Math Empowers Parents
Middletown Township Public Schools
Grades 3-5~2nd Trimester 2017-2018
Math Empowers Parents, Grades 3-5 is a triannual newsletter for parents of children in third, fourth, and/or fifth grades. This publication will include information on how parents can support and foster the love of math at home.
Winter Math Activities
- Keep track of the daily temperature and create a graph to show the changing temperatures over the week, the month or the winter season.
- Estimate how much snow will fall in a given week or maybe by the end of winter. Keep track of the actual snow and compare your estimate to the total amount.
- During a snow day, measure the snow hourly and estimate the total snow fall by the end of the day.
Praise and Intelligence
Number Sense
WITH + MATH = I CAN
Join the Movement! Making a commitment to growth as a family can be a GAME CHANGER...but how can this be done? Start a journey to achieve a growth mindset together. Instead of saying, “I’m not good at math”, embrace your failure. Remember that making mistakes actually helps your brain grow.
Click here to watch a video and take a pledge together with your family members - you’re on your way!
Questions regarding the growth mindset culture? Want more information? Contact Abby Friend, Nut Swamp Elementary Math Specialist frienda@middletownk12.org
Table Talk Math
Here is a fun activity to try with your child:
The challenge is solved using something called exponential decay. 2 to the tenth power is 1,024, so each time you ask a question, you can remove the other "half" of responses. Here is a sample:
1. Is your number less than 500? Yes. Subtract 250.
2. Is your number less than 250? No. Add 125.
3. Is your number greater than 375? Yes. Add 62 (since half of 125 is 61.5, round to the nearest even number).
4. Is your number greater than 437? No. Subtract 31.
5. Is your number less than 406? No. Add 16 (same reason as step 3).
6. Is your number less than 422? Yes. Subtract 8.
7. Is your number less than 414? No. Add 4.
8. Is your number less than 418? Yes. Subtract 2.
9. Is your number less than 416? Yes. Subtract 1.
10. Is your number greater than 414? Yes.
Your number was 415.
This works every time! Now try it out with your child and see. If your child is K-3, you may want to do all the guessing, but if they are older, switch roles and see if they can guess it in 10 or less!
Three Ways to Treat and Cure FoMA using Dreambox
Erin Carmody
Elementary Mathematics Specialist
MIddletown Village/New Monmouth Elementary Schools
Elizabeth Cassidy
Elementary Mathematics Specialist
Middletown Village Elementary School