What Can I Do at Home to Help My Student in Math and Science?

When you are in the car… Be observant and talk about what you see. –Students often fail to make the connections with what they are seeing and science.

When you are in the car… Ask questions – “I wonder why they spray painted the dirt green?”

When you are in the car… Make notice of changes in the environment. –A forest being bulldozed I wonder where the deer went. Even the grass is gone. I wonder why they put the plastic fencing around the edge. Why are there sandbags around the storm sewer drains? +=

When you are in the car… Make notice of the changes in the environment and ask questions. –Have you seen the new water tower? I wonder how many gallons of water it will hold. –1,000,000 gallons!!! How many gallons of water will the kitchen sink hold? How many gallons of water will the bathtub hold? –How many gallons of water do you use to take a bath? –Why does it seem like more water when you get in the bathtub than when you are out of the water?

When you are at home… Ask for help in the kitchen… –Measure the ingredients of a recipe (fractions) –Observe the Italian dressing Oil and water don’t mix. The oil is on the top because it is less dense. Mixture vs. Solution

Let’s talk about money… Have the student count an amount of money (including coins) Have the student pay and discuss whether he got the correct amount of change Set up an account (on paper) –Debits or expenses –Deposits –Keep a running total

Measurement Use the ruler, yard stick, or measuring tape Liquid measures in the kitchen Mass –Use the scale in the grocery store –Use the bathroom scale –Use a kitchen scale –Talk about how much they weighed at birth

Measurement Time –Practice telling time on an analog clock. –What is your best time in a swim meet, running the mile, _______. –Is that amount of time the largest amount or the smallest amount? Why? –About how long does it take to _______? Play a game of soccer? Brush your teeth? Get a good night’s sleep?

To sum it up, have conversations with your student to help them make connections with what is occurring in their environment to the science that is surrounding us.