First, as parents, understand the
fact that education is a symbiotic
process that involves both the
parents and teachers. Like a
committed parent, a good
teacher could make a child love
a seemingly ‘hard’ subject and
make a genius of him.
Here are steps to take:
• Learn to create a
mathematical environment
It is critical to create a
mathematical ‘environment’ for
your children, especially during
the formative years. Children
who are regularly exposed to
mathematics early in their
everyday lives are in a better
position to embrace higher-level
mathematics. To Ms. Idowu
Tokunbo-Joseph, the Chief
Executive Officer, Gethsemane
Garden Educational Consultancy,
adequate drilling of children
proffers knowledge. Drilling?
“Well, when a child recites the
multiplication table on a daily
basis, he is not likely to forget it
anytime soon,” she says.
Moreover, parents should make
maths real. Maths is all around
you in the form of money, time,
measurement, and numerous
other daily encounters. Help
your child appreciate the value
of mathematics by pointing out
the ‘mathematical world’
anywhere you go. According to
Professor Sam Ale, Director-
General of the National
Mathematical Centre, life is
about mathematics. Hear him:
“Even God is a mathematician.
He is an Algebraist and he
geometrises daily. The wonders
of the world are about
mathematics and all the great
philosophers were
mathematicians. There is nothing
you do in life that does not
require mathematics.” So,
engage your children in life skills
and games from their early
years. Here is an example: Share
cakes/biscuits and ask a child to
pick one and count the rest.
That way, you are teaching them
fraction. Gradually, they learn to
solve arithmetic.
• Learn to review school work
As parents, ensure you do a
thorough check-up on your
children/wards by cross-checking
on what they have been taught
at school- paying huge school
fees should not place that
responsibility on any teacher!
Encourage your children to read
extensively in order to gain
sound knowledge.
• Learn to reinforce it as well
Though as working parents, you
might not do this on a daily
basis, you can engage them over
the weekend. Is this possible?
Yes, as long as you don’t make
them believe weekends are for
watching television alone.
Unfortunately, some parents
have made television their
electronic babysitters. If your
child watches too much of TV,
they spend less time developing
their own interests and exploring
their own ideas too. Minimise
your child’s TV time to
encourage more out-of-the-box
thinking.
• Have a positive mindset
Words like, ‘Maths is too hard,’
or ‘I was never good at maths
either,’ or ‘you don’t need maths
to be successful in life,’ give
children an easy way out of
something that will likely be
challenging to them. That maths
was (and is) not important to
you, doesn’t spell the same to
your child. You don’t have the
same life and its likely maths is
going to be important to your
children more in this age and
time.
• Learn to give reward
Rewards can be used effectively
as motivational tools – just make
sure rewards are attached to a
specific goal or accomplishment
and not used inconsistently or
inappropriately. Rewards do not
need to be big or expensive.
Come up with ideas as a family;
think of things like a special
dinner or staying up later on a
weekend night.
• You can’t leave out books
Books are essential for any
subject. So ensure they get
books in order to expand their
knowledge and scope of the
subject. Mr. Abiodun Sanni, a
mathematics teacher in a public
school, says students whose
parents buy books for them are
likely to do better than those
who do not.
• Schools are not left out
either
Mrs Olasumbo Brown, the
proprietor of Crayon Campus
Montessori School, Lagos, says,
“Schools should employ qualified
teachers instead of allowing just
any graduate to teach. A
graduate without the knowledge
of mathematics cannot teach a
child well. They would only pass
on what they do not know.”
CAUTION!
• You don’t put pressure to
make a genius!
Conversely, you can’t make a
child like maths. Pressurising a
child can have detrimental
effects on them. It’s more
important to make the learning
process fun and engaging. Any
‘extracurricular’ maths that you
do with your children/pupils
should be on the light side.
Playing a maths game in the car
is a great way to pass the time,
but don’t force it if your child is
not in the mood to learn. It’s a
good idea to set a time limit on
the activity and stick to it- 15 to
20 minutes is appropriate for
most elementary school pupils.
• Mind the time of the day
too!

bayulll01: First, as parents, understand the
fact that education is a symbiotic
process that involves both the
parents and teachers. Like a
committed parent, a good
teacher could make a child love
a seemingly ‘hard’ subject and
make a genius of him.
Here are steps to take:
• Learn to create a
mathematical environment
It is critical to create a
mathematical ‘environment’ for
your children, especially during
the formative years. Children
who are regularly exposed to
mathematics early in their
everyday lives are in a better
position to embrace higher-level
mathematics. To Ms. Idowu
Tokunbo-Joseph, the Chief
Executive Officer, Gethsemane
Garden Educational Consultancy,
adequate drilling of children
proffers knowledge. Drilling?
“Well, when a child recites the
multiplication table on a daily
basis, he is not likely to forget it
anytime soon,” she says.
Moreover, parents should make
maths real. Maths is all around
you in the form of money, time,
measurement, and numerous
other daily encounters. Help
your child appreciate the value
of mathematics by pointing out
the ‘mathematical world’
anywhere you go. According to
Professor Sam Ale, Director-
General of the National
Mathematical Centre, life is
about mathematics. Hear him:
“Even God is a mathematician.
He is an Algebraist and he
geometrises daily. The wonders
of the world are about
mathematics and all the great
philosophers were
mathematicians. There is nothing
you do in life that does not
require mathematics.” So,
engage your children in life skills
and games from their early
years. Here is an example: Share
cakes/biscuits and ask a child to
pick one and count the rest.
That way, you are teaching them
fraction. Gradually, they learn to
solve arithmetic.
• Learn to review school work
As parents, ensure you do a
thorough check-up on your
children/wards by cross-checking
on what they have been taught
at school- paying huge school
fees should not place that
responsibility on any teacher!
Encourage your children to read
extensively in order to gain
sound knowledge.
• Learn to reinforce it as well
Though as working parents, you
might not do this on a daily
basis, you can engage them over
the weekend. Is this possible?
Yes, as long as you don’t make
them believe weekends are for
watching television alone.
Unfortunately, some parents
have made television their
electronic babysitters. If your
child watches too much of TV,
they spend less time developing
their own interests and exploring
their own ideas too. Minimise
your child’s TV time to
encourage more out-of-the-box
thinking.
• Have a positive mindset
Words like, ‘Maths is too hard,’
or ‘I was never good at maths
either,’ or ‘you don’t need maths
to be successful in life,’ give
children an easy way out of
something that will likely be
challenging to them. That maths
was (and is) not important to
you, doesn’t spell the same to
your child. You don’t have the
same life and its likely maths is
going to be important to your
children more in this age and
time.
• Learn to give reward
Rewards can be used effectively
as motivational tools – just make
sure rewards are attached to a
specific goal or accomplishment
and not used inconsistently or
inappropriately. Rewards do not
need to be big or expensive.
Come up with ideas as a family;
think of things like a special
dinner or staying up later on a
weekend night.
• You can’t leave out books
Books are essential for any
subject. So ensure they get
books in order to expand their
knowledge and scope of the
subject. Mr. Abiodun Sanni, a
mathematics teacher in a public
school, says students whose
parents buy books for them are
likely to do better than those
who do not.
• Schools are not left out
either
Mrs Olasumbo Brown, the
proprietor of Crayon Campus
Montessori School, Lagos, says,
“Schools should employ qualified
teachers instead of allowing just
any graduate to teach. A
graduate without the knowledge
of mathematics cannot teach a
child well. They would only pass
on what they do not know.”
CAUTION!
• You don’t put pressure to
make a genius!
Conversely, you can’t make a
child like maths. Pressurising a
child can have detrimental
effects on them. It’s more
important to make the learning
process fun and engaging. Any
‘extracurricular’ maths that you
do with your children/pupils
should be on the light side.
Playing a maths game in the car
is a great way to pass the time,
but don’t force it if your child is
not in the mood to learn. It’s a
good idea to set a time limit on
the activity and stick to it- 15 to
20 minutes is appropriate for
most elementary school pupils.
• Mind the time of the day
too!

Thank you.

God bless you.
God2man.