But these things can change!

‘Can you write some sums for me, Mummy?’ said her son to Gill, one of the mums on a recent #MathsForParents course I was running.

We normally start each session sharing what has gone on between sessions and Gill confided that before doing the course, this sort of request would have filled her with dread. She would have begun to panic and she would not have known what to do.

But now she did know what to do! Instead of feeling dread, Gill was so delighted that her son had asked her.

In the sessions we had talked about simple things parents can do to help their child with maths, and the things we had discussed in the sessions came to mind and Gill creatively knew what to do.

Gill’s feelings are quite common. Many parents dread their children asking them about maths. A recent survey, which was part of National Numeracy’s Parental Engagement Project, found that 30% of parents said that doing maths made them unhappy.

The good news is… But these things can change, as Gill’s story shows.

I am so pleased! I can’t wait to hear back more of what has happened.

Both of my Help Your Child With Numeracy: Age Range 3-7, and, Help Your Child With Numeracy: Age Range 7-11, books have many suggestions on how to use everyday situations to help your child.

The second edition of Help Your Child With Numeracy: Age Range 3-7, is about to be published. I will keep you posted about when it is available. 

Great … Fun at the beach!

Glad to say that my grandchildren are coming to visit and we intend to make the most of the good weather and visit the beach.

There’s plenty of opportunity to play games at the beach and make maths part of everyday life!

For example, filling a bucket with sand helps give the idea of a full bucket, an empty bucket a half-full bucket … these are important mathematical concepts for young children.

Playing Boules – who has thrown the Boules ball the furthest? You can pace these out and see. Learning about the comparatives, such as closest and furthest is a really important mathematical. Then, who has won? Whose ball is the closest to the ‘jack’, and by how much? Is it by a hand span, finger’s width … you can use all sorts of ways to measure and so introduce simple units.

Have fun!