When asked about their best school experiences, most people are likely to reflect on their elementary school years when learning was fun and filled with playground activities, communication with friends, and exciting school projects. Unfortunately, nowadays, education is mostly about preparing students for college, even from the early learning stages.
As a parent, guardian, or teacher, you understand that teaching a child is often challenging. Due to kids’ nature, they quickly get tired, bored, or distracted if you, as an educator, fail to stay on top of the lesson. While it might be hard to make a subject interesting for kids, it is not an impossible mission.
Understandably, students grasp information better when learning is fun. So, it is in your and your kid’s best interest to make the mathematics courses fun. If you are unsure where to begin, here are five ways to make teaching fun.
1. Use teaching apps
Technology is one of the best tools in the education sector today. It has completely revolutionized teaching and learning. As a result, there are several applications that you can use to make lessons more fun for kids.
One such app is Brighterly.com which contains basic mathematical concepts that your kid will find easier to grasp. The app will help them understand even complicated topics in a fun way by engaging their senses. There are numerous educational apps on almost any topic imaginable, including maths, history, science, languages, music, etc.
All these apps incorporate fun into learning. Therefore, a student will be kept engaged by all the fun exercises and not even realize that they are actively learning while using the app. Most educational apps are free, and those with a fee usually offer free trials for a reasonable time.
For example, the experts over at the Space Foundation can explain what a satellite is in simple terms, and then bring it to life with colorful animations. As such, your kids will stay entertained while learning the basics of space exploration.
2. Encourage a student to be creative
Most students are creative in one way or another. As a teacher, you should aim to encourage creativity in them by incorporating not trivial tasks into the lesson plan. For instance, if you teach a mathematics lesson on shapes, let students make different shapes using construction paper.
The approach will allow them to use imagination while still grasping the concept at hand. It would be best if you provided the materials they can use to express their creativity. If possible, allow kids to choose the medium through which they want to express themselves, whether it is painting, drawing, clay molding, etc.
3. Incorporate games into the lesson plan
Is there anyone who doesn’t love or enjoy games? Games are a fun way to pass time and relieve stress. They can also be helpful in the classroom by making lessons more fun for students. For example, you could use board games like Monopoly to teach financial literacy to your students.
Numerous online games are specifically designed to help students learn while having fun. These games often have different levels and thus may suit students of different ages and grades. Kids must progress as they get better at the game. Your role is to find games appropriate for the age group and the subject matter you teach.
4. Curate a fun learning environment
The environment in which you teach can significantly impact the way students enjoy and grasp the lesson. If it is dull, students will feel the same way about the class. However, if you create a fun and stimulating environment, they are more likely to be engaged and learn more effectively.
You could use bright and cheerful colors in your classroom to achieve this goal. You could also incorporate fun elements such as Bean Bag chairs, large stuffed animals, etc. as long as it is appropriate to the learners’ age group.
Another way to make the learning environment fun would be putting up colorful posters of what students have learnt around the classroom. The goal is to make the space a place where students want to be, not the one where they have to be.
5. Make learning interactive
Interactive learning is one of the best ways to make lessons fun for your students. It allows kids to be more engaged with the material as they feel involved in the process. There are several ways to make learning interactive.
One way would be to use props and have students act out what they are learning. For instance, if you are teaching a lesson on plants, you could bring in some real plants or even printed pictures of plants. Give each student a plant and have them take turns describing the plant in detail.
Another way to make learning interactive would be to offer kids group projects. Assign each group a different topic related to the lesson. They would then have to research their topic and present it to the class interestingly and interactively. The activity is never boring and can help students learn to work together as a team.
The bottom line
Learning math can be fun for students and, contrary to what most people believe, doesn’t have to be complicated. These five tips above are some of the best ways to make learning a worthwhile experience for your students. You can quickly make these approaches a reality by incorporating them into your lesson plans.
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