Mathematical concepts can be difficult at times. You may be at the point where you are wondering how you can teach the concept one-more-time. Hands-on activities are helpful for helping children make the transition from concrete to abstract thinking. Here are some ideas that you can use.

Graphing– Have your daughter or son write down a list of ideas (s)he can poll others about their likes or dislikes. Afterward, have your student graph the results. For instance, ask a question such as, “Would you rather have chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice cream?” You can even create an online survey to send to out of town friends and family. An added bonus is your student is using other skills that are incorporated into this activity- language arts- writing questions, sharing the results; technology, and art- creating and coloring the graph. Two easy to use FREE survey generators are:

• Survey Monkey
• Google Forms

Not everyone wants their child to use the computer for math drills so I am going to list some games you can play with things around your home.  I will have online games for you in the near future.

Get to 101 

• You will need one dice
• a pencil for each player
• a piece of paper for each player

The goal is to roll the dice and add the numbers. The first person to get to 101 wins. Each person takes a turn rolling the die, strategizing to count the number at face value or multiply it by 10. For example, if you roll a six, you can keep that number or turn it into 60. Keep a tally of each round until one person reaches 101. This can be adapted by setting the number lower should you have a young student.

One Meter Dash (Metrics) You and your pupil look around the house for four items you think add up to one meter long. Measure and record how close your estimations were. The person closest to a meter wins.

Jumping Beans Do you have a wiggly child who needs to move? Try this game. Using flashcards, show your child the card and you give an answer. If it is correct, they have to sit down. If you give them an incorrect answer, they remain standing. For example, 3 + 3 and you say 9. Since that is correct, they will have to sit down. If you show the flashcard 5 + 5 and say the answer is 11, then they will need to stand.

Tic -Tac- Toe Create several game boards to play this version of Tic-Tac-Toe.   Instead of a blank 3X3 grid, write in math problems. If your student can correctly answer the problem that is in the grid they get to mark that space. The first person to get 3 in a row wins. If no one wins that game, we say our cat (Oreo) wins. Tally the number of wins for each person or animal. 🙂  Who won?

Math Bingo I thought I came up with a fairly original idea, but not so! This website is amazing since it is a print and go for different math skills. CLICK HERE 

If you have a favorite math game that you play with your family, please share!

Have a great week of teaching and learning! ~Lisa~

 Some of the math game ideas are from http://www.prodigy.com.

The idea of prepositions can be tricky for children. The definition of a preposition is a word or phrase that connects a noun or pronoun to a verb or adjective in a sentence. An example of a preposition is the word “with” in the following; “I’m going with her.”(source: https://www.yourdictionary.com › preposition)

My young granddaughter is learning about prepositions right now and I was trying to think of a fun way for her to remember the easier ones that show direction. Since it is fall I thought of a squirrel and a tree. What can a squirrel do in relation to a tree?

She can sit in the tree.                                      He can stand beside the tree.

He can be near the tree.                                   She can run to the tree.

She can climb on the tree.                               He can run from the tree.

He ran between the branches.                        She can sit on the branch.

We learn best by involving as many senses as we can so I found a squirrel on wikiclipart.com and a leaf template and created a tree to allow her to move the squirrel around to demonstrate the prepositions. This is just to give you an idea of what I did. I would add to the tree as she learns more prepositions.

Do you have children who enjoy learning things by song? The Preposition Song

Here is a list of prepositions for you to use as a reference for your own activity.

Writing can feel intimidating, mysterious, ambiguous and frustrating. How can you help your daughter or son get beyond those feelings to be able to write? As I had mentioned before, taking baby steps is where it all begins. Writing doesn’t have to be done in a day. In fact, I recommend you take several lessons (days/ weeks) to complete a writing piece.

Have you ever head the expression priming the pump? It means, ” to take action that encourages the growth of something or helps it to succeed.” You have to do this in writing as well. Think back to the time when you were given a writing assignment and you had no idea of what to say, no interest in the topic? This is how our children feel too!

Create a writing atmosphere. Light a candle, brew some tea or make hot chocolate, have some erasable pens or fancy pencils, special paper, and of course, some type of treat. This lets your child know this is something special and a time dedicated to doing something different. At first, the beverages and snacks may be eaten with little writing taking place, but keep at it. It will change if your child knows you are going to be doing this as a regular part of your school routine. use those fancy pens and paper for just your writing time.

Start with Conversation  You can talk about a fun activity that happened recently. ( a sleepover, a day at the zoo, a soccer game, a friend who came for a visit, a trip, etc) You can also talk about something that has made them sad or an event that is yet to occur.

Jot Down Ideas or Make a List from the Conversation Either you can do this or you can have your child write them.

Use these Ideas for Writing Your son or daughter can write the ideas down in various ways: a poster, a strip of sentences, a comic book, a short video, or a PowerPoint.

Find something your daughter or son is interested in to help them write. This can be Minecraft, Legos,  a favorite video game or a best friend. Set a timer of 2-3 minutes and have them write whatever comes to mind about the topic. This list can be a springboard for the next time you write.

Is your child been asking you for something and you have been on the fence about it? I have had students write persuasive pieces of writing about getting a pet, having an allowance, playing inside, staying up later, and taking a trip. Let them know you will have an open mind so they don’t feel their efforts are totally in vain. 🙂

Set the timer. This will help your child know there is a stopping point. You could be having such a fantastic time that time gets away from you.  Short and sweet lessons are good for everyone. (10-15 minutes)

Write alongside! Yes, your child needs to see you model writing. Not every time is a great writing day and your child can see how you overcome your writing block or when you are enthusiastic about the topic you have chosen.

Share Each person can share something they have written. Your reluctant writer might want to share anything, but ask them to share at least one thing. Be sure you share too!

Praise your child for their efforts.  You are likely to have a child that is willing to try again if you praise them and what they have accomplished.

Here are the erasable pens that I use with my students. They LOVE them! FriXion Pens

Have a great week! ~Lisa ~