supporting Math at home

"In everyday interactions with children, there are many things that parents can do... to help children learn to solve problems, to communicate mathematically and to demonstrate reasoning abilities. These skills are fundamental to learning mathematics" (U.S. Department of Education, 2005). The following activities will help support the development of your child's mathematical skills:

1. Have your child count similar items as you fold laundry, set the table, or put groceries away.

2. Have your child help measure out ingredients while cooking or baking.

3. Review the date and days on the calendar and talk about the number of days left in the month or remaining until a special event.

4. Have your child complete connect-the-dot pictures.

5. Have your child arrange various toys or objects size or weight and compare the objects using words like shorter or taller, heavier or lighter, wider or narrower, etc.

6. Play games together such as Uno, War, or board games that involve counting.

7. Measure, count, or time physical activities by seeing how far your child can kick a ball, how many times your student can bounce a basketball without missing, or how long your child can jump rope without missing.

8. Build something together with Legos to encourage spatial thinking.

9. Open a bag of M & M's or Skittles and have your child sort the candies by color and compare how many candies there are of each color.

10. Play "I Spy" and have your child look for shapes and colors in the environment.

Resources

Math Videos for Younger Students