Here are four easy ways to help your child improve math skills at home:
Measure
Cook! This is a great way to practice measuring. Ask your child help you follow a recipe and measure out the ingredients. Talk about the different measurements as you work, such as, “A tablespoon is bigger than a teaspoon.” You can also talk about fractions — for example, if the recipe calls for half a cup. “That’s just half of this cup. A half cup is what’s called a fraction. It’s a fraction — or part of — a whole cup.” Even simply cutting an apple into sections helps teach this basic, and important, concept of math.
Tell time
Every now and then, ask your child what time it is. When you’re cooking, ask her to be your timekeeper: “Can you let me know when 10 minutes have passed?” If your second-grader has a favorite TV program, ask her to keep an eye on the clock and let you know when the show starts.
Read temperatures
Even if your child doesn’t have a temperature, have him take his and then read it. (Kids usually love doing this.) Have a weather thermometer? Hang one outside a window, and ask your child to check it for you each morning. Ask him if the temperature is higher or lower than the day before.
Count money
Since so many of us use bank cards nowadays, once in a while bring cash to the store. Ask your child to figure out how much money she’ll need to pay for the item. Also have her figure out how much change she should get back. Are you starting to give your child an allowance? Help her open a bank account — or even easier, just add to a piggy bank — and see how the money adds up.
