Teaching math to kids can be one of the most difficult challenges a teacher or parent can face due to the varying differences in teaching methods and individual learning styles. For many, math is a dirty word, but it doesn't have to be. Learning math can actually be a fun subject that makes sense by using real-life examples and optional manipulatives. There are several math DVDs that teach basic concepts through fun, everyday applications. Parents and teachers can use a math manipulative to visually illustrate fundamental math principles such as; simple number recognition and counting to word problems solved with pre-algebra for kindergarten kids through high school.

My own children were confused, bored and even afraid of math, but by using humorous, real-life fun with numbers I was able to teach my kids the fundamentals they were missing as well as opening doors to discover new tricks to help them with memorization. By building each new concept on the others, I was able to tap into my children's natural ability to remember and use what they learned. And I don't know about you, but word problems were always a challenge for me. Word Problems, cover a wide scope of mathematical skills and I have found incorporating both video tutorials with math manipulatives a very beneficial way to help teach my children how to solve pesky word problems.

So, how can using manipulatives or real-world items make learning math easier and more fun for kids? Take for example Kindergarten and first grade aged children; by using apples to teach fractions, or cars to serve as rulers, and a even a bear hunter who shares his snacks we are able to use household items and real-life fun to help your child engage in math. By starting early you can cover a complete list of concepts from top Math curricula like; number recognition, counting and sorting, and then using math manipulatives to reinforce concepts like addition, subtraction, place values, money, time, estimation and geometric shapes. What helps make this method so effective is that it taps into a child's visual and tactile recognition, which is a highly active part of a child's development, to help them remember.

Math manipulatives lend themselves to a tactile and visual learning approach with the flexibility to handle multiplication, division (both long and short), estimation, mathematical properties, equations, factors, prime numbers, spatial relationships (like angles and coordinate planes), time zones, money, converting measurements, fractions, and a whole lot more. Using instructional video aids like MathTacular in conjunction with top elementary math programs, including Horizons, Saxon and Singapore math curriculums really takes the mystery out of more than 50 concepts.

As a parent of kids who struggled with math, I highly recommend giving math manipulatives and real-world examples a try if your kids are struggling too. There are several highly recommended math curriculums complete with textbooks, DVDs and math manipulative kits that can help get your kids on the right track. Learning math might not be as fun as playing Super Mario, but it can be fun and easily understandable.