Work Math in Everyday Conversations With Your Child
About 93% of American adults are concerned with math to some degree . I acknowledge that I am part of this group. When it comes time to split the bill for lunch, I nervously avoid eye contact with him, saying, “I’m not good at math. That’s why I became a writer! [ laughs awkwardly, prays that I don’t have to divide ] ”.
But as a parent, I don’t want to pass my fear of math on to my kids . I learned a few ways to combat the loop in an episode of the NPR podcast “Life Kit: Raising Awesome Kids .” First, we need to realize that even if we don’t consider ourselves “mathematicians,” we do math all the time — while we listen to music, bake cookies, collect baseball statistics, or set up shoe toilets. Secondly, in order to raise kids who love math, we have to use ordinary moments to talk about math. This is not about reading the multiplication tables in Target – it is about using the language of descriptive mathematics when children notice the details of the world. “Listen, as you add more blocks, your line gets longer.” “Why doesn’t your book fit on the shelf? Oh, is he too tall? “Let’s sing the song faster.” I can do it.
There are some great resources to help you “talk math” with your kids, including Math Before Sleep, Math For Table Chat, and Talking Math With Your Kids (check out Twitter hashtag #tmwyk for parents share real-life examples of how they used math in everyday conversations).
Here are some tips to help you get started:
When shopping for groceries: “Can you help me choose a cereal that costs less than three dollars?”
In the elevator: “How many floors are lit? How long will it take us to get to the first floor? “( Math before bed )
During the hug: “Let’s make a ‘love pattern’ – a kiss, hug, kiss, hug, hug.” (@ amanda_renard )
When ordering a pizza: “How can we cut it up so that all six get a slice?”
In the children’s pool: “How many more friends do you think can fit inside?”
Preparing breakfast: “How many donut halves do we have?”
On disc: “If a license plate has three letters and four numbers, is there more letters or numbers on it?” ( Math before bed )
While cooking: “Can you sort vegetables by size?”
For gasoline: come up with who can most accurately estimate how much gas will cost. (@ KatieBreedlove )
When you share a blanket: “Hey, you have 3/4, but I only have 1/4. Give me another quarter. “
Getting ready for school: “The journey takes 15 minutes. What time do we leave? “
During production: “How much material do we need?”
When grilling: “How many times do we have to turn the patties if we make five hamburgers?”