How Math Help Can Improve Confidence in Your 3rd-Grader

Every grade and subject is pivotal in a child’s education, and third-grade math is no exception!

In fact, third-grade math is a massive year for students as they learn new concepts, such as multiplication and division. These are the fundamental building blocks, along with addition and subtraction, for many future advanced concepts.

This is why it is so important for students to have high math confidence.

Unfortunately, some children don’t feel this way, which is why teachers and parents must strive to give math help any way they can. Concepts will only become more and more advanced, especially when students move to fourth grade and beyond.

Here are some ways you can offer math help to improve your child’s confidence:

Math Minutes

Some third-grade math teachers use this exercise in the classroom, and its easy for parents to replicate at home.

Print out a sheet of about 25 equations of basic math facts (for example, the multiplication table of 4: 4×1, 4×7, 8×4, and so on; the equations can repeat). Have your child answer as many of the problems as possible in a minute.

When he or she can answer them all correctly in the allotted time for three consecutive days, move on to a new worksheet and a different set of math facts.

This is a great alternative to flash cards to help kids learn their multiplication and division tables.

Kid-Devised Math

Another great way to build some confidence is to challenge your child to come up with their own math worksheets and word problems!

While they create one, make sure you ask them to also create an answer key. This will ensure that they are not only creatively constructing a problem, but actively solving it too! You can type up the worksheets that they create so that it feels more official. Be sure to have them try solving the worksheet in a few weeks for some extra practice!

This activity helps kids realize that they know a math concept better than they think —and well enough that they could teach it themselves.

Math Games

Plenty of board and card games feature math, either directly (such as addition and multiplication in Yahtzee) or indirectly (such as keeping track of your money in Monopoly).

When your child does well in these games, it boosts their math confidence!

Encourage your third-graders to be the banker or to keep score when playing any game with numbers.

Finding Math Everywhere

Numbers here, numbers there, numbers everywhere!

Give your kids opportunities to find and compute the numbers in the world around them. Places to practice math include at the grocery store, on a restaurant menu, in the kitchen, while watching sports, and so on.

Every time your child solves real-world math — no matter how easy or trivial — it helps to improve their confidence.

Or Try a Math Tutoring Program for Math Help

For students who are really struggling with third-grade math, a tutor might be your next course of action.

Consider an online tutoring program, like Thinkster Math, as a convenient option to get your child the math help they need. These innovative services can provide the same extra help but in an exciting format that the child feels more empowered to want to learn.

How do you help build math confidence, with third-grade math or any school subject, in your child?