Boosting Numeracy Skills Around the House

We tend to spend lots of time reading to our children and getting them to read to us or at least having them chime in from time to time on the known words. However, do we spend as much time promoting numeracy skills? If not, why not? It's been proven that taking mathematics and doing well in mathematics is an opportunity gateway.

Here are a few things you can do around the home to help promote mathematical thinking:

• How many things are in the house that we would have at least 100 of? Less than 10 of? (plant leaves, TV stations etc.)
• Describe the shape of......(lamp shade, stove, washing machine etc.)
• How many arm lengths in our coffee table? Kitchen table?
• 75 is the answer, how many questions can you think of that the answer is 75?
• What are all the things you could sort in your house? How could you sort them?
• How could you use ceiling or floor tiles to measure room size in your house?
• How many things in your home resemble a cube? Cylinder? Rectangular Prism?

The actual possibilities are endless once you actually put some thought into it. Many of these questions are also good to use in the car. Then again, check out the math on the go for more ideas.

Remember to check the grade by grade goals/math courses of study to gain a better understanding on what the expectation are for math at every grade level.