MATH IS EVERYWHERE
M athematics is one of the most important sub jects of our life. No matter to which field or profession you belong to, its use is everywhere. That is why it is necessary to have a good understand of the subject. Though the basics of mathematics start from school but its usage continues till we become adults and thus it can be said that maths has become an integral part. Imagining our lives without it is like a ship without a sail.
Math is everywhere! It's in our natural world. It's in our homes. It's in our daily routines. As parents, we have learned that reading books with our children builds interest in reading and helps them do well in reading at school. What we may not know is that we can also help them learn and enjoy math.
In school, our children are learning more about how math fits in our everyday lives. And here's where we parents come in. We can use our children's natural curiosity - along with math tools such as estimating, finding patterns, and noticing relationships between objects - to help them solve problems. Use the tips and activities below to help your child discover and learn that math can be fun.
IN AND OUT OF THE HOUSE
Explore the house in search of odd and even numbers of objects such as chairs, windows, cupboard doors, potatoes and the like.
Explore the yard and neighborhood. Look for shapes in buildings and street signs. Look for numbers on doors and mailboxes. Count different kinds of animals (don't forget birds and insects) and put them into categories.
Inside and outside, have children look for items that typically come in 2's, 3's, 4's, a dozen, or other collections. They might also look for items that come in groups or sets. Ask them how many groups there are, how many items in each group, how many items is all, etc.
IN THE KITCHEN
Involve children in cooking activities so that they have a chance to work with measurement terms such as cup, tablespoon, and teaspoon. Pose problems, such as "How many spoonful’s of flour do you think will make one cup?"
Estimate and measure with objects other than a ruler. For example, have children estimate the length of the kitchen table in spoons or uncooked spaghetti. Then have them measure in actual spoons and spaghetti. (To get them to do some real problem solving, let them use only two spoons or two spaghetti strands)
Have children solve dinner-related problems. For example, " We have five people at dinner each night, but tonight two friends are coming. How many more chairs (or plates, forks, desserts, etc.) will we need?"
AT PLAYTIME
When playing board games, have children count spaces on a game board, add the total on a pair of dice, or decide which player rolled a higher number on a die. Most board games base winning on who finishes first, but by continuing to play until everyone reaches the end, more involvement is possible.
Practice estimation and measurement by rolling, kicking, or throwing balls. Use balls of different sizes (e.g. tennis ball, soccer ball, basketball, beach ball, ets.) Have children predict which ball they believe they can roll, kick, throw further and estimate how far. Measure actual distances. Write down the distance to compare with another day.
At sports events, encourage children to keep score. Simple tally marks will work for some sports AT THE GROCERY STORE
Have children read prices on items. For example, they might compare the prices of three different brands of the same item to see which one costs the least. Older children can compare prices with different sizes and quantities.
When buying fresh fruits or vegetables, have children count the number of items to purchase. Involve them in figuring out practical problems, such as "If we need two apples a day for lunches, how many apples will we need to buy for a week of school?"
Arrange for children to handle money by occasionally allowing them to buy a small item. (For young children, coins totaling 50 cents is appropriate). Let them decide which coins will buy the item, if they will receive change and if so, how much.
You might be surprised to know that we use mathematics every day even without knowing it. From dialing numbers on phone to giving money for making the payments, our world is surrounded by mathematics. So let us see what impact this subject has made on our lives.