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Real-World Math

These activities will help your child make the connection between math and the real world.
By: Trish Kuffner, author of The Children's Busy Book

Real-World Math


Directions

  1. The following activities will help your child make the connection between math and the real world.
  2. Let your child help with the grocery shopping. Check and compare prices, weights, and quantities together. Let him use a calculator to keep track of the cost of what you've bought, to compare prices, to calculate cost per ounce, and so on.
  3. Point out speed limits and distances between towns. Talk about the time it takes to get from one town to another when you drive at different speeds.
  4. When you're gardening, have your child count the number of plants and measure the distance between them, their heights, and calculate the perimeter and/or area of the garden.
  5. Let your child help with the cooking by measuring ingredients and checking cooking times and temperatures.
  6. Keep a height and weight record for your child.
  7. Encourage your child to play games and do activities that involve counting, finding patterns, and solving problems. Tick-tack-toe, checkers, and chess are all good games for learning math. Doing crossword and jigsaw puzzles and playing music are also great math activities!

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