Pediatrics for Parents

Making Math Fun

Raymond J. Huntington

Mathematical concepts become a part of everyday life when introduced to children while they're young. Today's mathematics involves more than just counting and memorizing multiplication tables. It includes the ability to think logically, reason, communicate, and solve problems - skills essential to success in this technological age.

Fortunately, you don't have to be a mathematician to help your children achieve success. You can help make the "mathematical connection" that will build your child's interest and confidence in the subject, helping him or her excel in school and beyond. Don't think of it as teaching mathematics; think of it as teaching about day-to-day life and let the real world be your textbook.

Try the following activities to help your children get involved in exploring, developing, testing, discussing, and applying the
interrelated mathematical ideas they will use throughout their lives.

Basic Arithmetic:
Children learn to do arithmetic by first mastering different counting strategies, beginning with rote counting. Use building blocks with your child to test his or her counting skills - "How many blocks can you count?" Grouping objects helps children to learn the concepts of adding, subtracting, and multiplying. Use visual examples to demonstrate: "If I have 6 blocks and pick up 2 more, how many blocks will I have? If I have 6 blocks and take away 2 of them, how many blocks will I have? If I make 3 piles of 10 blocks each, how many blocks will I have?"

Geometry:
Becoming familiar with shapes and patterns will prepare your child to understand the principles of geometry and the way mathematics is used in architecture, clothing design, science, and recreation. Let your child fix a favorite sandwich. Explain that a square has four equal sides, and trim the sandwich edges to make a square. Next, cut the sandwich across the diagonal to make two triangles, each representing one-half of the square. Put the two halves back together and make a square again. Discuss the changes as they take place. Have your child identify circles, square, triangles, rectangles, cylinders, and spheres in other everyday objects.

Measurement:
Introduce your children to length and weight measurements by letting them experiment with a ruler and scale. Show them the difference between English and metric systems by using inches and feet as well as centimeters and meters, and ounces and pounds as well as grams and kilograms. You children will quickly learn to estimate longer or shorter, lighter or heavier, closer or farther. When driving in a car, have your children guess how far they think you need to go to travel one mile.
Check the odometer and tell them how far you have actually traveled when your children say, "One mile now." Try this activity with varying distances and test their judgement with kilometers as well.

Algebra:
Number activities are tools that help children apply their imagination and skills to problem solving and introduce the concept of algebraic formulas. Assign a value to each letter in the alphabet (A=1, B=2…Z=26). Spell out the name of each family member and assign the corresponding number value. Then compare to see whose name has the highest word value. For example, Jack is 10+1+3+11=25.

Statistics and Probability:
In school, students will often take on projects in which they collect, organize, and record information in graphs or tables, activities that may very well be assigned in the context of a scientific experiment.

Encourage your children to embark on their own "research projects" and experiments. In a package of 20 cookies, how would you determine the average number of chocolate chips per cookie? If you toss a coin four times, what is the probability of getting heads twice?

When students approach a problem in the spirit of exploration and apply the lessons of measurement and computation, they may find it rewarding to think through the steps needed to solve a mathematical puzzle.

Raymond J. Huntington and Eileen Huntington are co-founders of Huntington Learning Center, which has provided supplemental education services to local communities for 29 years. Ray Huntington is a doctoral statistician who has served as a business analyst with a Fortune 500 company and an instructor of college-level mathematics and statistics. His wife, Eileen, is a former junior and senior high school teacher with a master's degree from Rutgers University. For more information about Huntington Learning Center, call 1-800 CAN LEARN or visit http://www.huntingtonlearning.com/.