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'Helping
Your Child Learn math' is one in a series of
books on different education topics intended
to help you make the most of your child's natural
curiosity. Teaching and learning are not mysteries
that can only happen in school. They also happen
when parents and children do simple things together.
For
instance, you and your child can: sort socks
on laundry day -- sorting is a major function
in math and science; cook a meal together --
cooking involves not only math and science but
good health as well; tell and read each other
stories -- storytelling is the basis for reading
and writing (and a story about the past is also
history); or play a game of hopscotch together
-- playing physical games will help your child
learn to count and start on a road to lifelong
fitness.
By
doing things together, you will show that learning
is fun and important. You will be encouraging
your child to study, learn, and stay in school.
This
book will give you a short rundown on facts,
but the biggest part of the book is made up
of simple, fun activities for you and your child
to do together. Your child may even beg you
to do them.
"The
first teachers are the parents, both by example
and conversation. But don't think of it as teaching.
Think of it as fun."
So,
let's get started. I invite you to find an activity
in this book and try it.
Foreword
Introduction
The
Basics
Important
Things To Know
math
in the Home
Picture
Puzzle More or Less Problem Solvers Card Smarts
Fill It Up Half Full, Half Empty Name that Coin
Money Match Money's Worth In the News Look It
Up Newspaper Search Treasure Hunt Family Portrait
Mathland:
The Supermarket
Get
Ready Scan It Weighing In Get into Shapes Check
Out It's in the Bag Put It Away
Math
on the Go
Number
Search License Plates Total It How Long? How
Far? Guess If You Can Appendices
1:
Parents and the Schools
2:
What Should I Expect from a Math Program?
3:
What We Can Do To Help Our Children Learn
Most
parents will agree that it is a wonderful experience
to cuddle up with their child and a good book.
Few people will say that about flash cards or
pages of math problems. For that reason, we
have prepared this book to offer some math activities
that are meaningful as well as fun. You might
want to try doing some of them to help your
child explore relationships, solve problems,
and see math in a positive light. These activities
use materials that are easy to find. They have
been planned so you and your child might see
that math is not just work we do at school but,
rather, a part of life.
It
is important for home and school to join hands.
By fostering a positive attitude about math
at home, we can help our children learn math
at school.
It's
Everywhere! It's Everywhere!
Math
is everywhere and yet, we may not recognize
it because it doesn't look like the math we
did in school. math in the world around us sometimes
seems invisible. But math is present in our
world all the time -- in the workplace, in our
homes, and in life in general.
You
may be asking yourself, "How is math everywhere
in my life? I'm not an engineer or an accountant
or a computer expert!" math is in your
life from the time you wake until the time you
go to sleep. You are using math each time you
set your alarm, buy groceries, mix baby food,
keep score or time at an athletic event, wallpaper
a room, decide what type of shoe to buy, or
wrap a present. Have you ever asked yourself,
"Did I get the correct change?" or
"Do I have enough petrol to drive 20 miles?"
or "Do I have enough juice to fill all
my children's flasks for lunch?" or "Do
I have enough bread for the week?" math
is all this and much, much more.
How
Do You Feel About math?
How
do you feel about math? Your feelings will have
an impact on how your children think about math
and themselves as mathematicians. Take a few
minutes to answer these questions:
*
Did
you like math in school?
*
Do
you think anyone can learn math?
*
Do
you think of math as useful in everyday life?
*
Do
you believe that most jobs today require math
skills?
If
you answer "yes" to most of these
questions, then you are probably encouraging
your child to think mathematically. This book
contains some ideas that will help reinforce
these positive attitudes about math.
You
Can Do It!
If
you feel uncomfortable about math, here are
some ideas to think about.
math
is a very important skill, one which we will
all need for the future in our technological
world. It is important for you to encourage
your children to think of themselves as mathematicians
who can reason and solve problems.
math
is a subject for all people. math is not a subject
that men can do better than women. Males and
females have equally strong potential in math.
People
in the fine arts also need math. They need math
not only to survive in the world, but each of
their areas of specialty requires an in-depth
understanding of some math, from something as
obvious as the size of a canvas, to the beats
in music, to the number of seats in an audience,
to computer-generated artwork.
Calculators
and computers require us to be equally strong
in math. Their presence does not mean there
is less need for knowing math. Calculators demand
that people have strong mental math skills --
that they can do math in their heads. A calculator
is only as accurate as the person putting in
the numbers. It can compute; it cannot think!
Therefore, we must be the thinkers. We must
know what answers are reasonable and what answers
are outrageously large or small.
Positive
attitudes about math are important for our country.
People are quick to admit that "I am not
good at math." We need The workplace is
rapidly changing. No longer do people need only
the computational skills they once needed in
the 1940s. Now workers need to be able to estimate,
to communicate mathematically, and to reason
within a mathematical context. Because our world
is so technologically oriented, employees need
to have quick reasoning and problem-solving
skills and the capability to solve problems
together. The work force will need to be confident
in math.
Build
Your Self-Confidence!
To
be mathematically confident means to realise
the importance of mathematics and feel capable
of learning to
*
Use
mathematics with ease;
*
Solve
problems and work with others to do so;
*
Demonstrate
strong reasoning ability;,
*
See
more than one way to approach a problem;
*
Apply
mathematical ideas to other situations; and
*
Use
technology.
You
may have noticed that we are talking about "mathematics"
-- the subject that incorporates numbers, shapes,
patterns, estimation, and measurement, and the
concepts that relate to them. You probably remember
studying "arithmetic" -- adding, subtracting,
multiplying, and dividing -- when you were in
primary school. Now, children are starting right
away to learn about the broad ideas associated
with math, including problem solving, communicating
mathematically, and reasoning.
Teachers
are nursery schools are building bar graphs
of birthday cakes to show which month has the
most birthdays for the most children in the
class. Pizzas or cakes can be used to learn
fractions, and measurements can be taken using
items other than rulers.
What
Does It Mean To
*
Be
a Problem Solver,
*
Communicate
Mathematically, and
*
Demonstrate
Reasoning Ability?
A
problem solver is someone who questions, investigates,
and explores solutions to problems; demonstrates
the ability to stick with a problem for days,
if necessary, to find a workable solution; uses
different strategies to arrive at an answer;
considers many different answers as possibilities;
and applies math to everyday situations and
uses it successfully.
To
communicate mathematically means to use words
or mathematical symbols to explain real life;
to talk about how you arrived at an answer;
to listen to others' ways of thinking and perhaps
alter their thinking; to use pictures to explain
something; to write about math, not just give
an answer.
To
demonstrate reasoning ability is to justify
and explain one's thinking about math; to think
logically and be able to explain similarities
and differences about things and make choices
based on those differences; and to think about
relationships between things and talk about
them.
This
book is divided into introductory material that
explains the basic principles behind the current
approach to math, and sections on activities
you can do with your children. The activities
take place in three locations: the home, the
supermarket, and in transit.
The
activities are arranged at increasingly harder
levels of difficulty. The ones you choose and
the level of difficulty really depend on your
child's ability. If your child seems ready,
you might want to go straight to the most difficult
ones.
Each
activity page contains the answer or a simple
explanation of the mathematical concept behind
the activity so that you can explain when your
child asks, "Why are we doing this?"
With
these few signs to follow along the way, your
math journey begins.
It
is highly likely that when you studied math,
you were expected to complete lots of problems
accurately and quickly. There was only one way
to arrive at your answers, and it was believed
that the best way to improve math ability was
to do more problems and to do them fast. Today,
the focus is less on the quantity of memorized
problems, and more on understanding the concepts
and applying thinking skills to arrive at an
answer. To develop "transferable skills".
Wrong
Answers Can Help!
While
accuracy is always important, a wrong answer
may help you and your child discover what your
child may not understand. You might find some
of these thoughts helpful when thinking about
wrong answers.
Above
all be patient. All children want to succeed.
They don't want red marks or incorrect answers.
They want to be proud and to make you and the
teacher proud. So, the wrong answer tells you
to look further, to ask questions, and to see
what the wrong answer is saying about the child's
understanding.
Sometimes,
the wrong answer to a problem might be because
the child thinks the problem is asking another
question. For example, when children see the
problem 4 + ___ = 9, they often respond with
an answer of 13. That is because they think
the problem is asking, What is 4 + 9?",
instead of "4 plus what missing amount
equals 9?"
Ask
your child to explain how the problem was solved.
The response might help you discover if your
child needs help with the procedures, the number
facts, or the concepts involved.
You
may have learned something the teacher might
find helpful. A short note or call will alert
the teacher to possible ways of helping your
child.
Help
your children be risk takers: help them see
the value of examining a wrong answer; assure
them that the right answers will come with proper
understanding.
Problems
Can Be Solved Different Ways Through the years,
we have learned that while problems in math
may have only one solution, there may be many
ways to get the right answer. When working on
math problems with your child, ask, "Could
you tell me how you got that answer?" Your
child's way might be different than yours. If
the answer is correct and the strategy or way
of solving it has worked, it is a great alternative.
By
encouraging children to talk about what they
are thinking, we help them to become stronger
mathematicians and independent thinkers.
Doing math in Your Head is Important
Have
you ever noticed that today very few people
take their pencil and paper out to solve problems
in the grocery, fast food, or department store
or in the office? Instead, most people estimate
in their heads.
Calculators and computers demand that people
put in the correct information and that they
know if the answers are reasonable. Usually
people look at the answer to determine if it
makes sense, applying the math in their heads
to the problem. This, then, is the reason why
doing math in their heads is so important to
our children as they enter the 21st century.
You
can help your child become a stronger mathematician
by trying some of these ideas to foster mental
math skills:
Help
children do mental math with lots of small numbers
in their heads until they develop quick and
accurate responses. Questions such as, "If
I have 4 cups, and I need 7, how many more do
I need?" or "If I need 12 drinks for
the class, how many packages of 3 drinks will
I need to buy?"
Encourage
your child to estimate the answer. When estimating,
try to use numbers to make it easy to solve
problems quickly in your head to determine a
reasonable answer. For example, when figuring
18 plus 29, an easy way to get a "close"
answer is to think about 20 + 30, or 50.
As
explained earlier, allow your children to use
strategies that make sense to them.
Ask
often, "Is your answer reasonable?"
Is it reasonable that I added 17 and 35 and
got 367? Why? Why not?
All
jobs need math in one way or another. From the
simplest thought of how long it will take to
get to work to determining how much weight a
bridge can hold, all jobs require math.
If
you took a survey, you would find that everyone
uses math: the school teacher, the cook, the
doctor, the petrol station attendant, the solicitor,
the housewife, the painter.
This
section provides the opportunity to use games
and activities at home to explore math with
your child. The activities are intended to be
fun and inviting, using household items.
Remember,
*
This
is an opportunity for you and your child to
"talk math," that is to communicate
about math while investigating relationships.
*
If
something is too difficult, choose an easier
activity or skip it until your child is older.
*
Have
fun!
Using
symbols to stand for numbers can help make math
fun and easier for young children to understand.
What you'll need Paper Pencil Crayons What to
do
Choose
some symbols that your child can easily draw
to stand for 1s and 10s (if your child is older,
include 100s and 1,000s).
A
face could 10s, and a bow could be 1s.
List
some numbers and have your child depict them.
Playing
cards is a fun way for children to use numbers.
What you'll need Coin 2 packs of cards Paper
to keep score What to do
Flip
a coin to tell if the winner of this game will
be the person with "more" (a greater
value card) or "less" (a smaller value
card).
Remove
all court cards (jacks, queens, and kings) and
divide the remaining cards in the stack between
the two players.
Place
the cards face down. Each player turns over
one card and compares: Is mine more or less?
How many more? How many less?
This
game for young children encourages number sense
and helps them learn about the relationships
of numbers (more or less) and about adding and
subtracting. By counting the shapes on the cards
and looking at the printed numbers on the card,
they can learn to relate the number of objects
to the numeral.
What
you'll need
Pack
of cards
Paper
Pencil
What
to do
Super
sums. Each player should write the numbers 1-12
on a piece of paper. The object of the game
is to be the first one to cross off all the
numbers on this list.
Use
only the cards 1-6 in every suit (hearts, clubs,
spades, diamonds). Each player picks two cards
and adds up the numbers on them. The players
can choose to mark off the numbers on the list
by using the total value or crossing off two
or three numbers that make that value. For example,
if the player picks a 5 and a 6, the player
can choose to cross out 11, or 5 and 6, or 7
and 4, or 8 and 3, or 9 and 2, or 10 and 1,
or 1, 2, and 8.
Make
100. Take out all the cards from the pack except
ace to
Each
player draws 8 cards from the pack. Each player
decides whether to use a card in the tens place
or the ones place so that the numbers total
as close to 100 as possible without going over.
For example, if a player draws two 1s (aces),
a 2, a 5, two 3s, a 4, and a 6, he can choose
to use the numerals in the following way:
30,
40, 10, 5, 6, 1, 3, 2. This adds up to 97.
These
games help children develop different ways to
see and work with numbers by using them in different
combinations to achieve a goal.
What
you'll need
Pack
of cards
Paper
Pencil
What
to do
1.
How many numbers can we make? Give each player
a piece of paper and a pencil. Using the cards
from 1 (ace)-9, deal 4 cards out with the numbers
showing. Using all four cards and a choice of
any combination of addition, subtraction, multiplication,
and division, have each player see how many
different answers a person can get in 5 minutes.
Players get one point for each answer. For example,
suppose the cards drawn are 4, 8, 9, and 2.
What numbers can be made?
4
+ 9 + 8 + 2 = 23
4
+ 9 - (8 + 2) = 3
(8
- 4) x (9 - 2) = 28
(9
- 8) x (4 - 2) = 2
Make
the most of it. This game is played with cards
from 1 (ace) to 9. Each player alternates drawing
one card at a time, trying to create the largest
5-digit number possible. As the cards are drawn,
each player puts the cards down in their "place"
(ten thousands, thousands, hundreds, tens, ones)
with the numbers showing. One round goes until
each player has 6 cards. At that point, each
player chooses one card to throw out to make
the largest 5-digit number possible.
Fraction
fun. This game is played with cards 1 (ace)-10,
and 2 players. Each player receives one-half
of the cards. Players turn over 2 cards each
at the same time. Each player tries to make
the largest fraction by putting the 2 cards
together. The
players
compare their fractions to see whose is larger.
For example, if you are given a 3 and a 5, the
fraction 3/5 would be made; if the other person
is given a 2 and an 8, the fraction is 2/8.
Which is larger? The larger fraction takes all
cards and play continues until one player has
all the cards.
Players
can develop strategies for using their cards,
and this is where the math skills come in.
Children
enjoy exploring measurement and estimation.
Empty containers can provide opportunities to
explore comparisons, measurement, estimation,
and geometry.
What
you'll need
Empty
containers in different shapes (yogurt cups,
margarine tubs, juice boxes with tops cut off,
pie tins) Rice, popcorn kernels, or water Marker
Masking tape Paper What to do
Have
your child choose an empty container each day
and label it for the day by writing the day
on a piece of masking tape and sticking it on
the container.
Discover
which containers hold more than, less than,
or the same as the container chosen for that
day by filling the day's container with water,
uncooked rice, or popcorn kernels; and pouring
the substance from that container into another
one. Is the container full, not full, or overflowing?
Ask your child,
"Does
this mean the second container holds more than
the first, less, or the same?"
Ask
your child questions to encourage comparison,
estimation, and thinking about measurement.
Put
all the containers that hold more in one spot,
those that hold less in another, and those that
hold the same in yet another. Label the areas
"more," "less," and "the
same?
After
the containers have been sorted, ask, "Do
we have more
The
process of predicting, filling the containers,
and comparing how much each will hold, gives
your child the opportunity to experiment with
measurement without worrying about exact answers.
It
is helpful to explore whole numbers and fractions
through measurement and estimation. Children
can see relationships and the usefulness of
studying fractions.
What
you'll need Clear container with straight sides,
that holds at least 4 cups Masking tape Marker
Measuring cup with 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 cup measures
on it Uncooked rice, popcorn kernels, or water
Other containers with which to compare What
to do
Have
your child run a piece of masking tape up the
side of the container so that it is straight
from the bottom to the top.
For
younger children, use a 1-cup measure. For older
children, use a 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 cup measure.
Pour the chosen amount of a substance listed
above into the container.
Mark
the level of the jar on the masking tape by
drawing a line with a marker and writing 1 for
one cup or 1/2, 1/4, or 1/8 on the line.
Follow
this procedure until the container is full,
and the tape is marked in increments to the
top of the container. Now, the jar is marked
evenly to measure the capacity of other containers.
While
filling different containers, ask your child
"thinking" questions.
How
many whole cups do you think this container
will hold? How many 1/2, 1/4, or 1/8 cups do
you think the container will
hold?
How many 1/2 cups equal a cup? How many 1/4
cups equal a 1/2 cup? A cup? How many 1/8 cups
equal
a 1/4 cup? A 1/2 cup? A 1/8 cup? This activity
provides a "hands-on" opportunity
for children to experience fractions while making
connections to the real world.
Children
love to look at coins but sometimes cannot identify
the coins or determine their value. What you'll
need Penny Nickel Dime Quarter What to do
Look
at the coins and talk about what color they
are, the pictures on them, and what they are
worth.
Put
a penny, nickel, and dime on the floor or table.
Tell
your child that you are thinking of a coin.
Give
your child hints to work out which coin you
are thinking of. For example, "My coin
has a face on one side, a building on the other."
Let
your child think about what you have said by
looking at the coins.
Ask,
"Can you make a guess?"
Add
another clue: "My coin is silver."
Keep
giving clues until your child guesses the coin.
Add
the quarter to the coins on the table and continue
the game.
Have
your child give you clues for you to guess the
coin.
This
guessing game helps young children learn to
recognize coins and develop problem-solving
and higher level thinking skills.
This
game helps children count change. Lots of repetition
will make it even more effective. What you'll
need A die to roll 10 of each coin (penny, nickel,
dime) 6 quarters What to do
For
young players (5- and 6-year-olds), use only
2 different coins (pennies and nickels or dimes
and quarters). Older children can use all coins.
Explain
that the object of the game is to be the first
player to earn a set amount (25 cents or 50
cents is a good amount).
The
first player rolls the die and gets the number
of pennies shown on the die.
Players
take turns rolling the die to collect additional
coins.
As
each player accumulates 5 pennies or more, the
5 pennies are traded for a nickle piece.
As
each player accumulates 2 nickels or more, the
nickels are traded for a dime. And so on.
The
first player to reach the set amount wins.
Add
the quarters to the game when the children are
ready.
Counting
money, which involves counting by 1s, , 5s,
and 10s, is a challenging skill and usually
does not come easily to children at first.
What
you'll need
Coins
Coupons
What
to do
Coin
clues. Ask your child to gather some change
in his or her hand without showing what it is.
Start with amounts of 25 cents or less. Ask
your child to tell you how much money and how
many coins there are. Guess which coins are
being held. For example, "I have 17 cents
and 4 coins. What coins do I have?"
Clip
and save. Cut out coupons and tell how much
money is saved with coins. For example, if you
save 20cents on detergent, show how this amount
could be made up using different coins. Ask
your child what could be purchased using the
savings from the coupon. Sweets? A pencil? How
much money could be saved with 3, 4, or 5 coupons?
How could that money be counted out in coins?
What could be purchased with that savings? A
notebook? A magazine? How much money could be
saved with coupons for a week's worth of groceries?
How would that money be counted out? What could
be purchased with that savings? A book? A movie
ticket?
Counting
money involves thinking in patterns or groups
of amounts: 1s, 5s, 10s, 25s. Start these activities
by having your child first separate the coins
or coupons by types: all the pennies together,
all the nickels, all the dimes, all the quarters;
the coupons for cereals, the coupons for cake
mixes, the coupons for soap, etc.
Young
children love to look at the newspaper. It is
fun for them to realize that there are things
for them to see and do with the paper.
What
you'll need
Newspaper
Glue
Paper
Scissors
Pencil
or crayon
What
to do
Newspaper
numbers. Help your child look for the numbers
1-100 in the paper. Cut the numbers out and
glue them in order onto a large piece of paper.
For children who cannot count to 100 or recognize
numerals that large, only collect up to the
number they do know. Have your child say the
numbers to you and practice counting. Collect
only numbers within a certain range, like the
numbers between 20 and 30. Arrange the numbers
on a chart, grouping all the numbers with 2s
in them, all the numbers with 5s, and so on.
Counting
book. Cut out pictures from the newspaper and
use them to make a counting book. Page one will
have one thing on it, page 2 will have 2 things
that are alike, page 3 will have 3 things that
are alike, and so on. All the things on the
pages have to be the same. At the bottom of
each page, write the number of items on the
page and the word for the item. Have your child
dictate a story to you about what is on the
page.
Being
able to read and understand the newspaper involves
more than just the ability to read the words
and understand what they say. It also involves
the ability to read and understand numbers.
What
you'll need
Newspapers
Paper
Scissors
Glue
What
to do
Section
selection. Show your child that the papers are
divided into different sections and explain
that each section serves a purpose. Show how
the pages are numbered.
Ad
adventure. Provide your child with supermarket
ads from the newspapers. Help him see how many
items are listed and the prices. Compare the
prices at different stores. Ask which store
has the best bargain and why. Talk about the
difference in prices between items bought at
regular price, items at sale prices, and items
bought with money-off coupons. What happens
when an item is bought at sale price and bought
with a coupon?
Solid
search. Look at the ads or coupons for pictures
of all the cylinders, boxes, or cubes you can
find. What are their different uses? Paste the
pictures on paper and make a "book of geometric
solids." Have one page for each solid.
Understanding
that there is a logical order to the way things
are arranged in the newspaper, and in the book
of solids, helps show that math skills can be
used in organizing written material. Comparing
information, such as the sale prices at stores,
also helps children see logical relationships
that can be applied to writing.
Search
through the newspaper for mathematical data.
What you'll need Newspaper What to do
Numbers
in the news. Find the following things in the
paper: a graph a number less than 10 something
that comes in 2s, 3s, 4s a number more than
50 the days of the week a number more than 100
a number that is more than 100 but less than
999 a symbol or word for inches, feet, or yards,
or centimeters and
meters
a schedule of some kind a triangle a weather
symbol a percent sign sports statistics
List
it. Provide your child with supermarket advertisements
in order to make up a list of food that will
feed the family for a week and meet a budget
of a certain amount of money. Have your child
make a chart and use a calculator to work out
the cost of more than one item. If the total
for the groceries is too great, talk about which
items can be eliminated. Could the list be cut
down by a few items or by buying less of another
item? What will
For
a fraction of the cost. Give your child a few
coupons and supermarket ads from the paper.
Help your child match the coupons to some of
the items in the advertisement. What fraction
of the cost is the coupon? For example, if an
item costs 79 cents and the coupon is for 10
cents off, what fraction of the cost can be
saved? (About 1/8.) What percentage are you
saving on the item? (About 12 1/2 percent.)
One
of the main ways people use numbers is for planning.
Knowing how to plan how much things will cost
before going to the shop and how to read schedules
and weather information from the paper will
help your child understand the world.
Everyone's
house has hidden treasures. There is a lot of
math you and your child can do with them. What
you'll need Buttons Screws Washers Bottle caps
Old keys Sea shells Rocks or anything else you
can count What to do
Find
a container to hold the treasures.
Sort
and classify the treasures. For example, do
you have all the same sized screws or keys?
How are they alike? How are they different?
Use
these treasures to tell addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division stories. For example,
if we share 17 buttons among three friends,
how many will we each get? Will there be some
left over? Or, if we have 3 shirts that need
6 buttons each, do we have enough buttons?
Organize
the treasures by one characteristic and lay
them end-to-end. Compare and contrast the different
amounts of that type of treasure. For example,
there are 3 short screws, 7 long screws, and
11 medium screws. There are 4 more medium screws
than long ones. This may also provide an opportunity
to talk about fractions: 7/21 or 1/3 of the
screws are long.
Finding
a container to hold the treasures gives your
child practice in spatial problem solving. The
treasures may help you to explain the concepts
of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and
division because they can be moved around and
grouped together so your child can count the
items.
Have
your child get to know members of your family
by collecting information and picturing it on
a graph. What you'll need Paper Pencil Crayons
What to do
Choose
an inherited family characteristic: hair colors,
for example.
Count
how many people in the family have the different
hair colors.
Make
a graph. For example, if 5 people have brown
hair, draw 5 heads side by side to show these
five people. Do the same for the other hair
colors.
Graphs
help everyone, including adults, understand
information at a glance. By looking at the lengths
of the lines of heads, your child can quickly
see which hair color, for example, is most common.
The
supermarket is one of the best examples of a
place where math is real. Since food shopping
trips usually affect everyone in the family,
the following activities include various levels
of difficulty within the activity. All of these
activities can take place over many visits to
the store.
Get
Ready
Getting
ready to go shopping can help parents and children
share their thinking strategies about math with
one another. What you'll need Paper Pencil Coupons
(if you use them) What to do
Involve
the family in making a list. List each item
and mark each item to indicate the number required.
Look
at the price of an item you bought last week
and intend to buy this week. How much did it
cost last week? How much does it cost this week?
Do you want to:
Pay
this week's price? Wait until the price comes
down? Or, stock up if it is reduced?
Involve
the group in deciding how much milk or juice
will be needed for a week. You might decide
to estimate by cups. Use a liter drink container
to show how many cups it contains.
If
you collect coupons, organize them. Choose the
coupons that match the items on the grocery
list. Discuss how much money will be saved on
various items by using coupons.
Shopping
is a part of life which really necessitates
our being mathematically informed to be good
consumers. What you'll need Prices What to do
Notice
whether the supermarket has prices on the items
or whether the pricing is dependent on scanners.
If
there are no prices on the items, notice the
prices listed on the shelves.
Assign
each child the job of remembering the price
of a few items, particularly those listed as
being on special offer.
Being
aware of the prices of items will help you verify
that the scanners are working properly and that
the total is accurate when you go to the check-out.
The
ever-increasing use of technology in the supermarket
puts the burden on you to beware. Your protection
lies in having strong mental math skills.
One
fun place to try out estimation and measurement
skills in the supermarket is the produce section
where everyone can have the opportunity to participate.
What
you'll need
The
grocery scale
What
to do
Help
your child examine the scale. Explain that pounds
are divided into smaller parts called ounces
and 16 ounces equal a pound.
Gather
the produce you are purchasing, and estimate
the weight of each item before weighing it.
Use
sample questions to foster thinking about measurement
and estimation. You might Want to ask your child:
How
much do you think 6 apples will weigh? More
than a pound, less than a pound, equal to a
pound? How much do the apples really weigh?
Do they weigh more or less than you predicted?
How about the potatoes? Will 6 potatoes weigh
more or less than the apples? How much do potatoes
cost per pound? If they cost ___ cents per pound,
what is the total cost?
Some
grocery stores have scales that tell all the
answers to these questions, so in that case,
estimate using the same procedure to make sure
the machines are accurate.
Activities
like this help children develop number sense
for weight and foster the ability to compare
items when measuring.
The
supermarket is filled with geometric shapes.
What you'll need Items from the supermarket
What to do
Show
your child pictures of the different shapes
-- cubes, rectangles, squares, cylinders, etc.,
-- before going to the supermarket. This will
help to identify them when you get to the shop.
At
the supermarket, ask your child questions to
generate interest in the shapes. Which items
are solid? Which are fiat? Which shapes have
fiat sides?
Which
have circles for faces? Rectangles? Do any have
points at the top?
Point
out shapes and talk about their qualities and
their use in daily life.
Look
to see what shapes stack easily. Why?
Try
to find some cones. How many can you find?
Look
for pyramids.
Determine
which solids take up a lot of space and which
ones stack well.
Discuss
why space is important to the shopkeeper and
why the shopkeeper cares about what stacks well.
Boxes,
cans, rolls of toilet paper or paper towels,
ice cream cones, plus produce such as oranges,
grapes, and tomatoes are all geometric shapes.
Recognizing these shapes helps children connect
math to the real world.
The
check out counter is where we commonly think
about math in the grocery store. It's where
the total is added up, the money is exchanged,
and the change is returned.
What
you'll need All the items you intend to buy
What to do
Have
your child estimate the total.
Ask,
if I have 10 one dollar bills, how many will
I have to hand over at the check-out? What if
I have a 20 dollar bill ? a 10 dollar bill ?
How much change should I receive? What coins
will I get?
Count
the change with your child to make sure the
change is correct.
One
way to make estimating totals easy is to assign
an average price to each item. If the average
price for each item is 25 cents and if you have
10 items, the estimate would be about 2.50
What
you'll need
Bags
of groceries
What
to do
Have
your child guess how many objects there are
in a bag. Ask: Is it full? Could it hold more?
Could it tear if you put more in it? Are there
more things in another bag of the same size?
Why do some bags hold more or less than others?
Estimate
the weight of the bag of groceries. Does it
weigh 5 pounds, 10 pounds, or more? How can
you check your estimate? Now, compare one bag
to another. Which is lighter or heavier? Why?
This
activity exposes children to the experiences
of counting items and comparing qualities, as
well as to judging spatial relationships and
capacity. It shows how to estimate weight by
feeling how much the bag weighs, comparing it
to a known weight (such as a bag of sugar),
or weighing it on a scale.
Now,
the sorting begins as you put away the groceries.
What you'll need Your bags of groceries Counter
top or table to group items on What to do
Find
one characteristic that is the same for some
of the products. For example, some are boxes
and some are cans.
Put
all the items together that have the same characteristic.
Find
another way to group these items.
Continue
sorting, finding as many different ways to group
the items as you can.
Play
"Guess My Rule." In this game, you
sort the items and invite your child to guess
your rule for sorting them. Then, your child
can sort the items, and you can guess the rule.
Sorting
helps children develop classifying and reasoning
skills and the ability to examine data and information.
In
this busy world, we spend a lot of time in transit.
These are some projects to try while you are
going from place to place.
While
you're moving, have your children keep their
eyes open for:
*
house
numbers;
*
phone
numbers on the sides of taxis and vans;
*
dates
on buildings and monuments; and
*
business
names that have numbers in them.
The
object is to look for numbers around you: on
cars, buses, and on foot. What you'll need Some
type of transportation or A place from which
to observe Paper Pencil Ruler What to do
Create
a chart that lists the numbers from 1-50.
Write
down each number as family members locate that
number on a car, a sign, a building.
Write
down phrases that have numbers in them such
as "one-stop shopping," "two-day
service," or "open 24 hours."
This
is a great challenge for family members of all
ages, because even young children can learn
to recognize numbers.
License
plates have numbers and are fun to use to play
games while on the go. What you'll need License
plates Paper Pencil What to do
Copy
down a license plate. Read it as a number (excluding
the letters). For example, if the license is
L706 KKY, the number would be seven hundred
and six.
Find
other license plates and read their numbers.
Is the number less than, greater than, or equal
to yours?
Estimate
the difference between your number and another
license plate. Is it 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 or
more?
Record
the initial letters of as many different license
plates as you see. Which letters do you see
the most? Which has the fewest? Prepare a chart
or graph to show your findings.
These
activities encourage reading, recognizing numbers,
noticing symbols, writing, counting, and graphing.
This
is a good game for practicing quick mental computation.
What you'll need License plates What to do
Call
out the numbers on the license plate.
See
who can add the numbers up correctly. What strategies
were used? (Were the numbers added by 10's like
2 + 8; were doubles like 6 + 6 used?)
Try
different problems using the numbers in a license
plate.
For
example, if you use the plate number L706 KKY,
ask, "Using the numbers on the plate, can
you: make a 1 using two numbers? Yes, 7 - 6
= 1. make a 1 using three numbers? Yes, 7 -
(6 + 0) = 1 make 13 using 2 numbers? Yes, 7
+ 6. Adapt the calculations necessary according
to the license plates,
and
the child's ability. The problem solving and
computation going on in your child's head is
very important. It helps your child be creative
with numbers.
What
you'll need Information about how far you're
traveling and how long it will take
What
to do
Ask
your children how far they think you are traveling.
Metres? Kilometres? Miles?
Talk
about how long it takes to get there. If it
is 3:15 now, and it takes 45 minutes to get
there, will we make it for a 4:15 appointment?
How much extra time will we have? Will we be
late?
These
types of questions help children see the usefulness
of understanding distance and time.
When
children practice asking questions about numbers,
they can develop an understanding of the characteristics
and meanings of numbers.
What
you'll need Questions about numbers What to
do
Let
your child think of a number between a stated
range of numbers while you try to guess the
number by asking questions. Here is a sample
conversation.
Child:
I am thinking of a number between 1 and 100.
Parent: Is it more than 50? Child: No. Parent:
Is it an even number? Child: No. Parent: Is
it more than 20 but less than 40? Child: Yes.
Parent: Can you divide this number up into 3
equal parts? And so on ...
After
you have guessed your child's number, let your
child guess a number from you by asking similar
questions.
The
questions asked demonstrate many different levels
of math. They can serve as learning tools for
explaining concepts. For example, you can take
the opportunity to explain what an even number
is if your child does not know.
1.
Visit the school and see if the children:
*
Are
actively engaged in math;
*
Are
talking about mathematics;
*
Are
working together to solve math problems;
*
Have
their math work on display;
*
Use
manipulative's (objects that children can touch
and move) in the classroom.
2.
Explore the math program with your child's teacher
or head. Here are some questions you might ask:
*
Are
there manipulatable objects in the classroom?
*
How
are the national curriculum standards being
applied in this school?
*
What
can I do to help foster a strong math program
where children can explore math concepts before
giving the right answer?
3.
If you would like to help out, here are some
suggestions for parent groups:
*
Make
games for teachers;
*
Help
seek out sponsors who believe in a strong math
program for the school and who might provide
materials and resources;
*
Support
math classes for families at your school.
Keep
a positive attitude even if you don't like what
you see. Work to improve the math curriculum
by doing some of the things mentioned throughout
this book.
Share
this book with your child's teacher.
The
National Curriculum and current educational
thinking make certain assumptions about the
way math should be taught and what parents might
see when visiting the classroom. Here are some
examples:
Children
will be engaged in discovering mathematics,
not just doing many problems in a book.
Children
will have the opportunity to explore, investigate,
estimate, question, predict, and test their
ideas about math.
Children
will explore and develop understanding for math
concepts using materials they can touch and
feel, either natural or manufactured.
The
teacher will guide the students' learning, not
dictate how it must be done.
Children
will have many opportunities to look at math
in terms of daily life and to see the connections
among math topics such as between geometry and
numbers.
Children
will be actively involved in using technology
(calculators and computers) to solve math problems.
APPENDIX
3: What We Can Do To Help Our Children Learn
Listen
to them and pay attention to their problems.
Read with them. Tell family stories. Limit their
television watching. Have books and other reading
materials in the house. Look up words in the
dictionary with them. Encourage them to use
an encyclopedia. Share favorite poems and songs
with them. Take them to the library -- get them
their own library cards. Take them to museums
and historical sites, when possible. Discuss
the daily news with them. Go exploring with
them and learn about plants, animals, and local
geography.
Find a quiet place for them to study. Review
their homework. Meet with their teachers.
|
Help
Your Children With Math