Summer Math Enrichment

June 28, 2019

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students:

Happy summer vacation!  While we trust that you will find your time off from school refreshing, remember to keep your brains actively engaged in math activities to avoid forgetting all those skills that you worked so hard to attain during the past school year.  According to an article at Harvard Graduate School of Education written by Leah Shafer, here are some ways that families can help their children practice math skills over the summer:

*Highlight the math in everyday activities. When shopping, help kids calculate change or discounts. When watching a baseball game, talk about what players’ statistics mean. When cooking, try halving or doubling a recipe, and assist kids in figuring out the new proportions.

*Read short math stories together. Studies have shown that reading math-focused stories to children, such as Bedtime Math books or the Family Math series, can help boost math scores in school.

*Play math games. Games like Yahtzee, Racko, Blokus, Monopoly, and Set, all rely on skills necessary for math, such as counting, categorizing, and building. Even playing with blocks and assembling jigsaw puzzles can help kids learn spatial skills and recognize patterns.

*Find small ways to practice math at home. While worksheets alone won’t solve summer math slump, small amounts of practice with basic formulas can help. Problem-of-the-day math calendars are a great way to practice basic math problems on a small scale. 

This summer, the West Islip School District is encouraging K-6 students to participate in a Summer Math Challenge, with resources attached to your left.  Families can download and print the log which includes activities on Reflex Math as well as math games from GregTangMath.com.  

Older students entering 7th - 12th grade also have activities available to help prepare them for their upcoming courses while practicing essential skills from their prior course.  We hope that you will find these activities engaging and meaningful, and we encourage parents to assist their children throughout the process.  If you have any questions, please contact me at j.grover@wiufsd.org.

Thank you for your support for helping our students develop a love for math.  Enjoy your summer!
Sincerely,
James Grover