A new initiative aimed at developing kids’ maths skills through play starts this month in Abu Dhabi.
Carla Rudder, a mathematics professor from the US, recently set up Soh Cah Toa to help kids across the emirate shed their fears about maths.
Using games based on curriculum strands, kids from three-and-a-half to grade five can get to grips with maths on a deeper level that helps them relate to it both in and out of the classroom. Each six-week programme covers one strand of learning.
“Kids relate much better to play,” said Rudder. “They’re very inquisitive, and when they try things, they don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t work. If they don’t get it, there’s no red mark that will make them feel bad. They learn to self-correct.”
A teacher for 12 years, Rudder’s initiative was born when she realised that students don’t enjoy maths.
Her approach bans the worksheets and focuses on building confidence to dispel negativity surrounding maths in a hands-on manner.
“The one common thing for students of all ages is having them ‘do’,” she added. “I’m taking the same approach with maths: they need to do it in three-dimensional terms.”
Carla’s advice to develop maths in everyday life starts at home: “Every place you go, you have some fingers to work with. Maths is applicable everywhere.”
AED 900 for six weeks. Various locations. Courses start from 13th September. For more information, contact: [email protected] www.sohmath.com
