How can I make my son see the fun in math?

Question

Hey guys.. please help me, because I'm desperate.

I have a 14 year old son, which has math problems. It's just math, all the other subjects are better than fine. He has no concentration problems or ADHD or any of those. He just hates math, and doesn't want to put any effort in it. I tried some private teachers, even the most "talented" and expensive, but none of them helped. I know how much mathematical eduction is important today, and it is important for me that he will graduate this subject.

A friend of mine had told me that I should find a way to make him like it, and see the fun in it.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

You cant. Math isnt fun.

Answer 2

You can't I always have hated it and I always will. Just make sure he passes it :)

Answer 3

One of the most effective ways of teaching math is to put it into real-world use.

Design and build a model rocket. Estimate its performance parameters - how fast, how high, how long - and then compare the estimates to actual performance.

Do the same thing with a model airplane, or build a telescope, or a garden fountain or calculate how much paint to paint the garage, or how much mulch to cover a certain area to a depth of 7 inches or....

This teaches math in fun ways, often without realizing that you're really learning math, and it shows that math has real-world applications that are darn handy to know.;

Good luck!

Answer 4

first of all, a child doesn't have to have ADHD or anything for that matter to have a difficult time in school when it comes to comprehension of the content.  You are classifying those special need students as incapable when in fact, the better of my students and most often most successful are those in special education.

Also, you can't "make" him see the fun in math?  But you could try..do you find math fun?  Try relating the problems and equations or whatever it is they are working on to something he is interested in..sports, weather, cars, running, etc.  Make it connect to the real world because then not only will it be fun, but he will find the significance in understanding math and using it for the real world..yes,  even after he graduates from HS.

Answer 5

Well, I had a very similar problem. check this site out, it helped a lot - it is a review site of fun math games for every age.

Hope I was helpful

Answer 6

Find him a good looking girl who likes math and he'll start liking it.

(Maybe get a college student to tutor him?)

Answer 7

Now I didn't like math for a long time...I hated it in fact. But at my school I love my new teacher there cause she teaches math and makes it fun. Though I've learned this, kids need math, right? Right! It helps in everyday life, right? Right! All kids need to be wiz's at it to succeed, right? Kind of... I think that he doesn't need help making it seem fun! I think he needs to learn how math can apply in life, so then he'll feel like he has to keep trying! Like this, ask him a question that uses math, and try to see if he can figure it out. Do this once or twice everyday without letting him know you're trying to get him to use math. Some kids just are stubborn and if they know they're doing math then they don't want to do it. So try this, also, if he likes video games, there's always a way to get him into math that way too. Like for instance, Civilization 4, a great strategy game, can help the brain in mathematics, strategy. and well just about anything. Cause in math you need to be able to use strategy to figure out math problems. So maybe try playing strategy games with him, or get him Civilization 4! I hope that someday your math can find fun in math, or atleast try to get better.

Hope I've helped!

Answer 8

What types of things is your son into?  Math is found in almost all hobbies.  For example - cars - math is used to figure out right ratios of gas intake for optimum mileage output (i'm not a car person, but this should work).  Is he into baseball?  start asking him about how the MLB actually gets stats.  Same goes with football, soccer, insert favorite sport.  Does your son like making things?  Carpentry, robotics, etc.  Instead of math tutors, try getting him to a join a group that needs to use a large amount of math.  I know that many large high schools, and community colleges actually runs an engineering, or alternative energy program for kids that has competitions all around the US.  Does your son like money?  Why not give him a few hundred dollars to invest.  He will need to research stock perfomance, and projected outcome, again, all using math.

Math, by itself is pretty dry.  THe best way to get a person interested in the subject is to show its usefullness for day to day and interesting activities.  

Answer 9

im 14 and i hate math.

it's just not my thing.

but i passed.