How to help a child with year 3 maths

The top 10 tips to provide year 3 maths help while boosting their confidence and making learning enjoyable along the way!

headshot of author, Michelle

Author
Michelle Griczika

Published
February 2024

How to help a child with year 3 maths

The top 10 tips to provide year 3 maths help while boosting their confidence and making learning enjoyable along the way!

headshot of author, Michelle

Author
Michelle Griczika

Published
February 2024

How to help a child with year 3 maths

The top 10 tips to provide year 3 maths help while boosting their confidence and making learning enjoyable along the way!

headshot of author, Michelle

Author
Michelle Griczika

Published
February 2024

Key takeaways

  • Lack of sleep, low motivation, or a disconnect between school and home learning can contribute to maths struggles
  • Unleash your student’s joy of maths through engaging activities, real-world connections, and a positive mindset.
  • Maths apps are a smart and affordable option (plus, they’re enjoyable!) instead of hiring a private tutor for your child.

Is your child facing challenges with maths? Lack of sleep, decreased motivation, or a disconnect between school and home learning can contribute to their struggles. As parents, it’s important to understand the year 3 maths curriculum and identify specific areas where your child needs assistance. In this article, we’ll provide you with ten effective strategies to support your student in overcoming maths challenges and achieving success. Let’s unlock your child’s maths potential together.

10 ways to provide year 3 maths help

Maths help for year 3 students is simpler than you think. It just takes time, patience, and a bit of creativity. Take a look at our recommendations for year 3 maths help and try them out with your child this week.

1. Boost confidence through encouragement

Celebrate your child’s efforts and achievements in maths, emphasizing progress rather than focusing solely on correct answers. Let them know that making mistakes in maths is how you grow and it is okay to need help.

2. Make maths fun with engaging activities

Explore maths beyond textbooks by incorporating fun activities like maths games, puzzles, and real-life maths challenges. Find interactive maths resources, both online and offline, that align with your child’s interests. Maths apps, maths scavenger hunts, and year 3 practice maths questions are all great tools to help weave maths into your child’s day to day.

3. Practice maths at home

Set aside regular time for maths practice at home. Work together on maths questions, utilize flashcards, or engage in maths-related projects that involve hands-on learning and problem-solving.

4. Foster a positive attitude

When wondering how to help a year 3 student with maths, show enthusiasm for maths and highlight its relevance in everyday life. Encourage a growth mindset, where mistakes are opportunities for learning and improvement.

5. Set achievable maths goals

Maths help for young students includes setting realistic maths goals, such as mastering identifying new shapes or improving on greater than and less than skills. Break down the goals into smaller milestones to celebrate progress along the way.

6. Connect maths to real-life scenarios

Demonstrate how maths is in everyday situations, such as counting the money they earned from doing chores, measuring how much water it takes to make lemonade, or practising telling time when they wake up and go to sleep.

7. Encourage maths dialogue

Engage your child in maths discussions by asking open-ended questions and encouraging them to explain their thoughts. This promotes critical thinking and strengthens their understanding of maths concepts.

8. Collaborate with teachers

Stay in touch with your child’s maths teacher to understand the year 3 maths curriculum and identify areas where your child may need additional support. Collaborate on strategies to reinforce learning at home.

9. Celebrate progress and effort

Recognise and reward your child’s progress and effort in maths. Focus on the process rather than just the outcome. Use positive reinforcement, such as praise, small rewards, or a special maths-related outing to motivate them.

10. Try a maths app

Introduce your child to DoodleMaths, an app for maths help that offers personalised maths lessons tailored to their learning needs. It provides a scaffolded approach, gradually introducing concepts and building a solid maths foundation.

Maths apps vs tutoring

Your child may need more support than just your encouragement in the subject. While private tutoring is a wonderful option, the popularity of personalised maths practice apps is growing. Both options have unique strengths when choosing the best option for your child.

Maths apps offer convenience and accessibility, allowing kids to dive into maths anytime and anywhere. The interactivity and fun features of these apps make learning maths an engaging adventure.

However, it’s essential to remember that tutoring offers something special too. Tutors can cater to a child’s specific needs via hands-on instruction. Keep in mind, one to two tutoring sessions can cost you the same amount as a full-year subscription to a maths app like Doodle.

Ultimately, the decision between maths apps and tutoring depends on what works best for your child and their learning style.

FAQs about year 3 maths help

We know helping with maths can be hard so we’ve provided a few frequently asked questions many parents have when their child needs help with maths.

To help your child with maths, encourage them to practise basic maths facts regularly, use manipulatives for hands-on learning, incorporate maths into daily activities, and engage in math games and puzzles for problem-solving practice.

Students should have a solid understanding of addition and subtraction, counting up to 1000, comparing two- and three-digit numbers, place value, solving simple word problems, recognizing geometric shapes, working with money, and measuring length, weight, and time.

The recommended time for young students to practise maths at home can vary. It is generally recommended to spend 10-15 minutes per day on maths practice. This duration allows for consistent reinforcement of concepts without overwhelming the child. However, every child is unique so you can adjust the time based on your child’s attention span and learning needs. Maintaining a balance between practice and ensuring that maths learning remains enjoyable for them is crucial.

Lesson credits

headshot of author, Michelle

Michelle Griczika

Michelle Griczika is a seasoned educator and experienced freelance writer. Her years teaching coupled with her double certification in early childhood education lend depth to her understanding of diverse learning stages. Michelle enjoys running in her free time and undertaking home projects.

headshot of author, Michelle

Michelle Griczika

Michelle Griczika is a seasoned educator and experienced freelance writer. Her years teaching coupled with her double certification in early childhood education lend depth to her understanding of diverse learning stages. Michelle enjoys running in her free time and undertaking home projects.

headshot of author, Michelle

MIchelle Griczika

Michelle Griczika is a seasoned educator and experienced freelance writer. Her years teaching coupled with her double certification in early childhood education lend depth to her understanding of diverse learning stages. Michelle enjoys running in her free time and undertaking home projects.

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