Top Tips for Using Math Skills Throughout Summer Vacation

Assisting a child in developing their skills in mathematical thinking is essential for that child’s development and overall academic success. According to a study conducted at the University of Missouri, the average child loses over 2 months of their math learning through the summer months. As a result of this conclusion, teachers often spend several weeks at the start of the school year reviewing previously-learned concepts.

If children were provided more opportunities for growth during summer break, less review would be needed as they would retain the skills and concepts that they previously mastered. As a result, retention levels would be significantly higher and new mathematical skills and concepts would be more easily comprehended. In this guide, you will be presented with several tips on how to use math skills throughout summer vacation so that your child continues to learn and goes into the new school year ready to soak up all of the new information presented to them in the classroom.

Tip #1: Increasing Awareness of Numbers

The first step in helping your child improve their math skills throughout the summer is to increase awareness of the numbers that exist in your child’s environment – and, beyond. Have them go through rooms in the home and outline where numbers exist and then discuss how to use them.

For example, if a child explores a kitchen, they are likely to see cooking timers, clocks, measuring cups, and numbers on food packages. You may then explain that you use the numbers on the food packages to determine what numbers you need from the measuring cup. Then, you need the clocks and/or cooking timers in order to know how long something needs to be prepared and when it is done. You could even allow your child to make a special meal or dessert so that they may see all of these numbers in action. As a child becomes more aware of numbers, they will become more aware of their world. They will discover temperature, weather, sports results, and more!

Tip #2: Utilize Math in Real World Situations

How often do you visit the grocery store during the summer? Chances are, quite a bit. You may use those visits to help enhance your child’s math skills. For example, you could tell them that they have $50.00 for the week for lunch items. You may then have them walk through the store and figure out what they are able to purchase that will last them all week. Not only does this improve their math skills, but, it improves their understanding of money and increases their creativity skills.

In addition to this, you may have your child measure distances while traveling in the car, counting certain types of objects in their environment, or even making numerical guesses on sporting events – the possibilities are endless! If a child sees a correlation between mathematics and the real world, they are more likely to appreciate the subject and gain a more effective understanding of it.

Tip #3: Take Advantage of Learning Camps

Everyone is aware of traditional summer camps, but, did you know that there are now a multitude of academic-based learning camps available? Currently, we here at Miracle Math Coaching are offering a mathematical-based summer camp that is designed to train the brain and prevent the ever-so-common “summer slide”. Children that attend this type of camp will see how math plays a role in their daily lives, will experience growth in their confidence levels, and will improve their schema cloud.