Why It’s Important to Make Math Relatable

July 24, 2020
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Why It’s Important to Make Math Relatable

title says why it's important to make math relatable. Subtitle says relatable math learning experiences can increase student learning.

Did you know that students learn best when they can relate to and have a personal connection to the math lesson? Relatable math learning experiences can have a positive influence on students’ learning.

It is important to make math relatable to students in order to create engaging learning experiences.

Research has found that real-life math problems that include situations that students live and experience can influence students’ understanding and ability to solve word problems because personal connections are developed (Newton, 2017).

Title says relatable math with a picture of fraction blocks next to different types of fruit cut in different pieces to represent the fraction block

For example, to keep students engaged in a math lesson use examples that are personal and relevant to students. Word problems can be relatable to students by incorporating students’ interests, cultural experiences, and lived experiences (Henriksen & Mehta, 2016). The book, Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students, has great strategies.

title says student interests and the picture shows a boy and girl interested and engaged in math

Teachers can develop engaging word problems by using students’ interests or current trends such as games, video games, characters from favorite T.V. shows or books, snacks, etc.

Relatable math lessons can also include hands-on learning experiences and visual representations. Word problems can include situations that can be represented physically with real-life objects or visually with photographs. For example, physical hands-on items such as markers, crayons, books, snacks, and pictures can be used to make math relatable. Printed pictures of basketballs, baseballs, cookies, and books are also been helpful to make the lesson relatable.

title says hands-on learning and picture is of groups of sticks bundled together to represent hands-on math multiplication problems

Remember, student engagement increases as a result of using relatable learning experiences.

So, do you want to learn more about making math relatable to students? If so, download the FREE guide The 10 Steps to Create Effective and Engaging Math Lessons to begin today!

Another blog post you may be interested in is about Time Management and Math Lesson Planning. Click here to learn more!

Thanks for reading! 💟 Karen Brown – The A Plus Teacher

 
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