

• Highlight what they got right, even if the final answer is incorrect.

• Ask them to explain their thought process to uncover where they went off track.

• Use mistakes as a chance to dive deeper into the concept.

• Encourage them to take a break if they’re frustrated, so they can return with a clear head.

These approaches show kids that math is a process of growth and discovery, not perfection.

Conclusion

Research highlights that early math skills are a strong indicator of future academic achievement [11]. Engaging in math-related conversations, using quality educational apps, solving problems step by step, incorporating visual aids, and fostering a positive approach to learning are key steps to building a solid math foundation.

Try focusing on one approach each week. Start by weaving math into daily routines, like talking about numbers during meals. Later, introduce educational apps and gradually work on more complex problems using everyday items.

Math success isn’t just about solving equations - it’s about building confidence and sparking curiosity. Encouraging a positive mindset helps children face challenges head-on and stick with them.

Here are some simple ways to incorporate math into everyday life:

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