Burbank: Teaching Mathematics to Children

Child-Directed Approach to Solving Math Problems
Children's social interaction during classroom discussions of various paths to solving problems are very important. By listening to their peers many students adapt more flexible and efficient ways to solve problems. Encourage your child's teacher to use a child-directed approach to problem-solving.
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Checking account math
Learning the basics about a checking account and how to maintain one can help children learn that a checking account provides a method of payment of money for the goods and services that we need. This lesson gives students experience with opening a checking account, making deposits of money into a checking account, and writing checks to pay for purchases. This lesson also provides practice in the basic math skills of addition and subtraction using a checking account transaction record.
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Time value of money
Learning the concept of the "time value of money" at an early age will help the student make good decisions later regarding saving versus spending money. A basic understanding of this concept is also necessary to understand future topics involving compound interest, savings and investments.
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Illuminations Website
The Illuminations Website helps improve the teaching and learning of mathematics for all students by providing lesson plans for teachers based on the principles and standards for school mathematics as identified by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). Two lesson plans that help demonstrate how the Website accomplishes its goals are High Temperature and Plastic Packaging. In the Illuminations Website fashion, both these lessons plans are built around familiar activities and circumstances of daily life, and linked to the relevant NCTM standards.
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HELP YOUR CHILD'S TEACHER TEACH MATH
If you want your child from Pre-K through Elementary School to Learn Math, make sure that your child's teacher is a participating member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Otherwise, your child may be playing catch-up all the way through High School and beyond. Download an application, hand it to your child's teacher, and encourage her or him to join and participate.

Jim Hetherman is a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. You may send comments about this article to Jim@Burbank.com. Please include the phrase BURBANK MATH in the Subject of your email.

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