Off We Go
Are We There Yet?
Number Search

Off We Go
Preschool

Show children that you use math skills by "thinking out loud" as you do things such as measuring distances on a map: "Let's see, it's five miles to Jackson and then three miles from Jackson to Albany, so that's a total of eight miles. It's two miles from Jackson to Corbin, so that's a total of seven miles. Albany is further away from Jackson than Corbin is."

Involving young children in trip planning can be a time to introduce them to measuring and comparing.

What You Need

• Maps
• Marker

What to Do

• Before your family leaves on a trip, sit with your child and show him a map that includes both where you live and where you're going. Talk with him about what maps are and how they are used. Use the marker to circle your hometown, and then explain that this is where you live. Then circle the place you plan to visit and explain that this is where you're going. Draw a line between the two (a simple straight line-don't attempt to follow the highway route!)

• Point out and mark other places that have meaning for your child—the place where his grandmother lives, the place where his favorite theme park is located and so forth, and do some simple comparisons of distance: "Grandma's is closer to us than where we're going on vacation. See. She lives here and where we're going is way over here." The idea is to familiarize your child with maps and distances, not to have him understand complicated directions or measurements.

• Use the map to play number and counting games as well: "Can you find three 2s?" "What number is on this sign?" "How many rivers are in this state?"

• As part of getting ready for a long trip, involve your child in finding and counting things that should be packed—two shirts, three pairs of socks, five books and so forth.

Are We There Yet?
Kindergarten-Grade 2

Children develop positive attitudes toward math when they see that their parents and families value it. Find ways to show that you enjoy math. Let your child see you using math not only for routine activities, such as paying bills and following recipes, but also by playing number games and solving math puzzles.

Traveling—whether by car, bus, train or plane—provides many opportunities for children to use mental math and estimation to solve time and distance problems.

What You Need

• Information about how far you're traveling and how long it will take
• Bus, train or plane schedule

What to Do

• On a routine trip around town, point out the time on a watch and say, for example, "It's 3:15, and it takes us 30 minutes to get to your dentist's office. Are we going to get there before your 4:15 appointment?"

• Show your child a bus, train or plane schedule and explain what it is and how to read it. Point out, for example, that a schedule shows when the bus leaves one place and when it arrives at another. Have her figure out how long it takes the bus to get to several places listed on the schedule.

• On a longer trip, occasionally ask your child to estimate how far you've traveled and how much longer it will take to get where you're going. Use road signs or schedules and timetables to help her check the answers.

Number Search
Kindergarten-Grade 3

Helping children practice number recognition can take many forms. Encourage them to listen for common expressions that include numbers and number words, such as: "Two's company, three's a crowd"; "Two can play that game"; or "Three strikes and you're out."

Traveling provides children with lots of opportunities to practice number recognition as well as counting skills.

What You Need

• Paper
• Crayons or markers
• Ruler

What to Do

• Before you leave on a car trip, draw a "Number Search" grid, with five boxes across and 10 boxes down. In each box (moving across from the first box), write a number from 1 to 50. Make a copy of the grid for each family member (except, of course, the driver!)

• As you travel, have family members play "Number Search." Tell everyone to be on the lookout for numbers and when they see one on a car or truck, a billboard, a sign, a building, or anything else, to point out the number, then circle it on the grid. (Only the person who spots the number first gets to circle it.) The first person to circle all the numbers on the grid wins.

• Ask your child to look for words and phrases on signs and billboards that have numbers (or number words) in them, such as "1-stop shopping," "2-day service," "buy one, get one free" and "open 24-7."