EMPOWERING PARENTS WITH MATH
“5 Ways to Help Your Kids Not Stink at Math”
In a New York Times article, Elizabeth Green discusses ways to support your child’s mathematics skills and understanding that they need for the 21st century.
- Have your child explain her or his thinking and listen to what mistakes your child is making rather than correcting mistakes.
- Do the everyday math you do out loud so that your child can hear your think and see how math is used in the real world.
- Use pictures to represent the problems including using dot representations of arrays to help develop the understanding behind the algorithms.
- Combine memorization and understanding, making each one stronger.
- Introduce complex ideas earlier by asking questions to promote thinking
Technology Corner: Websites and Apps Sheppard Software
Sushi Monster (IOS Free): Scholastic’s app offers children addition and multiplication problems. They will have to reach a target number by picking the correct factors and addends listed on different pieces of sushi.
Math Monsters – BINGO (IOS Free): Students can practice all operations using the bingo app. They will solve each problem and then find the answer on the bingo board. Players need to be strategic if they want to win the game.
Math Vs. Zombies (IOS - $4.99, Android – Free): This silly app asks children to add, subtract, multiply or divide one and two-digit numbers. Students need to answer each question correctly in order to zap the zombies back into humans.
Sheppard Software - http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/math.htm - This website offers a range of games and activities for preschoolers to middle school. The engaging games practice thinking skills related to computation, number sense, and problem-solving.
Math Slide (iPad and iPhone app) – This free one or more player game is great for multiplication fact practice at different levels using picture models and equations.