7 Ways to Move Your Child With Math
Math is Fun. Math is exciting. Math is something you really will use the
rest of your life. You will use math as a landscaper, a banker, a chef,
a nurse, a pharmacist, etc. So start off as soon as possible making
your children think of themselves as mathematicians who can figure out
problems using thinking, reasoning and problem solving strategies.
The following activities can help parents of young children be more intentional
in developing math concepts in their family.
1. Post a 100's chart and allow children to count from it daily. Practice
counting by two's as far as possible. Move one number higher when
your child can easily perform this task. This should be a fun
activity. Try chanting together to a beat, try racing, etc.
2. Start young children off counting everything. Find the number on
their number chart that matches what they counted to.
3. Count the items from your grocery bag. Look at the number chart and
find the corresponding number.
4. Teach your child how to create and solve math problems. For example,
if I have 4 juices poured and we are having 10 guest for lunch, how many
more glasses of juice will we need to pour so that everyone will have a drink?
5. Children can learn to multiply by 2's counting socks or anything else you
can put in pairs.
6. Take a grocery store advertisement. Have your child make a grocery
list from the advertisement for 1 days dinner. Have him add the items
to determine the cost. To simplify this activity cut the amount and allow
only 3 items. In order to make the activity more challenging, Give your
child a budget and if she goes over, have her explain what she will have to
remove from the list or if she is under, what she will add.
7. Look at your store advertisement and the items selected for dinner again.
What is the ratio of sweets to vegetables. For younger children compare
the cost of fruit and vegetables, which is more or less?
By the time this week is up you and your children will be well on the way
to being a family of budding math guru's. So everybody get ready to move
with math.