Bringing Math Home
We wanted to provide a comprehensive resource to accompany our Family Math Night
In anticipation of our Family Math Night, we asked for some feedback from families regarding what resources and support would be helpful. Considering the responses we received, we put together the following collection of videos and websites.
First, we will begin with the number one question, comment, and frustration; "Why is math taught so differently now?" Dr. Raj Shah does a wonderful job of explaining and demonstrating why in the brief video below.
What is math? Mathematics is, by definition, the study of patterns. When we talk to our children about math, we can often ask "what do you notice"? Mathematicians notice patterns, describe patterns, and generalize patterns. We are all mathematicians! If you would like to dive deeper into this question, "what is math?", Sara VanDerWerf does a wonderful job discussing this in the 18-minute video below.
Many parents reach out and ask for more effective ways to help their children with homework. Teachers send home a page from our iReady curriculum book specifically for families, an example is shown in the image to the right.
If you are not receiving the Family Letter, please reach out to your child's teacher. These letters provide a nice overview of each lesson as well as an activity to support the specific learning area. We encourage families to utilize this helpful resource from iReady. We also want families to remember that supporting their children with their math growth doesn't have to be homeWORK. Math is everywhere. Math is everything we notice while taking a walk in our neighborhood, on a beach, or through the woods. Math is family game night, pizza slices, cooking and baking, legos, picking out a new toy with birthday or allowance money, keeping an eye on the clock to make sure you aren't going to be late for soccer practice, and so much more! Going back to basics can be really beneficial and build confidence for your child. Check out these card games that focus on number sense. Below are some wonderful websites full of ideas and resources for incorporating math into everyday life!
Youcubed at Home - Early Math Project - Early Family Math
Math Before Bed - Bedtime Math - Math Activities For Gr. 4 & 5
Free Math Printouts - Math Playground - Tang Math Games
One of the most difficult situations can be when our children are frustrated and want to give up on their work. We want to include some wonderful resources to help parents support their children during the most difficult situations, check out the videos below. *While some say "this video cannot be played here" the video should open in a separate tab and play.*
The Power of Yet
The Importance of Struggle
Brain Growth When Making Mistakes
Brains Grow & Change
Being Good at Math, Doesn't Mean Being Fast at Math
Understood.org provides a wide variety of resources and support for parents and families, click here to see what they have for parents regarding helping their children with math homework.
Many families asked for more information about iReady. Warwick Public Schools recently put together a great resource for families explaining iReady, the diagnostic testing, where to find your child's diagnostic score, and how to interpret that score. The article also explains your child's iReady My Path and why it is so beneficial to their individual learning growth. You may access that resource here.
By making resources like this readily available, we hope to support our students' families to ensure continued learning at home is stress-free and fun! If you have any questions, please reach out to your child's teacher our your Family Engagement Facilitator, Mrs. Kadek.