About Count On It!

For Teachers and Parents

Helpful Ideas to Integrate Mathematics into Everyday Life

Episode 201 – Math is Everywhere, Part One

• Money – Let your children make their own transactions when at a fast food counter
• Estimation – Ask your children to estimate things randomly (how many cars in the parking lot, how many leaves on a tree, etc.). For some things, you can actually count them out to see how close the estimations were.
• Comparison – For younger children, activate their vocabulary by using comparison words. An example of this would be to point out who has "longer" hair of the two of you, or who has the "longest" hair in your family.

Episode 202 – Math is Everywhere, Part Two

• Linear Measurement – Are you planning on making some curtains for your windows soon? Let your children help you measure! You can also identify different patterns on the material when shopping for the cloth.
• Volume Measurement – Next time you bake cookies or a pie, let your children help you measure. For example, show them how to make ¾ of a cup by using a ½ cup and a ¼ cup.

Episode 203 – Blossom and Snappy Go to the Farm, Part One

• Sorting – Did you know that you can even find math while doing the laundry? Let your child help you sort the laundry. Let him come up with a way to sort it (pants, shirts, socks, etc.), and then you can come up with a way to sort it (lights and darks).

Episode
204 – Blossom and Snappy Go to the Farm, Part Two

• Fractions – Work with your child on fractions by letting her help divide a pie or cake into equal parts. Talk about what fraction each piece represents (If you cut the cake into 8 pieces, each would be 1/8). As you count the pieces, you can count in fractions (1/8, 2/8, 3/8, etc), until you get to 8/8, and then you can talk about how when the numerator and denominator are the same digit, that is equal to one whole.

Episode
205 – Blossom and Snappy Go to the Bank, Part One

• Money – Allow your children to earn money to do extra things around the house or yard. Use that money to open up a savings account in your child's name and teach him/her how to keep up with it. Talk to your children about how money works and the importance of saving, as well as the fun of spending.

Episode
206 - Blossom and Snappy Go to the Bank, Part Two

• Money – Show and explain the interest that your child's savings account accrues each month. Show them one of your credit cards and explain to them that if you don't pay it off every month, the BANK is the one that gets the interest, and you're the one paying it! Bottom line, talk about money and the responsibilities that go along with it EVERYDAY.

Episode
207 – Blossom and Snappy Learn About Utilities

• Money – One day, when you are getting ready to pay your bills for the month, have your child sit down with you. Explain how you make money at your job each month, and that money is in your checking account. Show him/her how you write check to pay your bills and you have to subtract that money from the register in your account (if you bank online, the bank does it for you). Show them how many bills you have, and how, before you buy anything that you WANT, you have to pay off these bills for the things you NEED, like water, electricity, telephone, cable, and gas.

Episode 208 – Blossom and Snappy Go Shopping

• Money – Next time you need to buy a present for someone, let your child help pick it out. Let him/her help in the decision-making process. Finding the right gift at the right price can be a challenge, but it can also be a fun learning experience." Counting – Go to the zoo and count all the different types of animals. Figure out how many snakes are in the reptile house. Add the chimps, gorillas, and orangutans to find out how many primates there are.
• Time – Let your child plan his own Saturday once in a while. Let him decide what he wants to do, how long each activity will take, and what time he will begin each activity. Have him write it out (and make sure he does the math on his own!).

Episode 209 – Blossom and Snappy Go to the Zoo, Part One

• Counting – Go to the zoo and count all the different types of animals. Figure out how many snakes are in the reptile house. Add the chimps, gorillas, and orangutans to find out how many primates there are.
• Time – Let your child plan his own Saturday once in a while. Let him decide what he wants to do, how long each activity will take, and what time he will begin each activity. Have him write it out (and make sure he does the math on his own!).

Episode 210 – Blossom and Snappy Go to the Zoo, Part Two

• Shapes – Draw funny pictures using only 2-dimensional shapes. For example, you can draw person using only rectangles. Or you could draw a flower with only one circle, and the rest in squares. Be creative!

Episode 211 – Blossom and Snappy Go to the Post Office

• Calendar Time – Have your children create a family calendar. They can make it by hand or use a computer. Have them fill out all of the important information (birthdays, holidays, sporting events). You can keep the calendar in a central location like the kitchen so that updates can be made regularly.

Episode 212 – Blossom and Snappy Go Gardening

• Linear Measurement/Time – Plant a garden (or create a container garden) with your child. Research different plants that would grow well together and make sure to space them properly so that they have enough room to grow.

Episode 213 – Blossom and Snappy Redecorate, Part One

• Measurement – If your child could redecorate her bedroom, how would she do it? Have her measure her room, then "shop" for new furniture using advertisements that give the specifications of size, or even go to a furniture store and allow her to measure the pieces of furniture. When she has selected everything she would like to put in her new room, have her draw a picture of it!

Episode 214 – Blossom and Snappy Redecorate, Part Two

• Shapes – Take your child for a walk around the house. See how many squares and rectangles he/she can locate. Have him/her tell you what the difference is between the two.
• Sorting/arrays – Let your children help you clean up! When organizing, use math. For example, if they help in the pantry, let them put cans in arrays. Or if they organize the garage, they can sort items accordingly before restoring them on shelves.
• Symmetry – Have your child make decorations for a kitchen or bedroom window out of construction paper. Make them symmetrical by folding the construction paper in half first.

Episode 215 – Blossom and Snappy Build Scale Models

• Volume Measurement – Make "concrete" with your kids by substituting in the recipe from the clip:

  1 cup cement (chocolate pudding)

  2 cups stone (mini marshmallows)

  3 cups sand (graham cracker crumbs)

Episode 216 – Blossom and Snappy Go Go Go!

• Money/Percentages/Averages – Have your child keep a log of the amount of money you spend on gas each time you fill up. Have them figure out the average daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly gas cost. This will instill an awareness that will come in handy someday when your child needs to do his own budgeting.

Episode 217 – Blossom and Snappy Learn About Planning

• Budgeting time/money – Let your child plan his own gathering. From deciding on the guest list, to shopping for supplies – he can be in charge! He can even help prepare the food. Make sure you give him limits to work with, such as the number of guests and a budget, and make sure he sticks to these limits.

Episode 218 – Blossom and Snappy Seek Fame and Fortune

• Planning/budgeting/money – Have your children each "Adopt a Band." That is to say, using the Internet, have each child pick a favorite band and figure out where they are playing, how many seats are in each location, and what the prices of the seats are. With some math, they can find out how much money is coming in on touring alone (not to mention royalties for sponsoring products!). Then, have your children figure out about how much it might cost them to put on each show (facility rentals, gasoline, electricity, food, etc). Subtract the total cost of all of the shows (along with manager fees) from the revenue of all the shows to see how much money the band makes.

Episode 219 – Blossom and Snappy Learn About Music

• Music – Sign your child up for music lessons (any instrument will do!). Music is proven to help students with mathematics.

Episode 220 – Blossom and Snappy Go Camping

• Math in Nature – Take your child on a mathematical nature hike. Visit a state or national park, or even your back yard will do! Find math in nature. Count trees, locate shapes, seek out patterns – the world is your math class!