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We have just started working on the basics of addition and subtraction, but my tutee is kind of losing focus and excitement. I think he's finding this a little tougher than it was at first, and his enthusiasm is waning a little.
Any idea how I can add some spark to the tutoring sessions, and make boring addition and subtraction more entertaining?
This will be his first year of school, and I am trying to get him started off on the right foot without boring him in the process - Thanks!
Pete W., WI
Answer: Hey, Pete, thanks for the great question! It's nice to know that there are tutors like you out there who are willing to go the extra mile to make math fun for kids!
The really good news is that addition and subtraction can both be made much more fun, for both you and your young tutee, by adding a few colorful games and puzzles into the mix.
For example, maybe you can cut out some of his favorite shapes and work with those to physically show the results of adding and subtracting numbers. If he loves dinosaurs, cut out 10 Triceratops, 10 T-Rex, 10 Pterodactyl, 10 Stegosaurus, 10 Plesiosaur...you get the idea. Then, you two can take some time adding together each of the dinosaur types.
If we take away two Stegosauruses, how many do we have left?
Or: If we add three T-Rexes to five Triceratops, how many dinosaurs are there total?
You can also reach for some dice to add a gaming element to the math tutoring. Dice have numbers (a necessity for adding and subtracting!), they are fun to roll, and (thanks to the dynamics of rolling the dice) they offer you an ever changing array of math possibilities.
Another popular method is to put together games and worksheets that look like tests or homework, but much more fun. Brighten up boring black and white equations with some stickers and pictures. Make up fun scenarios about why these equations have to be worked out - one tutor I knew created a whole scenario about a time machine, and how working out 10 equations would allow the time machine to take the tutee anywhere in time he wanted to go.
These fun versions of tests and homework sheets are also good, because they will help your tutee get used to the format of the tests and homework sheets he will see in school for the next several years.
And don't forget to check out the ITA resources for some addition and subtraction games that are sure to add some zest to your math tutoring!
Good luck and happy tutoring!
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