[atoav]

In this case you have to bring them back to reality once in a while (like: "This is what we are actually doing here"). Ofc there are gifted math geniuses which have no problem with everything being abstract, but for most people connecting what they learn to the world they live in is a prerequisite for maintaining at least a minimum level of interest for the topic. At school students are used to learning useless stuff without questioning it. They won't tell you if what you teach them is useless stuff they don't understand.

Going back to that simple explanation once people are a bit more experienced can make things click for a lot of people. Remaining people what they are dealing with and why can also help.