Every student has to study Mathematics at one stage in life. To be honest, while some students absolutely love the subject, it is undeniable that most students actually hate studying the subject. In the present scenario, mathematics has become extremely important. Most of the courses include certain level of math.
Also, most profession utilize it is some form or the other. The issue with most students is that they don’t know how to properly solve problems in mathematics.
Importance of solving math problems quickly
Mathematics is just one of those subjects that a student can spend hours on yet not learn a thing. No matter how much you work on the subject, you are a lost cause if you can’t solve the problem on time in exams.
So, the challenge remains to not only solve a math problem, but also solve it within limited time. With assignments, students can easily take online assignment help to complete their mathematics assignment. However, in exams, they don’t have any help whatsoever.
If your child is often complaining about running out of time during mathematics examination, you should understand that he or she is slow in solving math problems. Some problems in mathematics are simple and straightforward while others are complicated and hard to solve. Most teachers would be willing to help students so that they can get faster in the subject.
However, they don’t have the time to deal with each and every student. This is why parents should always look to play their role by helping their children learn how to quickly solve problems in mathematics.
The Basics of solving any problem in Mathematics
While there are various diversified problems in mathematics, the very basic for solving any problem always remains the same. Before you get your child to solve problems quickly, make sure that they know the basics about problem solving in the subject. If a student gets the basics right, solving mathematical problems is less of an issue.
Here are the basics that every student must know:
- Understanding the problem:
Before a student tries solving a problem, he or she must try to understand it properly first. Any problem gets a lot more difficult if it is not understood properly.
- Identifying the knowns and unknowns:
In every math problem, some information is provided to you and you have to find out the unknown ones. The very first thing that a student has to do is to identify the knowns and unknowns. This way, they know exactly what is being asked in the problem.
- Translating the problem to mathematical language:
For any mathematical problem to be solved, it has to be translated from English to Math. You can translate the problem depending on what it is asks.
- Solving the problem:
This is the part which takes up most of the time. Different problems have different solutions. In fact, there can be multiple ways to solve a single problem. It is completely dependent on how the student approaches the sum.
- Checking the answer:
Once you have come to a solution, it is extremely important to check the validity of your answer. This is just a way to make sure that you haven’t done any silly mistake that could cost you valuable marks.
If you are a parent, you should motivate your child to focus on the basics of solving mathematical problems. This will not only help them get better in the subject, but also improve their overall potential. Helping them with math assignments is also useful for that. You can go through “How to boost potentiality of your child while doing assignments?†if you to know more about increasing the potential of your child.
Encourage your child to practice more
Mathematics is a subject which is impossible to study by simply reading and listening. A student can never study math if they are not willing to solve problems themselves. With mathematics, more problems you solve, the better it is. Each problem is unique in itself and it can be solved in different ways.
There is just no shortcut in Math, if you want your child to be good in the subject; you have to make sure that they practice on a regular basis. With more practice, they will eventually get faster in solving problems.
The best way to make sure that your child is practicing properly is to stay by them when they are doing so. Once they get into the habit of practicing mathematical problems, you should encourage them to solve problems within a limited time. Soon, they will develop a habit of solving problems quickly and efficiently. As they say, practice will make them perfect.
Reviewing the solution for errors
It may so happen that in order to solve a problem, a student might have made some mistakes. So, after solving a problem, you must ask your child to review their solution for any possible errors. Also, you should encourage them to learn from their mistakes, so that they don’t repeat the same mistake again.
By reviewing the errors, students can get an understanding of where they went wrong. It gets a lot easier to rectify the mistakes.
Importance of useful shortcuts and simplifying the problem as much as possible
This is where you can help your child only if you understand mathematics a bit yourself. Even some complex mathematical problems can be solved with shortcuts if implemented properly. You should make sure that your child is implementing these shortcuts in a proper manner.
Also, while solving the problem, a student must try to simplify it as much as possible. Simplifying the fractions into lowest terms and rationalizing radical expressions are examples of situations where you can simplify the problem.
Maintain a healthy environment at home
For your child to practice math more, you should try to maintain distraction free and neat environment in your home. This way, you can ensure that your child is only concentrating on the Mathematic problems and nothing else. No distractions are always helpful in solving even the most complex problems.