Creating a Math Mindset with a Math Vision Board
As we embark on a new year and school semester, it's the perfect time to help your student set goals for what they want to achieve in their math instruction for 2021. Whether it's raising their grade point average or desiring to master their multiplication tables, working with your child to set achievable goals is the best way to help them reach their desired outcomes.
A fun and creative way to set math goals for the year is by creating a vision board. This activity can be done with students of all ages to tap into their creativity and teach them the importance of setting goals.
What is a Vision Board?
A vision board is a visual aid that displays images and text that relate to the goals or achievements you want to accomplish. The purpose is to create something that you can look at daily to remind you of where to focus your time and energy for the upcoming weeks, months, or year.
Before getting started, take a few moments to talk with your child about their math goals and hopes for the start of the school year. Think about any favorite quotes or affirmations your child or family says that gets your child motivated.
What Goes on Your Vision Board?
Brainstorming and categorizing goals before starting will help make creating the vision board a more organized and intentional process. Don't worry if you have more goals than poster board space! That's a good thing! Vision boards are made to be dynamic. You can always add or subtract from the vision board as your child's math goals and needs change. Or you create multiple vision boards. One can be for short-term math goals while another vision board can focus on long-term math goals. If your student is taking multiple math subjects, you can create vision boards with specific goals for the subject. There's no right or wrong way to create your board as long as it works for you.
To help your child decide what to include on their vision board, you can use the following questions as a guide:
- Do they have any test goals? (ex. To score 90 or better on all unit tests)
- Are there any math clubs or activities they want to participate in?
- For college-bound high school students, do they have a desired SAT/ACT score or GPA?
- Any potential academic honors or potential scholarships they want to receive?
What's important is to make sure the goals are realistic. If your child is struggling in math, it may be unrealistic right now to have a goal of receiving a perfect score on every assignment. A more realistic goal may be to "Always ask for help" or "Complete all assigned math homework".
Creating Your Vision Board
To get started, you will need the following supplies:
- poster board or cork board
- magazines or newspapers
- any personal photos
- glue or tape
- scissors
- index cards or Sticky Notes to write text
- colorful pens or markers
Your child can design their vision board to be uniquely their own. If your child likes to draw, they can create their own images for their vision board instead of using print images. If your child is more digitally minded and the idea of cutting out pictures doesn't excite them, help them search the Internet for pictures they can download and print. Google and Pinterest are great resources for finding for digital images. Another option is to create a digital vision board. One great online tool is Canva. Canva allows you to select various free background templates, creative texts, and borders. You can also drop in other online images you can crop and rotate to make your board your own. Once complete, you can print your vision board or save it to your phone, computer, or other digital device as your background.
Most importantly, once the vision board is complete you want to display it in a place where your child will be able to see and reflect on it daily. One area could be your child's study space or where they typically complete their math work. This helps prevent the vision board from being out of sight and out of mind. Set a date on your calendar every few weeks to review your child’s vision board and track their progress and celebrate their accomplishments. Before long, your child will be well on their way to achieving their goals math goals.
Don't forget to add "Mathnasium" to your vision board! We are ready and waiting to help your children in grades 2 through 12 make their math vision board a reality. Give us a call 303-979-9077 or send us an
email today.
(303) 979-9077
