Helping Your Third Grader Learn Outside of School

1. Play math games with your child. For example, “I’m thinking of two numbers whose product is between 20 and 30. How many pairs can you think of that would satisfy this problem?” Have your child explain the solutions. How does he or she know that all the number pairs have been identified?

2. Encourage your child to write or describe numbers in different ways. For example, what are some different ways to make 1450? 1450 = 1 thousand, 4 hundreds, 5 tens, and 0 ones, or 1000 + 450, 14 hundreds and 50 ones, 13 hundreds + 15 tens, etc.

3. Use everyday objects to allow your child to explore the concept of fractions. For example, use measuring cups to have students demonstrate how many 1⁄3’s are in a whole, how many 1⁄4 cups you need to make 11⁄4 cups, and how many times you have to refill a ½ cup measure to make 1½ cups.

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.