The advantages of maths workshops for children

Maths workshops for children reinforce their education and help them to improve their mathematical abilities. A maths workshop is the best way to motivate the pupil, so that they perceive maths as a basic part of their own education.

At Newton College we attach crucial importance to mathematics in all our educational programmes. From the very first years, our students begin to learn mathematics and, more importantly, to see its real application in everyday life. 

The application of workshops in the classroom

When we listen or read, we retain approximately 15% of the information we receive, when we learn through an activity we do ourselves, and we also have the possibility of explaining our experience, the retention rate reaches 90%. The workshops insist precisely on the advantage of learning by doing.

In the specific case of the mathematics workshops, we aim to teach from a different point of view. This process is not only useful for students who have a small learning gap over other students, it is also a recommended activity for students who enjoy learning mathematics and wish to broaden their skills. 

The workshops reinforce theoretical learning, which is essential for understanding and applying mathematics. By applying this type of activity in the classroom, we will increase the involvement and interest of students in this area of knowledge, which is essential to achieve positive results.  

The playful component of maths workshops for children

Activities based on games make it possible to learn more quickly and to fix knowledge more effectively. The workshops promote playful activities, which allow children to discover mathematics from a different point of view. 

Gamification and reward games are also an advantage for learning. Many of the problems related to mathematical learning come from a lack of motivation or the difficulty of understanding abstract concepts, games and playful activities in general, increase interest in this subject and reinforce what has been learned in class.

The advantages of a mathematics workshop

Incorporating mathematics workshops for children has the following advantages:

  • Complementary maths teaching broadens the pupil’s capabilities.
  • It improves their self-esteem and motivation. By solving practical exercises, the pupil perceives a benefit from the learning process.
  • Mathematics workshops also promote teamwork, encouraging joint problem solving. 
  • The workshops also encourage creativity and lateral thinking. 
  • The playful component prevents the workshop from being seen as an added responsibility. 
  • What is learned in the workshop can be applied to the exercises proposed in class.
  • Students with a lower learning level than their peers can improve their skills. 
  • For students who are passionate about mathematics, they have a reinforcement to enhance their learning.

Adapting the level to the academic cycle

Mathematical learning follows an evolution that begins in the first years of school. From memorising the natural numbers from 1 to 10, to solving complex mathematical operations, the pupil follows a pathway along which he or she learns to evolve. 

Maths workshops must be adapted to the level of the pupil. In the case of primary workshops, geometry games with puzzles, solving simple operations with rewards, mathematical logic challenges or results of secret messages from calculation activities are usually proposed.

Secondary workshops can incorporate more complex activities, but always depending on the level of each grade. From secondary school onwards, we can include maths gymkhanas, magic games and maths applied to our daily lives.

The importance of perceiving the use of mathematics

Mathematics is mostly based on abstract concepts, the complexity of which increases over time. The practical component of the workshops helps to visualise mathematics, to understand its importance and to assimilate the essential concepts during primary and secondary school. 

Children who attend mathematics workshops are able to improve their academic results and more easily apply mental schemes related to mathematics, but which can be transferred to other fields. 

Learning mathematics and science at Newton College

In all our educational programmes, mathematics and its scientific application are of crucial importance. We provide our students with all the necessary resources, so that they can be educated in the most appropriate environment. Our teachers are also a very important asset in this respect. The teaching staff at Newton College take into account the abilities and interests of each pupil, which is why our pupils’ academic results in mathematics tests are always excellent.