Soh Cah Toa allows children to have fun with mathematics

A professor has created classes for children that use games to take the fear out of learning numbers.

Carla Rudder’s classes foster a child’s natural curiosity about mathematics. Ravindranath K / The National

Carla Rudder, a maths professor from the United States, loves getting children to play with numbers.

That’s why she created Soh Cah Toa, a new business aimed at helping those as young as three-and-a-half to build maths skills through play – and prevent fear of the subject setting in later on.

For 45-and 60-minute classes launching on September 13, Rudder has devised a series of games that are much more than fun: they also foster a natural curiosity about mathematics, build confidence in the subject and reduce the chance of developing a fear of maths.

“For kids up to a certain age, play is their life,” says Rudder, 39. “So what we do in class is play. I’ve turned a fishing game, for example, into statistics. We roll the dice and go fishing for that number of fish. Then we build a statistics bar with Lego. This way, we’ve done statistics, counting and number recognition, and the kids are just having fun.”

A teacher for more than 12 years, seven of them in the UAE, Rudder has found that by the time they get to her, pupils often do not have a proper foundation in the basics of maths.

“I’ve taught students in middle school – so, grade six – all the way up to university and graduate classes, and there’s a common theme: no one likes maths,” she says.

“I’d ask why and what’s the problem, and it’s always: ‘We don’t understand.’ When I dig deeper, it’s that they don’t understand the basics, such as fractions or decimals.” It bothered her that middle-school pupils would ask to use a calculator, an age at which she felt was too early a stage to need electronic assistance.

“So one day, I came to class with Popsicle sticks, wire and beads, and we set out to make an abacus,” she says. “I told them: ‘You want a calculator? You can make it, but the ancient kind.’”

“After that, every time I would teach something new, I would bring in a game or something fun or make an activity out of it.”

Realising that learning through play is how children acquire knowledge from birth, and understanding a child’s need to explore and have fun with games were the first steps towards the development of Soh Cah Toa, which is an acronym that helps students remember trigonometry equations.

“When they go to school, we sit them down and make them get that worksheet out and drill, drill, drill, and we take some of their passion or excitement away from learning.”

With maths in particular, she explains, a small mistake and a worksheet marked with a red pen can damage a child’s confidence and make them fear making mistakes. Rudder tests her maths games on friends’ children first.

“All my friends’ kids have been guinea pigs in the best way possible. Every time I see a new toy that I really like, or if I think up a new game for them, I call my friend and ask to borrow her son,” she says.

Mathematics, she says, is all around us and a key part of life, so why not arm children with the ability to approach the subject with confidence and understanding? “Learning maths through play means that the child will not be afraid to make a mistake and will learn to correct herself on her own – she’s having fun and learning,” says Rudder. “There’s no better way to expose children to the subject.”

Classes

Soh Cah Toa eduplay classes in Abu Dhabi start on September 13 at: the HappyNest Playhouse in Al Raha Gardens Plaza in Khalifa City A; Caboodle play zone in The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island; and KoolKidz play centre in World Trade Center Mall.

HappyNest Playhouse classes are on Wednesdays and Thursdays for children ages 3.5 to grade five. Classes on Thursday are at 11am. On Wednesdays, there are hour-long classes at 3pm, 4.15pm and 5.30pm.

KoolKidz classes are on Sundays for children age 3.5 to 5, and those in grades one and two, at 4.30pm and 5.45pm.

Caboodle classes are on Mondays for age 3.5 to 5 only, at 11am and 3pm.

The term lasts six weeks. Children will meet once a week. Each lesson will be 45 to 60 minutes, plus 30 minutes of free play before or after class. For children in grades one to five, an additional 30 minutes with an instructor is also included, to receive help with homework or ask questions. The cost is Dh900 for six weeks. One-on-one sessions can be arranged for Dh200. Maximum class sizes are 12 for older children and six for younger ones.

• To register, email [e-mail] or visit www.sohmath.com. You can also register at HappyNest Playhouse or KoolKids at the WTC Mall. Caboodle registration is through the email above