Whether you’re a math wiz or avoid it at all costs, it’s important to understand that your feelings about math directly influence your child’s perspective of math. Here are 4 ways to keep your child’s mind open and engaged at home when it comes to math:
- Driving Miss Division. Next time you’re out running errands, make a stop at your local gas station for an impromptu math lesson with your child. Ask if he can figure out how many gallons of gas you can purchase for $20. This is a great example of how math surrounds us in life. Pro tip: leave a small notebook and a pencil in your car for your child to work out the problem.
- Host family game night. Spending time together as a family is invaluable for your child, and you can do so while reinforcing your kiddo’s number sense by playing games. There are a variety of games to choose from that utilize math skills via cards and dice. Some of our family game night favorites are Racko, Yahtzee, and the timeless classic, Monopoly.
- Cook up problem solving. Pass the chef hat to your child and ask him to read the recipe aloud, breaking down each measurement. Kick it up a notch by creating math word problems using the ingredients in the recipe. Being able to see and touch the ingredients will help strengthen your kiddo’s problem solving skills. For an added challenge, ask your child to double or triple the recipe.
- Keep math on the brain. After a day apart from your child, instead of asking them, “What did you do today?” try asking, “What problems did you solve today?” Starting a conversation by asking questions like this will put a fun twist on math and keep it top of mind for your kiddo.