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Five Fun Math Tips for
Parents to
Celebrate Five Seasons of Cyberchase
by Frances Nankin
We all know
there is a need for kids in the U.S. to improve in math so we can compete in a
technological world. To address this, we need to show kids ways that math is a
fun and useful part of their lives. Just as we read with them to make them
better readers, we can also do math with kids to make them better
mathematicians. To celebrate CYBERCHASE’s 5th season, here are 5 tips that show
you how.
1. Homework Help
Insecure about your own math abilities? Relax! When your child asks for homework
help, ask what the problem is, and what part is giving him/her trouble. Ask if
there are any parts of the problem they DO understand. To keep the ideas
flowing, ask questions like “What would this problem look like if we drew a
picture of it?” or “How could we act this out right now to help us figure it
out?” Drawing pictures and role playing are both good ways to make problems
concrete and easier to understand. You can also have your child pretend to be
the teacher (with a stuffed toy, for example). These different techniques can
help your articulate what they are thinking as they solve a problem, and can
help build confidence.
2. Math Is Everywhere
Whether you are at a restaurant or grocery store, in the car or on vacation,
challenge your child to:
* Estimate distance when
traveling, and then verify it with an odometer or map.
* Estimate the total bill at the restaurant before it arrives, or the cost
of your groceries in the cart.
* Estimate weight of produce, and then weigh on the scale to check.
* Take apart cereal boxes to see how the 3-D shape is made from 2-D
shapes.
* Help you budget how much money to spend on your next vacation or
shopping trip.
* Count change at the cash register.
3. Fractious Fractions
Working with fractions can be troublesome for kids, but you can do a lot to help
if you make them real. How? Fractions represent equal parts of a whole, but that
whole may be a single object, like an apple, or it may be a group of things,
like a bunch of grapes. So next time you have an apple and some grapes handy (or
any other examples you come up with) invite your child to show you half of each
whole. Ask: How are these two examples of ½ the same? (The whole is divided into
two equal parts.) How are the examples different? (The halves represent
different quantities.) Repeat with other fractional amounts.
4. Learning the Times Tables
Make a game out of looking for patterns in the multiplication facts. Multiply by
2, for example, and the product always ends in 0,2,4,6, or 8. When you multiply
by 5 and look at the product, the number in the ones place is always 5 or 0.
What other patterns can you find?
Make a Hundreds Chart. On a grid or graph paper, write the numbers 1-10 in the
first row of squares, 11-20 in the second row, and so on until you complete the
91-100 row. Then use the chart to locate and color the multiples of different
numbers.
5. Learning from Mistakes
Having to do pencil and paper work can be scary because there is risk of a
'wrong' answer. Kids don't like to be wrong, nor do we. But in math, being wrong
often leads to being right! You can help your children learn from mistakes by
having them talk out loud as they work out problems. Talking through each step,
whether doing it right or wrong, is a great way to overcome fear and
frustration. As well, it helps if you model this same behavior when you have a
problem you are trying to work out. Share your mistakes and help your child
discover that there may be more than one way to solve a problem. Doing so will
help build confidence when your child is faced with new problems and increase
their self-esteem.
CYBERCHASE, the
award-winning math mystery cartoon on PBS KIDS GO!® from
Thirteen/WNET New York, celebrates its fifth season this year
with new programs that foster enthusiasm for math and build
problem-solving skills. Find out more at CYBERCHASE Online
and be sure to visit the Parents and Teachers section for more
math tips.
- Frances Nankin is Executive Producer of CYBERCHASE. |
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