Your family uses maths every single day. Perhaps it’s in the morning when measuring pancake mix or in the evening when counting the number of forks to set the table for dinner. So, why limit your children’s maths practice to inside the classroom? By allowing your children to learn and study their maths facts at home, you are providing them with an additional opportunity to learn, practice, and understand problems that may come up in the classroom.
Through the Kumon Maths Program, for example, you can introduce your children to maths topics before they study them in the classroom, thereby giving your children an academic edge in their coursework. In fact, many of our students love being above grade level in maths. Daniel, a fourth grade Kumon Student from Colorado said, “I am most proud of the fact that I am doing fractions when my class is still doing multiplication.”
The extra maths practice that Kumon provides will also help to reinforce previous topics, while introducing new ones. Practice inside and outside of the classroom can lead to a mastery of topics from addition and subtraction to algebra
and calculus.
Outside of Kumon, you can help your children practice maths through everyday tasks such as shopping, baking, and reading the time. When you are at the grocery store, for example, ask your children to help figure out the price of two boxes of their favorite cereal or the price difference between two brands of milk. Not only can these activities help reinforce maths practice outside of the classroom, but they can also build your children’s confidence and help them realize how much maths is used in everyday situations.
In addition, when playing fun games and activities like Scrabble and Monopoly, you can encourage your children to give their maths skills a boost. Monopoly, for example, is an excellent opportunity for your children to practice budget management and probability calculations. Scrabble helps them practice basic arithmetic as well as multiplication. These games, and others (like Yahtzee and Tangram), can help your children practice their maths facts while having fun at the same time.
What are some additional ways you and your children practice math outside of the classroom?