Math Matters
Math in the Summer???
Books, Books, Books!
When I was teaching I often tried to connect our topic at hand to a children's book. I would gather the middle schoolers or high schoolers I had in my class at the time, and we would sit on the floor and I would read to them. These books not only helped me to bond with the children in my care an hour a day but to engage them in thinking about our new content in a low-risk environment. Once we read the book, as the concept deepened into new skills and practice at their grade level, we also had the book to reference and discuss as a helpful scaffold when they had a struggling moment.
From my experiences teaching teen learners to raising a daughter of my own, I have found that reading these types of books is key to keeping the positivity and good feelings going around math concepts so that they see math isn't to be feared but something we can all relate to.
I have a great collection of children's books that feature math concepts. There are so many others out there, but if you need a place to start, click the picture to see my list and get started reading this summer with a little math twist!
Teens and Math Reading Options
Math & Financial Literacy
Another great topic for continuing math skills over summer is to work on financial literacy at home. It is so important that our children understand not only how to count money, but how it works in terms of savings and investment growth, along with debt related to credit and loans.
You'll find a free resource on my website to give you lots of ideas for working with financial literacy skills at home with learners of all ages. Feel free to share it with friends too.
Money 101: A Parents' Guide to Supporting Financial Literacy in Children
I also offer activities designed around many topics traditionally covered in elementary or middle-grade learning. These sets include instructions for parents to use them with their learners at home that contain activity steps, good questions to ask, and skills that you can follow up with next. If having ready-made activities to use with kids to teach financial literacy would help you, click the image to check them out.
Math is Integral
Follow me on Facebook or Instagram (@mathcutups) for tips and ideas, and sign up on my website for email updates from time to time.
Kelli D. Mallory, Ed.D.
Email: integralmathematics@gmail.com
Website: www.mathcutups.com
Phone: 214-471-5760
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MathCutUps/
Twitter: @Mathcutups
The last year has been a challenge but we are all growing & learning, including our kids.
Take a breath. Give yourself a break. Hang in there!