Maths is for everyone

How many times have you struggled with an everyday mental calculation and then disregarded it and swiped the thought away with the phrase, “I’m just no good at maths”? Perhaps you couldn’t split the restaurant bill and tip or helping your children with their maths homework has become a challenging task that fills you with dread. When we lack the confidence in our ability, it’s easy to say, “my maths is terrible” or “I can’t do maths”

According to a poll conducted by YouGov, 80% of adults would feel embarrassed to say they were “bad” at reading, compared to 56% of adults who would feel ashamed to say they had poor maths skills- a stark difference.

Children often grow up with past generations of family members that talk about maths as a hard or difficult subject. It is often perceived as boring. Is this so, or is it that maths challenged us, and we didn’t like that feeling when we were younger? Maths at school may have even scared us. 

Even with the technology available today, often having good mental maths skills is an important part of our everyday lives. The general perception of maths as a difficult subject and the belief that only a small percentage of people can master maths has reflected badly on individual performance. For example, research suggests that the number of adults who have numeracy skills no better than those expected of an 11-year-old has shot up to 17 million in England. Furthermore, compared to Asian countries, Britain is lagging far behind in maths. According to the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (2016), the UK ranks 27th in maths while Singapore and China (Hong Kong and Macau) are ranked top three in both maths and reading. The research speaks for itself.

However, what if the next generation could rewrite the narrative and eradicate current statistics? What if they could develop core maths skills early on in their academic careers and grow up to be not just good at maths, but exceptional? To accomplish this, children need to have a positive learning experience that allows them to thoroughly practice and enhance their maths skills, from the very basics of recognising numbers all the way to complex mathematical theories.

The Kumon Maths Programme helps children of all ages and abilities develop maths skills in small steps, where students are able to build their understanding and fluency of each topic before moving on to another. They enhance their mental maths ability and as they progress throughout the programme, their accuracy and speed significantly improve. Kumon believes that every child has the potential to succeed in maths, and our unique method of learning helps children develop fundamental skills they can continue to use throughout their lives.  

Are you interested in developing your child’s maths abilities and confidence? Book a FREE Assessment today, and let your child discover their potential.