Those grocery store ads that come every week are a great way for your child to practice math facts. With their bright pictures and large numbers, they are easy even for young children to use.
Look through the ads together. Help your child find pictures of a few foods he likes. Cut out these pictures along with their prices.
Now have him create math word problems using the pictures he's cut out. "Emma bought one pound of bananas for 50 cents. How much would two pounds of bananas cost?"
You could ask an older child what half a pound of bananas would cost. Or you could ask him to tell you how much change he'd get from a dollar. Later, use the word problems your child developed to create flash cards with the picture and the problem on the front and the answer on the back.
Check the ads as you prepare your shopping list. Choose a few items for your child to buy. Have him estimate how much it will cost to purchase all these items. This teaches him the important skill of estimation.
Reprinted with permission from the November 2010 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2010 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Judi Hechtman and Deborah Ellermeyer, Teaching Math with Favorite Picture Books, ISBN: 0-5907-6250-8, Scholastic Professional Books.