Math has both direct and indirect influences on our lives. As an adult, math can help you boost self-confidence and self-esteem, increase your cognitive function, get a better job. If you’re looking for techniques for improving your math skills, check out the below-outlined methods.
There are many online math games that can help you improve your math skills, such as the math games that are fun on Quiz Beez. These math games are fun and still allow you to practice your math thinking skills, calculation process, numerical intelligence, and more.
Teach yourself and learn online
With many resources online, you can pretty much learn anything. All you have to do is be willing to commit yourself to it. An added advantage is that as you learn math online, you can move at your own pace.
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Some of the options to consider learning math form are:
- Online interactive course books
- Choose Free online courses on platforms such as YouTube. Here you can subscribe to any channel of your choice dealing with what interests you in math
- Online math podcast
Apart from the above, you can use self-teaching courses and workbooks. Importantly you have to find which model fits your preferences best. Developing skills over self-taught methods can be a challenging experience. Of course, there are moments when you have ups and downs, but that’s what comes with teaching yourself math.
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Strategies to develop math skills as an adult
In your expeditions to develop math skills, follow the strategies outlined below. It will make the learning process a lot easier.
- Get a study partner: Having a study buddy will make math more fun to learn. As you will be teaching each other different math concepts, your learning speed will increase significantly.
- Consult with another teacher: Try an alternative such as a tutorial if you do not understand something. You can also write a how-to for yourself to help you see where the problem is coming from. Ensure you conduct your evaluation on your how-to step by step.
- Don’t try it all in your head: You don’t need to impress anyone since you’re learning. Also, don’t seek validation from anyone. Otherwise, you’ll be putting your learning experience in jeopardy and missing out on a lot.
- Following your interests: Choosing the subjects of your interests will assure you a practical learning experience. If you’re planning on getting a car, learn how speed and distance relate to time.
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Constant practice
Science proves that you have to constantly practice your newly acquired skill to get better at math. If you can understand how the numbers in your chart interact as an enumerate, you’re more likely to evaluate risk using hard data. Doing this is driven by emotional appeals and anecdotal evidence. Reaching this level requires practice and commitment.
You have to search for mathematical patterns to think of math in the best way possible. Bear in mind that math is not about speed but more about careful and critical thinking. From making an insightful observation to asking good questions, these elements should be considered as important as any.
Developing number sense is a good foundation for grasping relations among different numbers. For example, 346 – 294 might seem intimidating. However, the subtraction is much simpler than it looks. i.e., subtract 46 from 300, take 300-294 to get 6, and add 46. The answer is 52.
The math operation up there is in line with almost instantaneous reasoning in your mind. You will be far more comfortable with these numbers as you constantly develop a connection with them.
You can try some other types of math games such as IQ test that includes numerical reasoning and numerical intelligence. These are fun and more advanced but still will improve your math skills.
Always remember to expose yourself to constant arithmetic problems in your everyday life. For example, you can try solving numerical problems such as how much your lunch will cost. Also, calculating how many miles you have to drive from home to school and much more.
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Improving Your mental math
Improving your mental math is a vital factor in your overall Math performance. By focusing on this, you’ll realize tremendous gradual results. Below are some of the tips to get you started on your mental math improvement.
- Doing multiplication in part: This is an efficient way of multiplying larger numbers in your head faster. For example, 6 x 42. Begin by dividing 42 into two manageable parts, 40 and 2; now try 6×40. Proceed by dividing 40 by 10. Now multiply the result by 6, i.e., 6×4, which is 24. Execute 24×10, and you get 240. Now multiply 6 by 2 you get 12. Take 240 + 12, and the final answer is 252.
- Use the five times trick: Here, you multiply a number by 10 before multiplying by 5 and then divide it by 2. For example, 26 x 5. Next, multiply 26 by 10, which is 260, then divide it by two. The final answer is 130.
- The 9-trick technique: With this trick, you add 10 to a number you want to add 9 to and then subtract 1. For 8 + 9, you rewrite it as (8+10) – 1, which equates to 17.
To get better at mental math, try doing it in your head first whenever you come across an easy problem. Then, you can resort to a calculator to double-check if you’re right or if you’re having doubts about the answer.
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Playing math games that are fun
Playing math games is essential in reinforcing mathematical skills in your brain. Math games also play the same role as constant practice. There are numerous math games you can install on your phone or your computer.
You have to look for specific games matching your age and education level. Some of the applications you can install are;
- Sumaze: it is primarily suitable for people with an A level in math. On the other hand, it helps advance math skills at any level.
- Khan Academy: The application is popularly known for adults. It provides tutorials, math exercises, and games.
- DragonBox 5+: you can gradually build your algebra skills to a mastery level. As you solve advanced algebraic equations, you will also gain complex problem-solving skills.
- Star Dash studios: Designed by national numeracy, this application can significantly help you learn math in a movie plot. Initially, this gaming app was designed to help youths aged 16 and 25 understand the impact of math in their lives. However, over time it has been adopted by people of all ages.
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Overall thought
The above techniques have a common role in ensuring you get better at math in whatever age bracket you’re in. In addition, holding up constant practice, watching tutorials, playing maths games, and math-related activities will help you learn math much quicker.
