Family Engagement in Preschool and Elementary School
Learning Math at Home
When parents do regular math activities with their children, it builds confidence, problem-solving ability, and a positive attitude toward math. Learning math at home with children can also reinforce and build on what children are learning at school. This extra practice strengthens a child’s overall competence in math, setting the stage for long-term academic success.
Weekly Tips for Families
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Use everyday activities (e.g., cooking, shopping, and playing with toys) to introduce counting, measuring, and recognizing shapes.
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Promote hands-on play with blocks, puzzles, and sorting games to develop early problem-solving and spatial reasoning skills.
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Ask your child to explain how he/she solved a problem, explore multiple solution paths, and compare strategies.
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Play games that involve addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
KEY RESOURCE
Khan Academy offers is one of the most comprehensive resources, providing math lessons covering early elementary topics, such as counting, shapes, and basic arithmetic. Parents can work alongside children while using this resource.
https://www.khanacademy.org/math
Other Helpful Resources
Mathseeds is a platform designed for children ages 3–9. It uses interactive parent-child lessons to foster math skills and a love of learning.
The Family Math document shows how games (e.g., Nim and TicTacToe10) can be used to help strengthen logic, strategy, and problem-solving skills while having fun. By encouraging parents and children to play together, the document provides way of doing interactive, engaging experiences at home.