Costco Connection Back-to-School Feature: How to Help Your Child Become a Math Detective

The Teachers on Call team is proud to share that our President & CEO, Joanne Sallay, has contributed to the special back-to-school section of Costco Connection magazine for the third consecutive year. This feature, which reaches readers across Canada, the US, and the UK, includes Joanne’s article titled "Super Sleuth: How to Help Your Child Become a Math Detective," offering parents creative strategies to make math engaging and relevant for their children. Read on to discover some of the key highlights and how you can incorporate these ideas into your own child’s learning experience.

In the article, Joanne provides practical tips that parents can use to transform everyday activities into valuable math lessons, fostering a love for learning and helping children build strong numerical skills. The article also shares insights from Hamilton-based Ron Lancaster, an expert in math trails and professor emeritus at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto. Ron’s innovative approach to integrating math into daily life through math trails helps children of all ages see the subject's relevance and application beyond the classroom.

As experts in both in-person and online tutoring, we understand how often children, from those just beginning their educational journey to those tackling the complexities of high school mathematics, wonder why they need to learn science and math—especially when faced with challenging schoolwork. Math can be daunting at any level, whether it's early numeracy skills like counting and basic arithmetic or more advanced topics such as Calculus, Advanced Functions, and Data Management in high school. With that in mind, we’ve compiled additional tips to help parents guide their children in becoming confident and curious math learners, no matter their age or level.

Elementary School: Building Early Numeracy Skills (Grades K-3)

For younger children in primary grades, kindergarten to grade 3, early numeracy is all about making math fun and accessible. Simple activities can be incredibly effective in building a strong mathematical foundation. For instance:

• Counting and Sorting: Encourage your child to count objects around the house or while grocery shopping. Sorting items by size, shape, or colour can also introduce basic concepts of categorization and number sense.
• Shape Hunts: Go on a "shape hunt" around your home or neighborhood, identifying circles, squares, triangles, and other shapes in everyday objects. This helps with recognizing geometric shapes and understanding spatial relationships.
• Pattern Play: Use toys or everyday objects to create and recognize patterns. This could be as simple as alternating coloured blocks or arranging utensils in a specific order

Elementary Junior: Advancing Numeracy Skills (Grades 4-6)

For students in grades 4-6, numeracy skills begin to expand into more complex mathematical concepts. Engaging activities at this stage help solidify foundational knowledge while introducing new challenges. For example:

• Multiplication Mastery: Practice multiplication facts using flashcards, math apps, or by integrating them into daily activities like cooking or shopping. This strengthens quick recall and understanding of multiplication as repeated addition.
• Fraction Fun: Introduce fractions with real-world examples such as slicing a pizza, dividing a chocolate bar, or measuring ingredients while cooking. This makes abstract concepts tangible and relatable.
• Geometry Exploration: Encourage your child to explore basic geometry by identifying shapes, angles, and symmetry in their environment, such as in buildings, artwork, or nature. Drawing and constructing shapes can also reinforce these concepts.
• Problem-Solving Puzzles: Engage your child with word problems, puzzles, and games that require them to apply their mathematical knowledge. This promotes critical thinking and the ability to approach challenges from different angles.

Middle School: Connecting Math to the Real World (Grades 6-8)

As students progress into middle school, typically grades 6-8, math becomes more complex, and it’s essential to show its relevance in everyday life:

• Budgeting Basics: Introduce your child to the concept of budgeting to build early financial literacy skills. Whether it's managing their allowance or planning for a small purchase, this exercise can teach essential skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Geometry in Action: Engage your child in real-life applications of geometry, such as measuring the area and perimeter of rooms for a home improvement project or calculating angles and dimensions for building a simple DIY project.
• Math in Cooking: Baking and cooking involve precise measurements, fractions, and conversions, making them great opportunities for practical math applications. Have your child help in the kitchen to reinforce these skills.

High School: Tackling Advanced Math Concepts (Grades 9-12)

In high school, students encounter more abstract and challenging math subjects as they progress through grades 9-12. These years are crucial for developing a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts that will be essential for higher education and various career paths. Topics such as algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus are introduced, requiring students to apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Here’s how to make these topics more approachable:

• Calculus in Nature: Encourage your child to explore calculus concepts by examining natural phenomena, such as rates of change in plant growth or the motion of objects. Relating these concepts to the real world can make them more tangible and less intimidating.
• Statistics and Data Management: Introduce your child to the basics of data analysis by looking at statistics in sports, social media trends, or even weather patterns. This not only makes the subject more interesting but also demonstrates the practical use of data management in everyday decision-making.
• Math and Technology: Leverage technology to help your child understand complex functions and algorithms. There are numerous apps and online resources that make advanced math concepts more interactive and easier to grasp.

For those who may not have received the print edition of Costco Connection, you can read the full article online by clicking here. At Teachers on Call, our in-person and online tutoring service is dedicated to supporting your child’s educational journey, helping them discover the importance of math in everyday life. We’re thrilled to share this resource with the Costco community and look forward to inspiring many young math detectives this school year!

Photography by Jennifer Allison from JSHUTTER Photography