How can A-maths Lessons Become Fun and Exciting?

What does the term “A-maths lessons” bring to mind? Do you see a drab classroom full of revision papers, repeated drills, and complicated formulae, or do you envision an exciting, interactive session to look forward to every week?

Not every student has a natural aptitude for A-maths. In fact, to be eligible for A-maths, you need to have a good grasp on Elementary Maths first. A-maths is a subject that many students aim to take as their passport to JC and STEM-related university courses, but for those who are not so confident in Maths, taking both Maths subjects at the same time – A-maths and E-maths – can seem like a daunting task.

The general consensus is that Maths typically requires long hours of practice, especially so for A-maths, which explores a greater depth of topics than E-maths. Students may find no meaning in A-maths concepts as they seem less applicable to real life, making them wonder what the point of studying A-maths is. Additionally, many classroom settings for A-maths lessons tend to be far from optimised. Teachers are often faced with the added task of striking a balance between fast learners and those who may lag behind. On one hand, some students learn at an exceptionally fast pace, mastering all the new topics as soon as they are taught. Without enough mental stimulation to keep them occupied, these students may feel bored and disinterested in the class. On the other hand, students who are slower in their work may feel inadequate when they are left behind trying to understand a particular concept. This can also decrease their interest in Maths and leave them thinking that Maths is not for them. These problems inadvertently occur because it is difficult to cater to every skill level in a large school classroom.

This is where home tuition in Singapore comes in. A-maths tutors in Singapore typically work with a smaller class size, sometimes even one-on-one. This gives each student more time with the tutor, allowing the tutor to tailor the lesson structure specifically for the student. For instance, a tutor may decide to go faster on a topic that the student has already mastered, and spend more time going through a topic that the student is struggling with. If the student is exceptionally good at Maths and requires more challenging content, the tutor can also prepare enrichment material to keep the student engaged and interested in Maths. What else can an A-maths tutor in Singapore do to make Maths lessons more fun and exciting?

Introduce Peer-Teaching

Sometimes, the best way to learn something is to break it down and explain it! This works best in medium class sizes of six to eight students. Home tutors can guide stronger students to teach the weaker students, enabling them to gain a better understanding of the topic. In addition to bridging the gap between fast and slow learners, it also keeps everyone involved in class and allows the tutor to give more personal focus to different students at a time instead of having to engage the whole class.

Play Maths Games

Who says that A-maths lessons have to be about doing practice questions all the time? Bringing that Maths game out can help to break the monotony and increase students’ engagement levels in the class. Maths games can be anything from card games and board games to party games and even console games for smaller class sizes! Gamifying a difficult Maths lesson can be a great way to help students internalise a tough concept while ensuring that they look forward to class every week.

Spend a Lesson in Real Life

When you are sitting in a classroom learning about differentiation and integration, polynomials, or number bases, it can be difficult to unite the mathematical concepts in class with their uses in everyday life. Some students may wonder why they are learning topics that they would probably not use later on. A lesson about how a particular Maths topic can be applied to the real world can help to provide some context, enable students to see the uses of what they are learning, and enrich their learning experience to make it more meaningful.

An alternative way of doing this, especially if your class is one-to-one, is to include a student’s areas of interest when going through topics. For example, instead of asking a student to prove plane geometry on a generic textbook diagram, try bringing in a printout of a scene from their favourite platformer game and show them how plane geometry is used in the game. As an added plus point, you will really get to know your students beyond the classroom!

We believe that the best way to help students to do well in Maths is to nurture their interest in the subject. What other ways can you think of that make A-maths home tuition in Singapore fun and exciting?