Fun ways to help kids practice math skills
By Debbie StringerKids may argue the point, but math lessons shouldn’t be confined to the classroom. Kids should use math every day — even at home.
It’s important for children to practice their math skills often so they don’t experience what educators call the “summer slide.” Students who let their math skills dwindle during the summer break might find it hard to keep up when class resumes in the fall.
So help your learners stay sharp by using numbers daily in fun and easy ways. Here are a few ideas:
Help your child figure out how many cupcakes the muffin pan will hold, and how many batches will be needed to use up all the dough. Show him or her how to read a measuring cup and spoons. Explain the numbers involved not only in measures but in baking time and temperature.
How much water should you add to the pitcher? How many eight-ounce glasses of lemonade will the package make?
Use crayons or markers for bills that feature a photo of a different family member or pet for each denomination. They can use their bills to buy and sell something among the family. Hide the calculator so they count and figure out change themselves.
For instance, have your child draw a big number nine. What color should it be? How can it be decorated? Encourage your child to draw nine of something, such as flowers, bugs, houses or stars.
When driving on a trip, ask the kids to pick a license plate each and add up its numbers. The one who gets closest to 21, without going over, wins. Play “I spy” by picking a number (a birth date works well) for kids to glean from signs, mailboxes, gas pumps, vehicles and railroad cars.
Show your child how to weigh bananas to determine their price. Challenge him or her to find out how many ounces are in a quart of milk, and how many quarts make a gallon. If four candy bars sell for $2, how much is one bar?
Show how you can serve, say, one pizza to four people by cutting it into eighths. Cut your child’s sandwich into halves or a quesadilla into quarters. Let your child count out a handful of peanuts or grapes and divide them equally among others. See how far you can divide a piece of string cheese into equal parts, starting with halves, then quarters, and so on.
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