6 Creative Techniques for Supplementing Math Learning

With the online learning setup, learning math has become more challenging for students. They usually don’t see math as an easy subject, so much so that having to learn many formulas and concepts can be a tricky task for them. 

Keeping them engaged during lessons is a common challenge because of the analysis required from the students. To help improve their learning experience, there are fun and creative ways that teachers and parents can do with the students. These activities make use of online and offline resources to add variety to the approaches.

Use Mnemonic Devices and Patterns

Mnemonic devices are creative tricks for students to remember facts and formulas. It makes it easier for them to memorize key concepts in a fun and relevant way. While there are common tricks used by teachers, students can make their own mnemonic devices. 

Mnemonic devices are typically used to memorize series of steps, facts, and patterns. They’re usually created by taking the first letters of the relevant concepts to forms and abbreviations. The letters can also be used to create a new statement that is easier to remember.

Here are the following examples of mnemonic devices:

1. Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally or PEMDAS

The PEMDAS is the abbreviation of the order of mathematical operations to be performed in a single expression. It stands for parenthesis, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction. All the first letters formed in a single acronym PEMDAS. It can also be transformed into a sentence like Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally as another way to remember the mathematical order. 

2. SOH CAH TOA

SOHCAHTOA is a common mnemonic device for the three trigonometric functions. It stands for the following:

Sine = Opposite/Hypotenuse

Cosine = Adjacent/Hypotenuse

Tangent = Opposite/Adjacent

3. All Students Take Calculus

ASTC or All Students Take Calculus is for remembering the positive signs in each plane quadrant. The following are the equivalents of the letters:

A = All

S = Sine

T = Tangent

C = Cosine

Each letter corresponds to the positive functions of the quadrant. The application starts from the first quadrant moving counterclockwise until the fourth quadrant.

4. Does Mcdonald's Sell CheeseBurgers and Shakes? 

This is used for remembering the steps in long division. It stands for:

Does = Divide

Mcdonald’s = Multiply

Sell = Subtract

Cheese = Check that the divisor is larger than your remainder

Burgers = Bring down the next number

Shakes = Start all over again

This simple phrase is a lot easier to remember compared to the math steps themselves. Remembering the first letters of each sentence will help students associate it with the order of the steps.

5. King Hector Doesn't Usually Drink Cold Milk

This sentence is for memorizing the metric prefixes used for unit measurements. Each starting letter corresponds to the following prefix:

K = Kilo (x103)

H = Hecto (x102)

D = Deca (x101)

U = Units (x100)

D = Deci (x10-1)

C = Centi (x10-2)

M = Milli (x10-3)

Patterns

Recognizing patterns can make computations easier with the numerous formulas and concepts to remember. Not only will this help make math learning more fun, but it also develops the logical aspect of a child’s cognition. Oftentimes, children are fond of learning patterns with numbers because they can be compared to puzzles. 

1. Rule of Nines 

A good example of a pattern is the rule of nines. From 1x9 to 10x9, the digits in the products should result in the number 9. To illustrate, here is the multiplication table for 9:

Riddles and Logic Games

Riddles and logic games are a great way to incorporate learning and entertainment in math challenges. It helps develop problem-solving skills and critical thinking appropriate for any level. Children are able to solve riddles or logic at their own pace. It can help them use their creativity in recognizing patterns and making connections of their prior knowledge. In addition, this approach aids the children’s reading comprehension skills.

Real-Life Applications (Cooking, Measuring Spaces, etc.)

Math has a lot of real-life applications. Using the math concepts learned from lessons in real-life scenarios can help students retain the knowledge. Doing hands-on activities is typically easier and can help parents and children build a bond with each other. 

It’s important that students realize the application of math in real life, as this helps them be interested in future math topics and recognize the importance of math. 

Real-life applications can also be an introduction for the students regarding different life skills that they will need later in life. It can be through simple applications like measuring the ingredients when cooking or finding the optimal options when shopping.

Learning Financial literacy

Handling finances may not seem appealing to some students if they don’t earn their own money. However, it is essential that students learn simple financial concepts, especially for those in high school. 

Learning how to handle finances will always entail mathematical skills, albeit in simpler concepts. Parents or teachers can create theoretical situations that are relevant to the students where they can practice financial and mathematical skills. 

One common example is creating a budgeting plan for groceries. If a student has an income source, parents can incorporate learning math with managing their money. It is also an opportunity to introduce some concepts like interests, debts, and net and gross income.

Connecting to the Learner’s Interest

Tapping into the student’s interest makes the learning experience easier. There are many skills and hobbies where math can be applied. Playing video games is a common hobby among teens where statistics is applied. There’s baking which needs accuracy skills in determining the amount of ingredients needed. 

Also, math skills are needed to designate repetitions and routine schedules when doing sports and exercises.

Speed drills are fun and exciting activities given for younger students learning math fundamentals. The most common activity for speed drills involves multiplication and division worksheets. Speed drills are normally diagnostic tests for students because of the low time limit given to finish the worksheet. The nature of the activity engages the students to think quickly and accurately to get as many correct answers as possible.

There are also lots of online math games that students can play. Many websites offer various math difficulties to cater to a wide range of skills. Math concepts presented in games may work better compared to the conventional teaching approach. These games are interactive which require the application of the student’s math skills. 

There are also several game genres like cooking, racing, problem-solving, and adventure games. With the various genres available, students are more likely to engage and retain or learn the skills being applied in the game.

Key Takeaway

Math is an essential skill that students need to learn. It can be a daunting task for students, which is why its presentation plays a crucial role in the learning experience. With the availability of many resources online, learning math can be done in more ways than the standard ones.