While summer is all about having fun in the sun, it is also when your children’s math knowledge is at incredible danger of fading away. According to researchers, summer learning loss can have long-term effects, like lower test scores, lower self-confidence regarding school, and in turn lower chance of experiencing success in high school and college. Fortunately, two months of subject-focused learning is all it takes to improve specific learning skills.
The summer months provide an ideal time to reinforce the previous year’s learning and introduce new concepts that will help them get ahead. Below is a list of some fun ways students can keep their math skills sharp and be prepared for the year ahead:
Play Math-Based Games
There are plenty of fun games to play when you’re traveling. Playing games can improve your child’s numerical fluency, logic and probability skills. It’s also a great way to spend time together!
Go Shopping
Ask your child to find the discounts, compare prices and calculate multiple items. Bring coupons and ask them to compute the savings. Visit a farmers market for a fun, healthy, math-focused activity. Give your child some cash to spend, and let them find out what they can buy with it.
Bring Math Into the Kitchen
So much of cooking involves math! Following a recipe uses concepts like sequencing and counting. Baking requires precise measuring, and scaling a recipe requires multiplication or division.
Take a Field Trip to a Science Center or Museum
When the day is wide-open, go to the museum! A trip to the nearby science center or museum is a fun, math-focused experience you and your child can enjoy together. It’s the perfect place for your child to imagine a future in science.
Read Math-Based Books
Having the extra time to read is one of the joys of summer. When math is an integral part of the story, your child gets the added benefit of thinking mathematically at the same time.
Watch Sports and Do the Math
Incorporate math when you’re watching sports together. Encourage your child to keep statistics on their favorite baseball team or player. Keep track of how much time passes between goals when you’re watching a soccer game. Compare football players based on touchdowns, yardage and tackles made. If your child plays basketball in the backyard or at a nearby court, they can take measurements and compare them to an official-sized court.
Start a Business
Summer is the best time to earn some extra spending money. Encourage your child to start a business doing yard work, babysitting, or walking dogs in the neighborhood. It’s a great way to learn about accounting, calculating expenses and managing profits.
Find the Right Summer Math Learning Program
Summer presents valuable chances for kids to dig deep and explore concepts not necessarily covered in school, while learning at their own pace. Find a summer math program that specializes in creative, effective ways to teach math and works with your family’s summer schedule. Mathnasium offers plans that focus on fractions, multiplication, algebra readiness and more. We have fun and prepare kids to succeed in the coming school year.
