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How to Keep Students Interested in Math

Math is an important subject of study that has practical applications and also improves overall analytic and critical thinking skills. However, it's often the subject in which students show the least interest, and keeping kids interested in and excited about math can be a challenge for educators. Flagging interest leads to a lack of focus, which in turn leads to difficulty in reaching students to explain mathematical concepts. Educators can apply several strategies to keep students interested.

Instructions

    • 1

      Connect mathematical lessons to real-world scenarios, especially those that are relevant to students' lives. Math can be a very abstract, theoretical field whose practical applications may not be apparent to students. You can stress the day-to-day relevance of it by using real-life examples in your lessons.

    • 2

      Use illustrated word problems. Word problems present mathematical puzzles in a narrative form, in which "characters" discuss a mathematical conundrum involved in some hypothetical situation. Illustrate these word problems with pictures and comics to make the lesson less abstract and more visually appealing.

    • 3

      Go on math-related field trips. Field trips help get students excited about a field of study and serve to emphasize the real-world relevance of educational subjects. Math-related field trips could include excursions to scientific research facilities and labs; businesses or government agencies working in aeronautics, robotics, or some other exciting, cutting-edge field or, for example, a particle accelerator or some other high-tech physics facility.

    • 4

      Inject humor into the classroom. Math doesn't necessarily have to be dry and humorless. A bit of comic relief can go a long way in maintaining students' attention and interest.

    • 5

      Incorporate math-related games into the lesson. For example, split the class into two teams and make solving a series of problems a competitive activity. For younger learners, numbers games can be adopted to turn a math lesson into a fun activity.

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