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Understanding mathematics is vital for kids in primary school, but learning it can be a massive headache for children and their parents.
If maths isn’t your strong point – never mind the fact that you last did it years ago – you may not know how to help your child figure out fractions and mathematical formulas.
Don’t worry – YOU’s new online portal Homework Handled is here to help. It’s based on the current Grade 4 to 6 school curriculum and combines the expertise of passionate educators as well as YOU’s outstanding educational content.
READ MORE | Take the work out of homework with our new educational platform
Mathematics can be quite challenging but learning it can be lots of fun too, says educator Jenna Swano, who helped develop material for Homework Handled.
“My passion is mathematics,” Jenna (34) says. “Maths makes sense. It’s not just a bunch of things you must memorise.”
As a parent herself, she understands parents desperately want to help their children but might not know how. The resources available in YOU’s education portal will enable parents to help their children even if they’re not experts.
When Jenna set out to develop the lessons, she looked at the problems most learners struggled with, and also spoke to parents and teachers. She then shot 19 videos for Homework Handled, which explain various mathematical concepts in a clear, easy-to-understand way.
The main topics are fractions, division, multiplication, geometric patterns and measurements. Learners build on what they’ve learnt in each grade and can easily go back to earlier sections to revise concepts. The portal is also great for kids who may not have an adult to help them with their homework.
Jenna knew she wanted to be a teacher after taking part in an outreach programme at a disad-vantaged school in New Brighton, Gqeberha, while at high school. “I think I had a typical teacher origin story – I wanted to make a difference.”
She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Stellenbosch and went on to work as a teacher and later as head of department for intermediate and senior phase at various schools in Cape Town.
In 2021 she co-founded SupportEd, an online platform that supports and equips teachers to become better educators. Last year she moved to Gloucestershire in the UK with her husband, Grant (37), and son Oliver (5).
She now works as a development manager at Snapplify, a digital education company, but says she’s “still passionately working with South African teachers in my new role”.
Parents should start teaching their kids mathematics from a young age, Jenna advises, as it’ll be easier for them to grasp.
Start by pointing out numbers in your surroundings, such as road signs, number plates and in storybooks. For example, you could ask your toddler to count the number of pigs in The Three Little Pigs storybook.
She also suggests letting your child help when you’re cooking by letting them measure a cup of rice or three cups of water, for example.
“Through Homework Handled, I hope learners and parents will be better equipped to tackle maths problems, and that parents will feel they can better support a child who is struggling.”
