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Search Recommended Math Resources
Search Recommended Math Resources
Use the search filters below to return results. Keep an eye out for some of my top favorites-- my "BookSmart Picks"-- that are sure to entertain and educate your kids! And, many activities use common materials you likely have at home already. Look for entries marked with the "Common Items" icon to find activities that shouldn't require any purchase.
Calculate area and perimeter in an effort to get the largest number! Not only will this game help solidify the different calculations for area and perimeter, but it will also provide extra practice with multiplication facts and multi-digit addition…
Calculate area and perimeter in an effort to get the largest number! Not only will this game help solidify the different calculations for area and perimeter, but it will also provide extra practice with multiplication facts and multi-digit addition. Since this game relies on simple formulas, it is better to play this game after your child has learned about area and perimeter in school and has a good conceptual understanding of each.
This card game is fantastic for pushing kids to think flexibly and show perseverance. Challenge kids to focus on number patterns instead of simply the suits of the cards…
This card game is fantastic for pushing kids to think flexibly and show perseverance. Challenge kids to focus on number patterns instead of simply the suits of the cards.
This card game offers engaging multi-digit multiplication practice. As an added bonus, it requires some thinking about place value, as players aim to create the largest possible product…
This card game offers engaging multi-digit multiplication practice. As an added bonus, it requires some thinking about place value, as players aim to create the largest possible product.
Math Twister uses the classic game Twister to incorporate movement and practice with math facts—a great combination! With just the game and some post-its, your child can build their fact fluency with all four operations…
Math Twister uses the classic game Twister to incorporate movement and practice with math facts—a great combination! With just the game and some post-its, your child can build their fact fluency with all four operations.
For those of you who have already played regular Boggle, learning this game will be easy! This card game is good practice for math facts, whether your child is working on addition and subtraction or multiplication and division. It also strengthens their ability to think flexibly, since they have to get creative with the Boggle board.
For those of you who have already played regular Boggle, learning this game will be easy! This card game is good practice for math facts, whether your child is working on addition and subtraction or multiplication and division. It also strengthens their ability to think flexibly, since they have to get creative with the Boggle board.
This book from the founder of Bedtime Math (www.bedtimemath.org) answers math questions covering a multitude of topics. It is quite helpful that the questions are organized by general topics: animals, nature, food, everyday life, Earth and space, and mental math. Some questions answered include: the number of bees needed to make a jar of honey, how fast the fastest growing tree on Earth actually grows…
This book from the founder of Bedtime Math (www.bedtimemath.org) answers math questions covering a multitude of topics. It is quite helpful that the questions are organized by general topics: animals, nature, food, everyday life, Earth and space, and mental math. Some questions answered include: the number of bees needed to make a jar of honey, how fast the fastest growing tree on Earth actually grows, how many gallons of water are needed to put out a fire, and how many soccer balls would fit inside Earth. All of the math is broken down, with explanations for where those numbers came from, so it is all easy to understand. Have your child come up with their own questions and try to answer them (perhaps with some research help from you).
Charlie and Lola are getting ready to head to the store with their mom, where they will get to pick out one thing for themselves. As the two of them are getting ready, walking to the store, picking out their special treats, and walking home they encounter math all along the way. Lola is nine minutes late getting ready, the two of them count objects like ladybugs and steps, and Lola gives away her stickers as she heads home…
Charlie and Lola are getting ready to head to the store with their mom, where they will get to pick out one thing for themselves. As the two of them are getting ready, walking to the store, picking out their special treats, and walking home they encounter math all along the way. Lola is nine minutes late getting ready, the two of them count objects like ladybugs and steps, and Lola gives away her stickers as she heads home. The two of them use addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, place value, and counting throughout the day. A bit of humor is injected as well, as Charlie often needs to correct Lola in all of this math, in a very big sister kind of way. The illustrations are fun and lively, with equations matching the math they are doing on the pages.
This Halloween-themed book helps to teach the concept of a missing mystery number, or variable, and how to solve these algebraic problems. The book starts out simple, giving a foundational understanding of equations and what the equals sign means, as well as defining variables, while supporting all of this through the pictures…
This Halloween-themed book helps to teach the concept of a missing mystery number, or variable, and how to solve these algebraic problems. The book starts out simple, giving a foundational understanding of equations and what the equals sign means, as well as defining variables, while supporting all of this through the pictures. But once the book reaches the point of using each operation to solve instead of a picture to solve, this can be confusing for anyone new to algebra concepts. This is because, at this point in the book, it becomes more rules-based rather than based on conceptual understanding. For example, the book states that what you do to one side of the equation, you must do to the other side, so if you divide by 4 on one side, you must divide by 4 on the other side. This all makes sense to someone who has spent some time with “balancing” equations in class or at home, but to a child that has not yet encountered this idea, this could be overwhelming. I highly recommend using some kind of manipulatives, like Hands-On Equations or something similar, to help your child visualize what is going on and why these algebra rules work.
These easy to use manipulatives simplify algebraic concepts for kids. You use the balance along with various game pieces to represent and then solve algebraic equations. Using the balance helps reinforce kids’ understanding of the equals sign meaning “same as”, as well as helps them understand what they are doing on paper to “balance” the equations and solve for the variable…
These easy to use manipulatives simplify algebraic concepts for kids. You use the balance along with various game pieces to represent and then solve algebraic equations. Using the balance helps reinforce kids’ understanding of the equals sign meaning “same as”, as well as helps them understand what they are doing on paper to “balance” the equations and solve for the variable. We use this program at my own school starting in the 4th grade, so I have seen just how effective using this set can be. This is a fantastic way to help children build their conceptual understanding of variables and basic algebra; I wish we had this when I was first learning these concepts!
Use the weekly advertising circulars you get in the mail to help your child practice using decimals in arithmetic. Let them choose their favorite products and identify their prices then challenge them with different tasks using each of the operations.
Use the weekly advertising circulars you get in the mail to help your child practice using decimals in arithmetic. Let them choose their favorite products and identify their prices then challenge them with different tasks using each of the operations. This activity is a great way to push your child just a bit at a time, seeing how they do on one task to determine if they are ready for the next challenge you have ready for them.
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