Building Math Skills at Home
- There are many games that you probably already have at home to encourage development in math: Yahtzee (basic addition), Connect Four (problem solving, developing strategies), Puzzles (spatial awareness), Card Games (have players flip cards and greatest or least number wins), Candy Land (make you own game cards and use math facts instead of colors), Monopoly (money), Battleship (coordinate graphs), etc.
- Talk about the calendar with your child. Make it exciting by looking forward to special events. It is fun for them to count the weeks and days until birthdays or to see what day of the week a specific holiday will be on this year.
- You can help your child learn to count money by playing store with them. Use real coins and let them be the “cashier”.
- Use an empty egg carton as a counting tool to practice addition and subtraction skills up to 10. Simply place an object in slots and use the empty slots to count up to/from 10.
- Notice the clock. Tell them that they can play a game at a certain time. Begin with easy times (7:00) and get progressively more difficult (7:30 and 7:45).
- Bake with your child. Read the instructions on the back of the box and allow them to measure ingredients.
- Making flash cards of basic addition or subtraction facts can be an easy way to practice. You can make it a game by seeing how many they can answer in a minute.
- Point out shapes and discuss them. If you see a “YIELD” sign, discuss that it is a triangle and ask your child how many sides would be on three “YIELD” signs.
- Any time there is a project at home that involves measuring inches or feet, let your child help. This allows them to understand that the concepts they are learning in school have real life applications.
- Great websites: www.starfall.com, www. abcmouse.com, www.primarygames.com, www.internet4classrooms.com, www.bedtimemath.org, www.fuelthebrain.com
- Great apps: Montessori Numbers – Math Activities for Kids, Hundred board – a Montessori approach to math, Teach me: Kindergarten, Todo Math, Arithmaroo 1: a counting math game, Kids Puzzles preschool math games, 9 in 1 children games.
- Math Expressions: https://www-k6.thinkcentral.com/ePC/start.do