Math Learning At Home

Sheri-Lynn Skwarchuk, Ph.D. Faculty of Education, University of Winnipeg [email protected] For individual use by parents. Please contact the author for other modes of sharing. MAPC  Math  Forum  2015  ©  Sheri-­‐Lynn  Skwarchuk,  2015    

The Numeracy Environment …opportunities abound!

MAPC  Math  Forum  2015  ©  Sheri-­‐Lynn  Skwarchuk,  2015    

National Council of Teaching Mathematics

NCTM www.nctm.org There are many recommended ways

Mirra (2005). A Family’s Guide: Fostering Your Child’s Success.

MAPC  Math  Forum  2015  ©  Sheri-­‐Lynn  Skwarchuk,  2015    

to teach math. Just because an idea is in the newspaper, in a book, or online does not make it a good program. Be careful. §  Buyer Beware §  Use programs based on research §  Use this website to check for recommendations §  STOP using it if program does not Reston, VA: NCTM. fit your child.

Formal & Informal Literacy Practices Over the last 20 years, we have learned that teaching the alphabet and reading to children is important. Research is showing that parents are try to involve children in early literacy experiences.

AND Formal PracticeèReading Skills Senechal & LeFevre (2014). Continuity and change in the home numeracy environment as predictors of growth in vocabulary and reading. Child Development, 85, 15552-1568.

MAPC  Math  Forum  2015  ©  Sheri-­‐Lynn  Skwarchuk,  2015    

Informal Practice èVocabulary Skills

Formal & Informal Numeracy Practices We now know that early home practice with numeracy concepts is ALSO important. Children who start school behind their peers have difficulty catching up.

AND Advanced Formal èNumber Knowledge Skills

InformalèSense of Quantity

Duncan, Claessens, Magnuson, Klebanov, Pagani, Feinstein, et Skwarchuk, Sowinski & LeFevre (2014). Formal and Informal Home Learning Activities in Relation to Children’s Early Numeracy and Literacy Skills. al (2007). School readiness and later achievement. Developmental Psychology, 43, 1428–1446. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 121, 63-84.

MAPC  Math  Forum  2015  ©  Sheri-­‐Lynn  Skwarchuk,  2015    

Pathways to Numeracy Model of Development To become good at math, children need:

(1) Verbal Abilities è (number names, verbal instructions)

Mathematics Knowledge

(2) Sense of Quantityè (estimating, comparing quantities)

(3) Working Memory (SPATIAL)è (follow directions, remember telephone number) LeFevre, Fast, Skwarchuk, Smith Chant, Bisanz, Kamawar & Penner-Wilger (2010). Pathways to Mathematics: Longitudinal Predictors of Performance. Child Development, 81, 1753-1787.

MAPC  Math  Forum  2015  ©  Sheri-­‐Lynn  Skwarchuk,  2015    

How Parents Can Help Involve your child in formal & informal numeracy activities: •  Go beyond basic counting- count by 2s, 3s, 4s. •  Estimate the number of donuts in the donut shop. •  Play multiplication games in the car or in waiting rooms. •  Let your child pay for things with real money. •  Talk about fractions while baking. •  Measure things. •  Wait for your child to think about & answer questions. •  DO NOT say “I hate math” & “I was never good at math.” •  Talk to your child’s teacher immediately about concerns. •  Have fun! Skwarchuk, S. (2009). How Do Parents Support Preschoolers’ Numeracy Learning Experiences at Home?. Early Childhood Education Journal, 37(3), 189-197. doi:10.1007/s10643-009-0340-1

MAPC  Math  Forum  2015  ©  Sheri-­‐Lynn  Skwarchuk,  2015    

Instructional Tip: Count the Spaces on the board aloud, NOT number on dice.

Play Board Games

Also try… Use a hundreds chart.

Siegler & Ramani (2009). Playing Linear Number Board Games--But Not Circular Ones--Improves Low-Income Preschoolers' Numerical Understanding. Journal Of Educational Psychology, 101(3), 545-560.

MAPC  Math  Forum  2015  ©  Sheri-­‐Lynn  Skwarchuk,  2015    

Expose Money Concepts What can you buy for $1000 on-line?

Canteen purchases, garage & bake sales, on-line, banker role in board games POOR BASIC SKILLS 'COST FIRMS.'. (2007). Adults Learning, 18, 4.

MAPC  Math  Forum  2015  ©  Sheri-­‐Lynn  Skwarchuk,  2015    

Name BIG Numbers

12345

11 004

Talk about zeros and their place holder role Talk about role of commas Talk about how the rules change in the thousands and beyond Skwarchuk, S., & Anglin, J. M. (2002). Children's Acquisition of the English Cardinal Number Words: A Special Case of Vocabulary Development. Journal Of Educational Psychology, 94(1), 107.

MAPC  Math  Forum  2015  ©  Sheri-­‐Lynn  Skwarchuk,  2015    

Talk about Time

McMillen & Ortiz Hernandez (2008). Taking time to understand telling time. Teaching Children Mathematics, November, 248-256.

MAPC  Math  Forum  2015  ©  Sheri-­‐Lynn  Skwarchuk,  2015    

Use a real clock if possible. Worksheet clocks (like this picture) are difficult to show fraction concepts embedded in telling time using the minute hand.

Talk about numbers while reading

Anderson, A., Anderson, J., & Shapiro, J. (2004). Mathematical Discourse in Shared Storybook Reading. Journal For Research In Mathematics Education, 35(1), 5-33.

MAPC  Math  Forum  2015  ©  Sheri-­‐Lynn  Skwarchuk,  2015    

Keep a Deck of Cards in Your Purse! • Find all the cards with numbers • Name the numbers on the cards, count to check, then try going fast! • Find all the 2s, 3s, even numbers, prime numbers… • Which number is bigger? Turn two cards over. Variation: First to answer wins. • Try to estimate and pick up exactly 10 cards, exactly 20 cards… • Addition memory (two cards turned over add to magic number (e.g., 12) • Multiplication war (turn over two cards, and multiply them, highest total wins) • Blackjack (turn cards to 21 without going over) • Card Sharks (TV game show) Is the number higher/lower than target card? • Crazy 8s • Build card houses Skwarchuk & Winterflood (2015). Using a Card Game Intervention to Promote Number Knowledge. Paper to be presented at National Association of School Psychologists. New Orleans: LA.

MAPC  Math  Forum  2015  ©  Sheri-­‐Lynn  Skwarchuk,  2015    

ADVANTAGES… offered by Technology? Be careful about using educational apps/video games/computer time used to promote math skills. Monitor use always. Children do not always focus on the math content intended in the technology. Falloon, G. (2014). What's going on behind the screens?. Journal Of Computer Assisted Learning, 30(4), 318-336. doi:10.1111/jcal.12044

MAPC  Math  Forum  2015  ©  Sheri-­‐Lynn  Skwarchuk,  2015    

Child Interests… What if you have a child who does not want to do numeracy activities at home?

…Bring numeracy content into children’s preferred activities. Parent collaboration matters! Lukie, Skwarchuk, LeFevre, & Sowinski, C. (2014). The Role of Child Interests and Collaborative Parent-Child Interactions in Fostering Numeracy and Literacy Development in Canadian Homes. Early Childhood Education Journal, 42, 251-259.

MAPC  Math  Forum  2015  ©  Sheri-­‐Lynn  Skwarchuk,  2015    

Knowledge, Involvement, Advocacy, Inclusion, Rights

You are your child’s first teacher! It is NOT a ‘one size fits all!’ Manitoba Education. Appropriate Educational Programming. http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/specedu/aep/index.html

MAPC  Math  Forum  2015  ©  Sheri-­‐Lynn  Skwarchuk,  2015    

Thanks to the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council, Healthy Child Manitoba & the University of Winnipeg for funding the research on which these recommendations are based.