Math can help you understand a lot of things in this world and it’s everywhere! Studies show that a child’s math skills at the age of 5 are a critical predictor of future academic success than reading skills, social skills, or the ability to focus. Therefore, parents should give their children a head start by talking with them about math in fun, relatable ways.
Math in the kitchen
Believe it or not, baking delicious chocolate chip cookies involves math! Doubling recipes (because your son has invited half of the class to his birthday party) requires multiplying, and measuring a 1/2 cup or a 1/3 teaspoon involves easy fractions. Plus, no child doesn’t get excited counting out chocolate chips!
For example, you can ask your child: How many chocolate chips do you think it will take to fill 1/4 cup? How about 1/2 cup?
Math in the park
At the park, not only can your child get some exercise, but they also have the opportunity to practice counting and measure distances. Two birds with one stone!
For example, you can ask your child: How many jumping jacks can you do in a minute? How far can you throw a ball? Take a guess, then throw the ball as far as you can and measure the distance.
Math in the playroom
Building a castle out of Legos or shoeboxes involves counting, adding, multiplying, and it stimulates spatial cognition. Encourage your child to build both small and big structures, and either create something original or mimic a famous landmark!
For example, you can ask your child: How many Legos do you need to stack to reach as high as the coffee table? Can you make a triangle? A circle?
Math in the dining room
Setting the table and counting out the plates, napkins, and utensils in getting ready for dinner or a party involves math! Plus, you’re helping them develop organizational skills.
For example, you can ask your child: If you’re inviting 15 friends to a party, and the plates come 6 in a pack, how many packs do you need to buy? And how many are going to be left over?
Math at bedtime
Why not add a math problem to your bedtime reading?
Try this one: “Igloos gone wild”
“Igloos are small homes built by stacking blocks of ice or packed snow in a spiral that goes around on top of itself, not in rows that start and end at the same height. Usually it’s plain white ice or snow, but one couple decided to make their own multicolored igloo. They added few drops of food coloring to the water before freezing it in a container. And several hours later, they have beautiful colored ice blocks! So, if the main body of the igloo uses 100 blocks and the entrance uses 40, how many blocks were used? They have 2 different colored blocks (red and green), so if 25 of those blocks are red, how many blocks are green?”
Or try to count stars on a clear night! This helps with counting and might even get them tired enough to fall asleep faster!
Here’s a great resource for learning math! (It’s free to use!)
It’s easy to find a suitable tutor for your child!
TutorOcean
TutorOcean is a global marketplace where learners and tutors connect. Through its intuitive and integrated online classroom, tutors are able to cultivate the internal motivation and potential of learners, and thus help them achieve their goals. It's a place where the connection is made instantly, knowledge is shared and acquired in real-time, and community is created while breaking geographical boundaries.
