Math Mondays: #1 Tips For Building Math Skills at Home

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With a little creativity, you can make math lots of fun! Here are some easy things that you can do at home to help your child with math. I have used this as a handout at parent nights before. Parents often like to keep a copy on the fridge. Enjoy doing these activities with your child. Download a copy for your fridge or for your classroom here.

  • There are many games that you probably already have at home that encourage development in math:
  1. Yahtzee: basic addition
  2. Connect Four: problem solving, developing strategies
  3. Puzzles: spatial awareness
  • 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 birthday time or to see what day of the week Christmas 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”.
  • 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.
  • You can develop a better understanding of fractions by discussing equal parts with your child. Any time you bake a frozen pizza, it is an opportunity to let them understand what 1/6 means.
  • 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. If they improve their score over time, reward them.
  • You can make pot holders on a small loom. This is a good way to practice making and extending patterns.
  • 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 world applications.
  • 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 3 “YIELD” signs.