Helping Your Kindergartener Learn Outside of School

1. Use everyday objects to allow your child to count and group a collection of objects.

2. Encourage your child to construct numbers in multiple ways. For example, what are some ways that you can make 10? Answers might include 5+5, 6+4, 8+2, etc. Have your child explain his or her thinking.

3. Have your child create story problems to represent addition and subtraction of small numbers. For example, “Ann had eight balloons. Then she gave three away, so she only had five left.”

4. Encourage your child to stick with it whenever a problem seems difficult. This will help your child see that everyone can learn math.

5. Praise your child when he or she makes an effort and share in the excitement when he or she solves a problem or understands something for the first time.