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I always struggled with maths as a child. Even as an adult, splitting a restaurant bill amongst friends stretched my mental capabilities. I managed to muddle on, avoiding maths whenever possible, until a few years ago when my son asked for homework help with percentages and fractions. Ìý

Not only had I forgotten the little that I did learn, the way maths is taught today can seem baffling, even to adults who sailed through it at school. Number lines, number bonds, pictograms, histograms – it’s like a different language. I took one look at my son’s homework and realised it was time to face my maths demons head on. The next day I enrolled on a course designed to help parents understand how numeracy is taught in schools.Ìý

Many parents are exasperated by how maths is taught nowadays. Some methods can seem longwinded and confusing to us. However, having completed the course, I now realise how important it is to understand fully the basics of maths. When I was at school we tended to learn by rote, which just about worked for me until I was 10. Then, as maths became more complicated, I got left behind because I never really got to grips with the basics.Ìý

During the course I also discovered a more practical approach to learning maths. Most of us are more likely to remember things, if we can see how they can be such as using ratio and proportion to adapt quantities for a recipe or area and circumference to calculate the amount of carpet needed for a bedroom. The course also explained how to develop a range of strategies to solve problems. This helps develop a deeper understanding of numeracy rather than just learning by rote.Ìý

All in all, it added up to a beneficial experience for me and, consequently, my children. It has given me the confidence to talk about numbers with my eight year old daughter, , encourage her to understand what maths is about and why it’s important. Instead of avoiding numbers, we play number games such as Rummikub and Shut the box. I let her pay for groceries and check the change (unless there is a huge queue behind us!). She enjoys weighing ingredients for a recipe, measuring different items around the house, spotting 2 and 3-D shapes when we are out such as cylinders, pyramids or cubes. Hopefully, this is a more interesting and practical way to engender a love of maths than doing repetitive work books at home (although, these can help – in small doses).Ìý

I do believe that if children are confident with maths from a young age, the chances are that they will continue to enjoy it as they progress through school. If your maths is a bit rusty, there are plenty of ways to improve your skills to help you keep up with your children – and you can benefit too. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Skillswise or ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Learning websites feature work sheets, quizzes and games designed to help adults with maths. Your local authority or library will also have details of courses in your area or, if like me you didn’t achieve a maths qualification at school, find out about the numeracy course.Ìý

I never thought I’d say this, but I actually like maths now. What’s more, I can even split a restaurant bill – without a calculator!

Sarah Kingsley is a freelance writer and a member of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Parent Panel.

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