The Pythagoras theorem can be a tricky concept to grasp. Here’s how you can understand this concept and teach it to your child.
Did you know that only in recent years only 33% of students tested proficient in math at grade level? Math is a crucial subject that prepares students for future careers in science and engineering. Yet unfortunately, it is one of the most neglected subjects.
One example is the Pythagoras theorem. This is one of the most important basic theorems in mathematics. Yet, many people don’t learn it correctly. Or, they can’t apply it in real-life situations later in life.
How can you help a child improve their mathematics skills, including learning the Pythagoras theorem? Why not take a minute to read through our in-depth guide below.
How to Teach any Child Mathematics
If you want your child to learn and retain mathematical principles, simple time spent in the classroom may not be enough. Children need a personal interest in something for them to retain information in a meaningful way.
Because of this, you may want to find internet and mobile device application-based educational tools that they can learn from in their own time. Educational companies such as this site provide a fun and instructive way for children to learn with real live tutors.
Learning the Pythagoras Theorem
The Pythagoras theorem has many real-life applications that make it a must-learn theorem for children. It helps them to understand how they can calculate the dimensions of a triangle and thus the area of the triangle.
Designers use these calculations in many scenarios including video games. It is even used on occasion to calculate the integrity of data transfers.
The Basic Calculations
So how do we apply Pythagoras theorem? First, you need to take a right-angle triangle. Obviously, a triangle consists of three lines. These are designed as two legs and the longest line is called the hypotenuse.
Pythagoras theorem states that: “the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the square on the other two sides”. In technical terms, you can write this as a2 + b2 = c2.
To help children remember this you can use a simple illustration. Think of a park that is triangular shaped. The longest side of the park has large statues of hippopotamus on it. We call this side the hypotenuse. We want to know how long this side is.
We can learn this by measuring the other two sides and squaring them:
Leg one: 5 meters
Leg two: 4 meters
The square of the hypotenuse = (5 x 5) + (4 x 4).
After this, reveal the actual known length of the hypotenuse, which matches perfectly the sum of your calculation.
You can then repeat this method using different examples such as sports fields, city blocks, household rooms. Really there are endless examples.
Teaching the Pythagoras Theorem and Much More
You will now be proficient at teaching the Pythagoras theorem to children. By why stop there? There are so many more mathematical functions that children need to learn.
Interested in reading similar blogs about learning and more? Check out the rest of our blogs to learn more about a wide variety of topics!