Children need many experiences with math concepts to develop their skills in the elementary years. Parents can help at home with these ideas to teach math reasoning and increase their child's math problem solving skills.
Don't turn your kids off by 'teaching' them math. A better idea is to provide experiences for 'playing and living' math. Take time to play the homework games your child will bring home from Connected Math. 'New' Math gives parents the chance to learn along with their child. You will be surprised at how effective these activities are in teaching math thinking. Find several of these games online. They can be made from simple materials you have at home.
Many commercial games are available that teach math thinking skills. Teachers of Connected Mathematics recommend that you look for games that:
- Require and develop skill with mental computation and estimation
- Require players to use their math skills
- Involve the development of strategies
- Require players to think about the probability of certain events occurring.
- Require the use of spatial visualization skills
- Require logical thinking
Some games that fit these recommendations are Clue, Risk, Chess, card games, Racko, Dominoes, and Monopoly. About Parenting of K-6 Children recommends these top picks for math games for younger and older kids. No need to mention to your child that you're teaching them math while they play!
If your child enjoys playing 'school', share these math skills printable worksheets from Family Education Network.
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