The summer months are winding down, and the kids are trading in their pool noodles and backyard tents for pencils and backpacks. If it seems like your kids struggle to remember the previous year’s schoolwork sometimes, you aren’t alone.
Summer learning loss is common among people from all walks of life, but especially among families whose children do not have learning-enriched summer activities to participate in. A Calgary math tutor is one option. Hiring a tutor is especially helpful for children who tend to have problems with retaining math knowledge. Your child’s math tutor will provide hands-on lessons according to your schedule, and he or she may even help you come up with some unique and fun learning ideas like the ones below.
Point Out Math in Your Everyday Life
You do math every day, but your kids may not realize it if you don’t point it out. Consider your shopping trips, road trips, recipes you make, or even baseball games you attend. Ask the kids to help you calculate how much you’re spending at the store, teach them about distance during a road trip, halve recipes (or multiply them!) together, or even simply study statistics as they relate to sports.
Practice at Home
There is nothing wrong with doing a bit of homework during the summer. Math worksheets, calendars that provide a math problem each day, or even online games made for kids are a great way to get some practice in at home. If the kids are resisting the “schoolwork” during the summer, consider creating healthy rewards, such as a day at the park or a favorite treat.
Read Stories About Math
Who says math is only numbers? Plenty of short stories are focused on math, and studies show they can draw in children who otherwise are less interested in math than other kids their age. Check out series like Family Math or Bedtime Math to get in your daily reading while possibly boosting future math scores at the same time.
Have a Game Night
A family game night is an excellent way to add math to your summer fun. Yahtzee and Monopoly are two family classics that you might already have in your home. Both use math to win and rely on adding, subtracting, multiplying, and so on. Blocks and puzzles are good math games for younger children who may not be ready to do basic math but can learn to recognize patterns or basic numbers.
RELATED: How to Have a Family Game Night
Go to a Children’s Museum
Children’s museums are an excellent way to provide your children with learning opportunities not only for math but for a range of other subjects. The hands-on activities are colorful, bright, and easy for children of all ages to access. Your kids will barely even realize that they’re learning as they run, play, and explore in a local children’s museum.
Summertime is about beaches, bratwurst, and all the fun things that make the time out of school what it is for kids. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t hide some math fun in there. Use these ideas or come up with your own to keep your kids ahead of the learning curve.
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