One excellent way to teach elementary school Mathematics is by using computers. The three best ways computers can benefit students in the area of Mathematics is through online resources for teachers, online resources for students, and computer programs installed on a personal computer.

Types of Computer Resources for Use in Teaching Mathematics

Online Teacher Resources

Most teachers are well aware of the benefits of using the Internet to get ideas for Math lessons, activities, games, and worksheets. Math lessons are really useful because they contain the idea for an entire session from start to finish. Activities are shorter and may not include ideas for the instruction time. They are, nevertheless, very useful because they can be used for learning a concept or for practice. Several activities can be used during a lesson and more activities can be added into a lesson if there is extra time. Math activities can even be used as review at other times during the school day. On the Internet, many Math games are explained; these can be used with a class to review and practice a Math concept. Games are very motivational for students so they will be eager to participate and gain a better understanding of the concepts. Worksheets are also a good type of practice because these can be collected and marked to assess where the children are at in terms of understanding and using the Math concepts.

Online Student Resources

Most students love using a computer. Just having a computer involved can make a huge difference in students’ attitude and feelings towards Mathematics. Online student resources come in two types: online Mathematics concept instruction and online practice. Some websites contain only instruction, some only practice, but many websites contain a combination of practice and instruction.
Online Math instruction is often an example question with the answer and an explanation of how the answer was obtained. Math instruction online may also be in the form of a video or animation, with an audio explanation. This can be particularly helpful to students in the area of geometry. The other benefit of online instruction is that the student can view the instruction again and again without embarrassment in front of peers and without any frustration on the part of the teacher. The neutrality of a computer teacher makes all the difference to students who may have anger management issues or problems with authority figures.

Online Math practice is most often in the form of games. Children consider playing games fun, not work. Efforts towards success are often very much higher for an online game than for a worksheet or in class activity. Playing Math games on the computer also holds the attention of the very active children, allowing them to engage with the concepts in a way that would be very difficult for them if they were simply sitting at a desk. More sophisticated online Math games may also have the added benefit of communication with other online players, or keeping high scores which draws even more students’ interest due to the social aspects of playing.

Computer Software Programs

Computer programs that are bought on CD or downloaded to personal computers can also be very beneficial in learning Mathematics. Elementary school Math programs usually show/explain Math concepts and then use games for students to practice the skills. Computer programs thus have the above mentioned benefit of both computer instruction and computer math games for the students. Some of these programs also keep records of student progress, reducing the number of worksheets and tests needed.

Using computers to teach and practice Mathematics reduces disruptions in the classroom, by engaging students with behavioral/emotional issues in a different way. Using computers is also more fun for children so they will put in more effort and thus learn concepts more quickly and retain these concepts better than in a typical classroom setting.