In an AP-AOL News poll involving 1,000 adults, the findings confirmed what most individuals already know - Americans have a love-hate relationship with mathematics as a subject in school with nearly 4 out of every 10 adults expressing their disdain for the subject. Perhaps, if these individuals participated in cool math games online, then their attitude toward math would have changed for the better.
Why Kids Hate Math
If adults hate math, then you can just imagine the experiences of kids who are still being introduced to its concepts. The question then is: Why do kids hate math? Keep in mind that the disdain for the subject often starts in childhood.
First, math is not something that can be done on a passive and impulsive manner such as learning the English language in an environment where it is the first language. Kids must put in plenty of time, effort and energy into learning math concepts, developing the skills for solving math problems, and advancing said skills to the next level. In most kids, concentration and focus are not their strongest suits especially with technology (i.e., video games) at hand. The good news is that kids' affinity for video games can also be harnessed for their own good via cool math games but more on that later.
Second, math seems like a subject with no real-world applications except for the basic operations (i.e., addition, subtraction). Kids also hate it that math has a set of rigid rules that allow little opportunity for imaginative discourse, thus, their idea that math is a dull subject. Math has a language of its own that kids will not initially understand. Teachers must then simplify the jargon so that everyday applications can be made.
How Online Math Games Help
Fortunately, kids can love the subject via cool math games! These are online flash games that teach kids the basics of math in a fun, enjoyable and colorful manner, thus, harnessing the power of play. Studies have shown that playing online flash math games provide the following benefits for the kids:
Promotes positive attitude beneficial to their classroom performance because math is now seen as an enjoyable activity, thanks to the video game-like nature of the math games
Strengthens the connection between math as a classroom subject and math as an everyday application since cool math games use real-life examples to teach a point
Engages the kids' interest for prolonged periods of time via colorful graphics, exciting problems, and diverse choices for every skill level as well as interactive activities, which books and blackboards usually do not provide for students
In short, flash math games in online sites are more likely to hold the kids' attention for longer periods. This is beneficial for the kids because the longer the kids can concentrate on a math concept or problem, the better he can grasp it or solve it, respectively.
