Parents in Gilbert, Chandler and Mesa communities – Did you know that summer vacation equates to about 1120 hours of free time, not including sleep? Do you have a plan in place to fight Summer Slide aka Summer Learning Loss?
For many kids summer is already here. Inside their minds, they are already swimming in pools, eating an endless amount of ice cream, and watching show after show on Netflix. While summer is the time for fun in the sun, it’s also when your child’s math knowledge is in danger of slipping away. The good news is there are ways to combat what educators call, “The Summer Slide”.
Here are some tips to make the most of your student’s summer:
Play Board or Card Games
Board or card games are one of the best ways to keep math skills sharp and have fun. Some of our favorites include Monopoly, Scrabble, Chess, Blokus, Mancala. Playing games can improve your child’s numerical fluency, logic and probability skills. This is one of the reasons why we at Mathnasium of Gilbert have a 1 hour game time block, weekdays, during June and July.
Ask them to help you in the Kitchen
We recommend using your child’s help in the kitchen throughout the year and not just for summer. Following a recipe uses concepts like sequencing and counting. Start with a recipe of their favorite food and have fun!
Shop with them
We use math every time we go shopping! Ask them to calculate the sale price using percentages. Let them compare prices and calculate pricing for multiple items. Let them pay with cash at the register and have them calculate the change.
Visit your local science museum
Take a trip to the Arizona Science Museum! We recommend attending one of their CREAT monthly events. Your trip to the ASM will be fun and a math-focused experience for your family. https://www.azscience.org/
Watch Baseball or Any Sports
All sports have some type of math incorporated. Ask your child to calculate averages, strike rates and other statistics on their favorite baseball team or players. If your child likes to bike, then visit one of the nearby parks. Have them measure the total distance of one of the trails and ask them to calculate # of laps by giving them a goal in miles. We recommend visiting discovery District Park in Gilbert. Here is the link to city’s website for the detailed information. https://www.gilbertaz.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/parks-facility-and-sport-field-rentals/parks-infomation/parks/discovery-district-park
Visit Your Local Library
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. Some titles to look for are “Secret, Lies and Algebra”, “The Phantom Tollbooth”, and “The Number Devil”. The Chandler downtown library has a great selection of similar books on the second floor. https://www.chandlerlibrary.org/kids.html
Hone their entrepreneur skills
Want your kids to be successful entrepreneurs? Prepare them for one of the business fairs in the Valley of the sun. Summer is the best time to earn some extra money and prepare for the next Children’s business fair. It’s a great way to learn about accounting, calculating expenses and managing profits. https://www.childrensbusinessfair.org/361
DIY Projects
When your child is involved with a home-improvement project, they are doing math as part of the process. Depending on the task, they will be working with numbers, spatial thinking, measurements, angles, calculating area and problem-solving. It’s a wonderful way to accomplish a goal as a team!
Listen to Music
Music is inherently mathematical. The familiar patterns in your favorite songs follow a mathematical structure. Attend a summer concert in your community. Listen to music together at home. Clap to the beat. Talk about the repeated patterns.
Enroll in Unlimited Visit Summer Math Program @ Mathnasium of Gilbert
We offer Summer Workout plans that focus on fractions, multiplication, algebra readiness and more – Catching up or Jumping ahead!
We offer flexible schedule with extended hours.
We incorporate fun with game hour. Get ready for next school year!
