Judy Brown, the mathematics program manager for Sylvan Learning, provides a few tips on how the turbulent economic times can enrich children's understanding of math by presenting several learning opportunities.
- Have your child track the closing number for the stock market each day and calculate the difference as a number and a percentage.
- Ask your child to note how the cost of gas varies from station to station in your town. How much less would you pay at station No. 1versus station No. 2 for a full tank of gas?
- Use the changes in interest rates to pose a math question about how much interest your child would pay if she needed a loan to buy a toy. How much interest would she earn if she placed her money in a savings account?
- Use coupons to demonstrate subtractions skills. If a store doubles coupon values, have your child calculate the savings. Or, if you use a coupon that takes cents off an item, have him calculate the new price.
