Math Challenge --- "Magic Squares"

Here’s another great Math challenge for the kids. It’s called the “Magic Square“. By the way, if you have been bitten by the Sodoku bug, you may take a liking to this one too. So watch out…

The origin of magic squares goes back to at least 1000 BC in China. It's still common in China today and can be found on buildings and artistic designs.

The magic square is a math matrix with the same number of rows as columns. The object is to fill the magic square with numbers. The magic square is not actually "magic" but is called that because the sum of any row, column, or diagonal is the same.

It’s a good Math game because it gets your students comfortable with numbers and its pretty cool the way it works out. Neat thing is students of all ages, elementary through high school can take part. The larger the matrix the more diffficult.

Anyway enough of my ramblings, check it out here.

They're pretty cool when you get the hang of it. Have fun with them.

Math Skills To Determine Your Child's Future Earnings

Mom and Dad, here's something interesting about Math you may not know.

Math more than any other subject is the key to a successful career for your child.

No kidding. The reason is that students who have sharpenend their minds on math are better problem-solvers. And I'm sure you know as well as I do, that employers in today's high tech economy look for people with good problem-solving skills.

According to data from the National Education Longitudinal Survey. Those who have taken the most mathematics get the best-paying jobs. About 84 percent of young workers in the 25 best-paying jobs completed Algebra II or another higher-level math course in high school, and 94 percent took geometry.

You can check out the rest of "Why Math is a Must" here.

Check Out Exciting Math Game

Here's a game that helps kids conquer math. It's a board game that makes math fun and engaging for kids while helping build math and science skills for 4th through 8th graders. It's called "TiViTz".

The inventor of the game has always had a love for math and began to look at methods to motivate children to learn and retain math principals. I think he's hit on something here.

It’s a math and strategy game with grades 4 though 8 in mind. Students at all levels of mathematical skill, from review of basic operations to pre-algebraic concepts. It gets more difficult as the student progresses. It's been described as being as easy as checkers to learn and as hard as chess to master. Pretty interesting huh?

Even poor or mediocre math students, seem to get a kick out of it, because it's a strategy game as well as a math game. So that's pretty cool. Alot of times kids that aren't exceptionally good at math can be better at out foxing their opponents. So it sort of motivates them to improve their math skills.

The game comes in three different themes: Baseball TiViTz, Space TiViTz and Aqua TiViTz.

They even have Space Tivitz tournaments are sponsored by school systems and educational organizations across the country, including NASA’s National Space Grant Foundation.

The two-player game sells for about $30. You can play for Free Online. Check it out here.

Let me know what you think.

Paper Folding Math

Here's a bit of Math/Paper-Folding Trivia you may not know.

It's Impossible to fold any piece of paper no matter how big, small, thin, or thick more than eight times.

This is a good way to engage the kids. Especially middle school or younger. We've all made those paper airplanes and other contraptions folding paper. Sounds like a challenge most middle schoolers would go for.

Have your child try it. Even try it for yourself.

Know why it works? Something called mathematical progression. Fancy word, I know. You know those sequences kids have in math class. They have to figure out what the next number is. And it's some rule they have to do each time to get the next number. Well, that's what mathematical progression is.

Anyway you can check out a few more details here.

Make a contest of it. Maybe let them guess how many times they can fold a piece of paper in half. Remember it's all about Making the Math Fun.

Another Middle School Family Math Challenge

Hey there. Back again with another math challenge. Did you guys figure out yesterday’s math challenge: How long does it take your heart to beat a million times? and a billion times? Well, whether you guys figured it all out or not, hopefully you had fun and learned some good math in the process.

See, that's the whole idea. Getting your kids to see the fun and usefulness of math. So just keep encouraging them with their math and sooner or later they'll be loving math.

Today’s math challenge has to do with popcorn.(well sort of)
Each challenge has a problem, a tip to get you started and the solution. Each challenge also has additional problems as well as a description of where the math is used in the real world.

Remember to try to get the whole family to join in. Even though these math challenges are geared for middle schoolers, it's a good idea to have your younger kids get involved too. Who knows, the high school kids might want to show off a bit and show their math skills.

Check out the popcorn math challenge here.

Ok, you're on your own. See Ya.

Have Fun.

Middle School Family Math Challenge

These math challenges are meant to show your middle schooler the excitement, energy and problem solving nature of math.

Getting the whole family involved with math is one of best things you can do to get your child interested in math.

Each challenge has a problem, a tip to get you started and the solution. Each challenge also has additional problems as well as a description of where the math is used in the real world.

This first math challenge has to do with your heart beat. Ever wonder how many times your heart has beat since you were born? Hmm.
Check out the heart beat math challenge here.

More challenges through out week. See ya.

Happy math challenges.

What do Math, Football, Soccer, Basketball and Winter Olympics have in Common?

Does your child love math? Well, what about sports?

Here's something look at if your is a sports fan that relates to math.

Check out how here math helped Aolo Ohno win two gold, one silver, and two bronze medals at the Torino winter olympics.

Do your kids enjoy soccer? I'm sure they've heard of Mia Hamm . They may not have known that math played a part in reaching her goals. Click here to see how.

Check out some other sport stars and how math relates to what they do here.

Math in Everyday Life

Need another way to try to get your kid interested in math. Here's a great one. Even if they love math, this may be just the right thing. And the best part about it from your kids' perspective, is it involves watching a hit television series. Go figure. T.V and Math. What a combination, right?

The hit CBS television show "NUMB3RS" is going to continue the award-winning national math education program, "We All Use Math Every Day," for season three of the hit television series premiering on September 22nd.

So first of all, they'll get to watch a cool t.v. show that revolves around math and solving crime. And then the educational program highlights how math is relevant in students' daily lives and encourages them to study and learn more about the subject.

The "We All Use Math Every Day" program provides free classroom activities online. They help students explore the math derived from the concepts highlighted in each show. New activities are posted weekly to correspond with each week's show episode. Sounds pretty cool, huh.
Check out some cool show-based activities here.

Kind of like the popular t.v. series "CSI" did for kids being interested in the field forensics, hopefully "NUMB3ERS" will have some students looking at math in more of a positive (cool) light. The main theme of the show is bringing together police work and mathematics in solving crime. An FBI agent recruits his mathematical genius brother to help solve a wide range of challenging crimes.

The acivities are geared towards your older kids, probably 8th grade and up, depending on what they kind of math they're taking. Have some fun with it.

Math Homework: Are Calculators Helping or Hurting Our Kids?

Here's a quick quiz.

Does 1 + 1 = 2 or does 1 + 1 = 3? It's not a trick question. Ok, I know it was an easy one. But if you ask alot of middle school or high school kids their basic addition or multiplication facts, they have to count on their fingers....unless they have a trusty calculator.

And most have a calculator. So what's my point? Learning math facts in the early years of school helps build thinking skills for higher math like algebra. It's kind of like learning to walk. Babies crawl, then they pull up, then they walk. While crawling they develop certain muscles and skills for walking

Calculators are "not a bad thing", but some where down the line kids need to develop certain skills as well as the discipline that comes in the process.

There's a good article that talks about this. Here's a quote from the article:

Little Johnny has to put away that calculator and learn his
times tables and long division if he is to be successful in higher-level math and the workplace.

That's the message from the National Council of Teachers
of Mathematics, which issued a much-anticipated study Tuesday that urged a return to the basics in teaching math.

You can check out the rest of the article here.

Can Playing Sports Bring Math Success?

With all the pressures of math homework and homework in general, do kids have a chance to just be kids? What about time for sports? Hobbies?

There's been a lot of controversial talk about homework lately. I came across an interesting article I thought you might want to check out. It brings out some good points. The main idea of the article is that,

Active students are 'most likely to succeed'
Students who stay involved outside of class tend to do well in class.

I think the main thing parents need to keep in mind is having a proper balance. Too much of anything including homework is probably not the best thing. 'Too much' is relative, of course. Parents have to know their kids enough to know how much is 'too much'.

Check out the article here

Math Homework Help

"Help me please. My child has math homework!"

Have you ever felt at a loss when helping your child with math homework? Here are some more good math tips to help you help your student succeed:

• Encourage your child to use a daily math assignment book.
  
  
• Follow the progress your child is making in math.
  
  
• Check with your child daily about his homework.
  
  
• If you don't understand your child's math assignments, engage in frequent communication with his or her teacher.
  
  
• If your child is experiencing problems in math, contact the teacher to learn whether he or she is working at grade level and what can be done at home to help improve academic progress.
  
  
• Request that your child's teacher schedule after-school math tutoring sessions if your child really needs help.
  
  
• Advocate with the principal for the use of research-based peer tutoring programs for math.
  
  
• These tutoring programs have proven results, and students really enjoy them.
  
  
• Use household chores as opportunities for reinforcing math learning such as cooking and repair activities.
  
  
• Try to be aware of how your child is being taught math, and don't teach strategies and shortcuts that conflict with the approach the teacher is using.
  
  
• Check in with the teacher and ask what you can do to help.
  
  
• Ask the teacher about online resources that you can use with your child at home.
  
  
• At the beginning of the year, ask your child's teacher for a list of suggestions that will enable you to help your child with math homework.
  
  

Source: U.S. Department of Education

ACT / SAT Preparation

Boy, it seems like they just started high school, now they have to start thinking about college. Choosing a college; application deadlines; paying for college; and preparing for the ACT and SAT exams, the whole nine yards.

Seems like so much to do in so little time.

As a parent, I know you want to help your teen get the best score possible on their ACT or SAT exam. I came across a very helpful article the other day I wanted to pass along. It gives some good advice on what you can do to help prepare them for the ACT and SAT tests.

Some real practical things you may not have thought about. It starts out with things like looking at the books freshmen use and talking to college students about the types of assignments they are required to complete in their first year of undergraduate studies.

I think this is a great idea because it should motivate your teen to get serious about preparing for the SAT and ACT and for college in general. And I know I don't have to tell you when they're motivated to do something it makes a world of difference.

Check out the article here.

SAT Registration Deadline Approaching

The next SAT Test date is October 4th, 2006.

The last day to register for this test date is September 12, 2006.

Taking the test early will give you a chance to retake it to improve your score.

Of course it would be great to if students did their best the first time around. But in reality, it doesn't always work that way. A lot of students plan to take it at least twice. That way, they sort of get a test run and then see what areas they could work on most to get a better score. Most Colleges will only look at the Highest score. So it's probably in a student's best interest to take the test more than once.

Even if you don't take the Octber 4th test, there are a few more test dates. But don't procrastinate. The earlier you take the SAT, the more opportunity to study and get a better score.

The College Board supervises the SAT tests. Here are some CollegeBoard samples to try.
For students who want to get an early jump, you can register online today at College Board.

Helpful Math Memory Tips

Don’t make the mistake of not helping your child learn their math facts. Knowing them well really prepares them for higher math like algebra. It’s never too late to brush up. It’s probably best to try a few different techniques. You might find ways that work better for your child.

Flash Cards
You probably remember these growing up…many moons ago. Yes they still exist. Be creative. Try to change it up a bit. Another idea using flash cards is to play a game. Shuffle the cards and deal like playing a card game. Each player turns over a card to reveal a math problem. The first one to say the correct answer wins the hand…but the loser takes the cards. The person who ends up with no more cards wins the game.

Timed Test
You should be pick up a timed test multiplication sheet at an educational store. You can duplicate them to use over and over. It will have 100 multiplication problems in random order, up through the twelves. Time your child using a stop watch. They should improve their time with practice.

Math products
There are several math products out there that do a good job with helping kids memorize their math tables. One I like is Math Facts set to Music. This one works well for many kids. I remember growing up watching "School House Rock" every Saturday morning. They used to have animated scenes on a variety of subjects including math. They'd have math facts with a fun little jingle. I still remember some of those songs, gosh over 30 years later. Pretty powerful stuff.

Another I’ve used personally while tutoring kids is called “wrap-up”. A little plastic gadget with a string attached. Math problems are on it and your child places the string around the correct answer. They utilize many learning senses and are fun enough that students are willing to use them over and over until they master their facts.

Tips:

• Always reward your child when he masters a new set of math facts
• Don’t overdo it. Stop working before your child becomes frustrated and tired. It’s important to make the time spent learning the math a fun, positive experience. Bring it to a close before your child can become tired and bored with it.
• Challenge your child to meet goals and reward him when he achieves them.
  

Math Help Tip Memorize Math Facts

It doesn't surprise me anymore when I see high school and even college students I teach counting on their fingers. What's going on here? Well I think it has a lot to do with the change in the way math was being taught back in the 1960's.

As a parent, helping your kids memorize their math facts is major. Guarantee they won't do as good a job on their own. And guess what? They're going to have to do most of it at home. And Mom and Dad, that's where you come in!This will pay off for your child big time for years to come. Here's a few good reasons why:

Every thing in math builds on something that came before it.

Think back to your when your child was learning to walk. She had to learn to crawl and to pull up to a standing position before she was able to walk.

Each milestone that a child acquires builds on the last milestone developed. Learning math works the same way. This means that a child will need to develop some skills before he or she can develop new skills.

Your child should master addition facts before they learn their multiplication table. After multiplication, that's right - you guessed it. Division.

Builds your child's confidence.
This is so important I don't think I can stress it enough. A lot of the reason people have a fear of math is not because they're not capable, but because they have the wrong thoughts in their head.

Good training for higher level math like algebra, geometry, etc.

Algebra requires a bit higher level thinking than arithmetic. But it also requires knowing terms, symbols, deinitions, etc.

More about math memorization techniques later.

How Can I Help My Child In Math If I'm No Good At Math?

Well, you're not alone if you feel a little intimidated when it comes to helping your child do math homework. I bet if we took a survey, we'd probably find most parents, like most kids in school, are kind of in awe when it comes to math....I might do a survey real soon.

Maybe the thought of "algebra" still gives you chills. Or maybe you were OK with math, but it's been so long, you've forgotten a lot of what you knew. Either way, There are definitely some things you can do to have a POSITIVE impact on your child's math understanding.

No, I can't give it to you all in this post. But come back here often and browse through the articles on this blog. Our number one goal is to provide you with great advice and resources to help you and your child's math journey be worthwhile.

I want to leave you with one great tip for now. You ready? OK. Here it is.....

Drum roll please....STEP BY STEP....

The key to solving math problems is......A STEP BY STEP APPROACH.

You're probably saying "Yeah right. That's all there is to it, huh?"

That will make a huge difference for your child doing math homework problems. There is an art to solving those math problems. Change the way you think about math problems. The most complicated math problem can be broken down in baby steps.

So start by changing the way you and your child look at math problems.

Baby steps...baby steps...baby steps....

More on this later. Keep checking back for more helpful advice and great tips about math.

Bringing Math Home

Math is all around us.

Come up with some ways to encourage the math your child is learning in school. Let's say your third grader is learning to divide...

How about doing some division while making cookies....While baking cookies you might say, "We're going to bake twelve chocolate chip cookies. How many should each of us get if you, mommy, daddy, and your sister share?"

Recipes for almost anything work really well. You could help reinforce proportion problems for your child in middle or even high school. "We need three-fourths of a cup sugar to make this cake. How much sugar do we need to make two and a half cakes?"

A father used recipes when his daughter asked "Why do we have to learn fractions?". One recipe needed one-third of a cup of milk for six people. While making the dish, he would ask questions like, "how much milk would we need for twelve people? for eighteen?"

Helping your kids understand the value of what they're studying in school is very helpful. Brings it home ..so to speak.

Who's Teaching Your Child Math?

I'm not pointing fingers here. But I do want to bring up an important point.

When is the last time you checked your child's math teacher's credentials?....
Not lately huh....Hmmm....

Don't get me wrong. I'm not here to bash teachers. Many do an excellent job.

But on the other side of that, there are many elementary school teachers who don't have much math education in their background. In one study only 7 % of 1st through 4th grade teachers majored or minored in math or math education. It also showed in 5th through 8th grade math teachers, only 18 % majored or minored in math or math education.

Surprised?

Could that be part of the reason why U.S. high school seniors are among the worst in math in the industrialized world.

God bless all the wonderful math teachers out there. But we can't expect our kids to excel in math if their teachers are not equipped to help them get there..

It's up to parents to make sure their kids are getting a quality math education. In the lower gades you might not expect teachers to have a math degree. But around the intermediate grades children should have a specialized math teacher.

Parents more than ever need to be "aware" of what their kids are or are not learning in the classroom.

If you find out you're not satisfied with the math program at your child's school you might get a qualified math tutor to supplement. Another thing to do is maybe look into buying some math software to help out as well.

Math Homework Is Important

Maybe its my spending a few years in parochial schools growing up. It's just that, over thirty years later, I could probably say my multiplication tables in my sleep. I'll never forget Sister Roselaine, Sister Ann Claire, or Mrs Palmer. These teachers, God bless them, drilled those math facts into our heads.

And that's what it takes. Most Japanese and Chinese parents know what it takes for their kids to excel in math.... "practice, practice, practice".

Why? Because math is a tough subject. But anybody can learn it. The best way to learn math is to get a lot of practice. It's sort of like learning to play guitar or piano. You won't be very good until forming the chords becomes second nature.

With math, kids have to learn the basic skills. These basic skills need to be second nature to them. If they are struggling with things like 6 x 8 or what 7 + 9 is, higher math concepts will be difficult to grasp.

Yes, we should make math fun for kids too. But there are no short cuts to make it always easy or fun. It takes practice and work. As teachers and parents we have to make sure our kids are putting the time in. It's better to start them as early as possible getting them use to drilling on math facts.

Good schools and good teachers know its worth the effort in the long and short run.