May 18th, 2010

Be Homework-Ready With This Math Kit!

Every parent has had one of those nights when their child gets a late start on math homework. When that happens, do you have all the tools your child will need handy? Here’s a way to avoid the last minute scramble by creating this handy Math Tool Kit for your home.

This Math Kit is designed to help with early elementary-level math homework. By putting it together with your kids and keep it in a convenient place, you’ll signify the importance of math learning at home. You can keep it in a shoebox or a gallon-sized plastic bag.
•   A ruler, with both centimeters and inches
•   Counters, which can be anything you have multiples of in the house to support counting, adding, subtracting, and multiplying. Buttons, toothpicks, cubes, dried beans, popsicle sticks or uncooked pasta (penne, ziti, bowtie), can all be good counters.
•   Dice
•   A bag of change with a variety of coins
•   Flashcards, you can buy them, or it’s easy to make some out of index cards
•   Notebook
•   Graph paper
•   A deck of playing cards

A cookie sheet is also handy to keep with your math kit. It makes a great magnet board for adding and subtracting or for practicing problem solving. You can use your refrigerator magnets or make your own, cutting cardstock into two-inch squares. Have your child draw pictures on each one, then attach self-adhesive magnet strips to the back.

Now you have the tools ready for almost any math homework challenge! I hope you’ll share your ideas for tools you find handy to help your kids with their homework too.

Tags: Math tool kit