Teachers are always trying to find new and engaging ways to get kids to enjoy maths. You know the drill. Giving a lesson on fractions? A pizza is the only prop you’ll need.
It’s an important part of learning in the early years, but a lot of children struggle to form a connection with it in the same way they do with more emotive subjects like art, history or languages.
Maths is an abstract subject that helps children understand concepts like logic, distance, space and shapes. Not only does it teach them how to apply logic to work out a problem, but it also helps them understand why the solution works.
Children generally don’t like or understand what they can’t see, which explains why teachers are forced to whip out tasty props to get their attention!
Now let’s talk about the link between maths and coding…
Maths and coding go hand in hand. In fact, some of the most well-known computer scientists in history were also mathematicians.
Alan Turing, for example, studied maths at university before he was crowned the Father of Computer Science.
When children learn how to code, they are unknowingly learning analytical and mathematical thinking skills at the same time.
Although not quite as tasty, learning to code helps children visualise abstract concepts in the same way that pizza does.
This visualisation helps them understand complex concepts in a fun, imaginative way, and when children are given the opportunity to create, they are more inclined to learn.
At Jam Coding, many of our workshops focus on mathematical concepts that children would generally dismiss as boring, yet the feedback we receive from parents is always exceptional.
If you’re struggling to get your child to enjoy maths, why not give coding a try? Follow us on social media for helpful hints and tips or get in touch to book a workshop in your area.