Lesson 2
Families can choose from these math activities to help enhance math number sense and fluency. Choose an activity that suits your child’s ability and learning style. Our goal would be math practice for 10 minutes a day for four days for a total of 40 minutes weekly. Students can do the same activity 4 times, especially if it is fun and you are learning, or choose a variety of activities. Research has shown that practicing a skill for 10 minutes daily results in significant gains in math achievement! Remember, mistakes are helping your brain grow - and if you are not making any mistakes - it is too easy, you should try to do a more difficult activity. Some of these games would be perfect family game night ideas!
Activity: What's Going on
Outside Your Window
Directions:
This activity encourages students of all ages to take a deeper look at a familiar view: right outside their window. Students are asked to collect data on what they see and report it in a creative visual representation- be creative!
Pick a time window: it can be 5 minutes, or all day long. Keep and eye out for what happens. Are people walking by? Birds flying around? How many trees can you see? Find a way to visually show the information you collect. Some ideas: a timeline, chart, graph, picture... be your most creative self! Share your findings with us by using the hashtag #YoucubedAtHome on social media.
Click the picture for a video example!
Activity: Count By 10 From Any Number
Directions:
Watch the video to practice counting by ten from any number!
Activity: Continue Practicing Counting Money!
Directions:
Look around the house for loose change! Have your student practice counting money using dimes, nickels, and pennies. Create a “piggy bank”- this can be as simple as folding a piece of paper. The important part is to hide the coins from your student! Add coins to the piggy bank and have your student keep track of how many cents you have!
Example: Start with 1 dime and 3 pennies. Ask your student, “How many cents do I have?” Once they answer 13 cents, add some more dimes… “Now how many cents do I have?” 13...23...33… 33 cents!
Materials:
Dimes, Pennies, Nickels, Piggy Bank (Real or Homemade!)
Activity: Addition War
Directions:
Play addition war! Grab a deck of cards- this is a two player game. Remove face cards, use aces as 1. Deal the cards out so each player has the same amount of cards. Each round, each person should flip over two cards and find the sum of the two numbers. For example, if I flipped a 5 and a 2 over, my sum would be 7! Once you determine your sum, compare with your opponent. Whoever gets the larger sum gets to keep the cards. Play until someone runs out of cards.
Materials:
Deck of cards
Activity: 1-2 Nim
Directions:
This is a strategy game! Find something to use as "counters", such as coins, paperclips, etc. Put the in a pile between two players. Each player takes turns grabbing 1 or 2 counters from the pile. You must take at least one counter each turn, but no more than 2. Whoever takes the last counter wins! Click here for more directions!
Activity: Salute! Adding Game
Directions:
This is a three person game where you practice deeper level thinking while adding. See the directions in the link! Play the game using the "easy version".
Materials:
Deck of cards