Math-U-See is Boring!
My student is telling me that Math-U-See is boring! I’m not sure what to do! Can you help?
There are a number of reasons your student might be feeling bored. As a first step, try and see if you and your student can pinpoint what is causing that boredom. Is the work too easy? Does your student feel that there is no clear purpose or application to the math being studied? Identifying what the problem is will help you find a solution.
3 Tips for Removing Boredom
1) Show the Importance of Math
Let your student work at the pace that’s best for them. We’ve heard many stories of students going through a level and a half or even two levels in one year! Of course, it’s perfectly fine to spend multiple years on one level, and we’ve known many successful students who have benefited from doing so. If the problem seems to be more that the math seems disconnected from real world application, highlight how you use math in your daily life.
For example, when eating at a restaurant, have your student calculate the tip: “what if we wanted to tip 15%? What about 20%?”
2) Play a Math Game
Homeschool mom Janelle Knutson notes that, “Sometimes playing with the blocks and working along side the parent on a white board reaps more rewards than trudging through one worksheet after another.”
Instead of doing a worksheet, you could always play a math game or do a math activity.
3) Add Color or Music
To add color to the page, Janelle Knutson recommends using erasable pens. You can also let your student doodle on the page or decorate it with stickers as a reward for finishing the worksheet. In addition, consider letting your student choose instrumental music to play quietly in the background as they work. While some students might find music distracting, other students may find that it helps them stay engaged with their work.
