- I will keynote and then run one station using my math apps.
Family Math Nights
Parents everywhere want to be able to help out their children be much better at math. And they are happy to attend a Family Math Night to find out how.
The message is straightforward. We all know that children who are read to become better readers. This is also true of math. Whenever mom or dad (preferably both) display an interest in math and then make it part of his or her everyday family life – when they do math TOGETHER with their kids – kids are more successful at math.
I begin just about every Family Math Night with a presentation given to parents. I talk about the incredible importance of math, and of making sure their children are comfortable and confident in their math abilities. I demonstrate some of the activities that I do in class. And I suggest ways in which mothers and fathers, along with other family members, can assist children understand math concepts and discover how math is a part of almost everything they do.
Family Math Nights:
Teachers can make math games and activities and then demonstrate to students how they work, in class or students can create their own. Then when the parents come the students can show them how to play then have them join in the fun.
I continually encourage parents to communicate about math with their children. I want kids talking about math, reading about math, writing about math, and sketching about math. The more they learn to think mathematically, the easier and more natural math becomes for them.
We need math to do just about everything. When parents and kids approach math with a shared sense of adventure and challenge, everybody wins.