Having mixed feelings about how to teach primary math 1 to your 7-year-old ?
That’s natural.
Afterall, the challenges and expectations of pre-primary life are very different from primary school.
In this post, we’re going to walk you through what is expected for Primary 1 Math and share some practical things you can do as a parent to support your child. Hopefully, this will help you be better prepared for what’s to come and defuse some of the stress that you are experiencing. =)
How to prepare your child for Primary 1 Math
To answer that, let’s first look at what your child’s teacher will be covering in their Primary 1 Math class!
Here’s a list of the main topics that you’ll find when you flip through your child’s P1 Mathematics textbook.
- Number bonds
- Numbers to 100
- Addition
- Subtraction
- Multiplication
- Division
- Shapes
- Length etc.
If you need a more detailed version of the topics and skills, do check out our Primary 1 Maths syllabus.
Some of you might notice that a part of the topics look somewhat familiar. In fact, some pre-schools might have covered half of it prior to Primary 1. In any case, since it is the priority of every primary school to set the same solid Mathematics foundation for every child, all students in P1 will be taught the basics, so that everyone is on the same page.
Now that you know what your child will be learning, let’s talk about how you can support your child better on their education journey. Here are some tips and learning resources to help you make Math revision more enjoyable for you and your child.
How to teach Primary 1 Math at home?
Ask your child what they have learnt during Math class as you are checking in.
Besides asking your child “How’s your day in school?”, try asking the following questions:
“Did you learn anything new in Math class today that you can teach mummy/daddy?”
“Is there anything you don’t understand in class that you want to ask mummy/daddy?”
Asking your child such questions will not only show them that you are interested to be part of their life, but it’ll also keep them excited about remembering what they have learnt in Math class so that they can share it with you after school.
What to do if your child has no problem in Primary 1 Math
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Revisiting what their teacher has taught to check their understanding
Sometimes, your child might not be able to tell you what Math problem they are facing. What can you do to make sure that they are really coping well in school?
Well, one way is to get them to do some of the Math questions or examples in their textbook and see if they have any difficulties working them out.
Once you’ve identified what Math concepts they are unsure of or missed out in class, it’s going to be much easier to step in to help them bridge that learning gap.
For a more thorough analysis of their learning, you can use our free A.I. Math tutor to assess how well your child understands what is taught in school so far.
Next, let’s talk about how to actually go about teaching your child.
How to teach Primary 1 Math concepts so that your child gets them
Teaching your child at home can be a challenge at times. While you are focused on teaching them what they don’t know, your child may start chatting with you about everything else except what is at hand or they might not get what you are teaching.
Take a deep breath, we understand.
Before you explode or give up, here’s what you need to know. The trick to teach them effectively lies in you thinking like them.
Yes, all you need to do is to go back to the time that you were 7 years old and think like your P1 child.
Their actions make more sense now, right?
Before you start teaching, it might be helpful to adjust your expectations a little. No, they can’t sit still for 1 hour straight. In fact, you should be proud of your child if they can focus for half an hour. Most 7 year old children can do 15 minutes. There are hacks to extending their attention though.
What can you do to make the best use of this 15 minutes?
1. Use visuals
Most children are visual learners. This is where the Singapore bar model method helps them grasp Math concepts easily.
For now, the easiest way for your child to learn Math concepts in Primary 1 is to touch and see real objects or pictures.
Here’s a video tutorial of how we teach the concept of multiplication at Practicle to help children understand visually rather than getting them to memorize:
2. Keep language simple
Besides engaging them with visuals, the way you communicate plays a great role in how much they understand as well.
Imagine yourself teaching a younger you.
Did you understand big words? Did you have the same experiences as an adult?
When you are teaching your child, keep in mind that they may not know as many words as you do or understand your examples if they have not experienced them in their lives.
Keeping your language simple and using examples that your child can relate to would help your child understand what you are trying to teach them better.
How to make sure that your child has learnt what you’ve taught
It’s always a good idea to check how much your child has learnt after teaching. them
The best way to do that is to get them to practice with some Math questions so that they have a chance to apply what they have learnt.
Before you think about how intensive their Mathematics practice should be or where to get the best Math assessment books and worksheets, stop. You don’t want to destroy your child’s joy of learning at such a young age.
Why not try an online gamified Math learning platform like Practicle to make learning fun for your child?
Designed by ex-school teachers and aligned to the MOE’s Singapore Math curriculum, we help young children build good study habits, identify and fix any learning gaps so that they can stay on track with what’s required in school without the stress.
If you are teaching your child, it’s going to be a great addition to help you keep track of your child’s learning progress and make the most out of Math revision time.
Conclusion
Need more resources to help you teach Primary 1 Math better. Don’t forget to check out these resources and let us know how they worked for you!
We sure hope your child will have a happy and fruitful primary school life ahead!