Posting #3: Integrating Math At Home

http://www.zenfamilyhabits.net/2009/11/25-everyday-math-ideas-for-the-non-mathematical/

The above link is to a family centered website. The link leads to an entry on this website about easy ways parents can integrate math at home. The entry begins with the importance of math in everyday life, and how to explain this to children. It also give tips for teaching the importance of math outside of the classroom, such as making it relevant by highlighting math skills used in a situation students experience  frequently (i.e. grocery shopping,). Next the entry lists twenty-five game/activities that parents can do with their children to practice math skills. Most of the games and activities that children already play but the content is modified to practice math skills (i.e. memory game usually has icons to match, but the website suggests having math problems and solutions to match up). The entry also has visible comments from people who have tried the methods suggested in the post and their thoughts/feedback from it. This could be useful to help parents considering trying an activity of what would make a good activity or a mistake not to make with their children.

I thought this would be a good resource to have available for parents because students of all ability levels need to practice their math skills outside of the classroom in order to master them. Many parents don't feel qualified to teach math, or don't know how to add math activities into their schedule that would be fun for their children to do. I would have this available to parents so that they can get ideas of what might work for them in their home, and see that it doesn't have to be big and complicated activities. It could be as simple as having a deck of flashcard that a parent keeps in the car or in a purse to pull out during fifteen to twenty minutes of downtime ( such as waiting to board a plane, or waiting for dinner to finish cooking). Also, it could be resource for parents to see what they are already doing with their children (i.e. playing Battleship) and they would only have to highlight the math skill being played while talking to their kid. The purpose of me having this website on my blog would be to take the stress out of math. As we have read in numerous articles for this class, many people have bad experiences with math, and get really stressed out when they knowingly have to deal with it. Giving parents this resource is a way for them to reduce math anxiety in their children and also a way that parents won't become overwhelmed themselves.