Unfortunately, it happens very often that children have problems with math text problems. Therefore, it is important to practice them step by step at home. There is practically nothing more frustrating for a child if he or she does not understand these tasks and thus both delivers poor homework results and does poorly in the rehearsals.
The only thing that helps against this is timely and, above all, regular practice. It is clear that the child has little desire to do this at first, after negative experiences. Therefore, as parents, explain lovingly but also firmly that the whole school life will not go without text tasks. This explanation takes place naturally as always without pressure.
As always, it is best to start practicing before frustrating results. If that doesn’t work out, and your child comes home with a bad result, then calmly explain to him that this can happen, but that it will be easier for him in the future if you practice together from now on. The prospect of success and good results in the future will make practically every child happy to join in.
Then it applies. Agree on fixed practice times with your child, half an hour each is enough. Don’t pack this practice time too full, so that the motivation doesn’t immediately slide towards zero. Let your child decide how you want to organize the practice. They can choose their own tasks or, even better, think them up. Together you will then create the exercises and it will have a great pleasure to solve these self-made tasks. Of course, these should be close to the subject matter, that goes without saying. Our advice: before you start training, ask the teacher where exactly your child’s problem is.
In this way, you can adjust to the child’s individual problem and practice correctly and in a goal-oriented manner right from the start. Also make sure that only the child is really the main person during this practice time. Do not get distracted to avoid unnecessary frustration in your child. This half hour, for example, belongs exclusively to you and your child. Therefore, provide a quiet environment and make it as comfortable as possible with your child. A relaxed atmosphere is essential to avoid further frustration and to boost motivation. At the beginning, it is of course better to start with easy tasks to let the child warm up mentally. In this way, the child will be more open to bigger brain teasers. You will both notice that success will come quickly. Once the text problem “ghost” has been disenchanted, when your child realizes that it is not that difficult, then he or she will automatically achieve the best results.
If you have little time because of your job or a large family, do yourself a favor anyway: Set aside at least 2 times a week half an hour each for practicing, it simply has to be worth it to you. Your child will thank you with good results and the corresponding lasting motivation. And don’t forget, if your child is fit in this area, then he or she can possibly be a learning helper for younger siblings or school friends later on. Working together also promotes a sense of community!