Posts Tagged ‘math’

Kitchen Teaching: Learning Fractions with Measuring Cups

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

I’m constantly looking for sneaky ways to teach my kids skills while we’re doing fun activities. One of the best places I’ve found to do this is the kitchen. My boys are always game to join me when I’m cooking and they enthusiastically measure ingredients, stir batters and even peel and cut fruits and veggies (under close supervision, of course).

A few weeks ago I was baking cookies with my first grader when he asked me what the numbers on the measuring cups meant. So I took a few minutes to explain what 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4 mean in relation to the 1 cup measure. He eyes quickly began to glaze over, so I decided he needed a little hands on experience with the concept.

We started with 1 and 1/4 cup measuring cups and the container of brown sugar. I like using brown sugar because (more…)

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Posted in Learning Activites, Wendy Copley | 10 Comments »

New and Tried Tips for Teaching Math Skills

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

Math is one of the most difficult subjects for kids. Many get stressed by just hearing the word and it may be the most feared subject in schools. What makes students fear math? It could be that math is often taught in a complex and traditional way. Students are used to walking into math classes, completing several problems in a book, working out formulas, and memorizing many formulas. However, math is an important subject that is tied to our everyday experience. We should aim to help children learn the value of math and see it in a very approachable way.

For this reason, this past Wednesday during the #PTCHAT educators, parents, principals, and other stakeholders shared new and tried tips for learning math skills.

Parentella: Encourage your child to

(more…)

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Posted in PTChat/EdChat, Shelly Terrell | 5 Comments »

Obama Announces Change the Equation Educational Initiative

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

Today President Barack Obama announced a new non-profit educational initiative called “Change the Equation.” This program aims to involve the Chief Executive Officers of over one hundred companies to create/expand innovative math and science programs. This program is one facet of the bigger “Educate to Innovate” campaign launched by the Obama Administration.

Privately funded initiatives called STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) already exist and have been successful. Using the STEM model, Change the Equation will expand everything from robotics competitions to science summer camps to Advanced Placement courses in math and science. Participating companies include many of the nations largest, including Xerox and Facebook. Many of the programs collaborate with museums, science centers, libraries, and other community resources. Obama plans to bring these programs to the 100 communities where students are most in need, in hopes to draw in more minorities and women into careers that involve math and science, such as engineering.

In his speech, Obama stated that in order for the United States to be competitive in a global economy, we must be the most innovative, consistently developing new industries. He claimed that innovation begins in the classrooms, where passions and talents are discovered that eventually lead to cutting edge careers.

According to Obama, the quality of leadership of tomorrow is dependant on the quality of education today. He went on to say that education programs should not rely on the government alone, but should involve the broader community, hence this new program that brings businesses into the educational mix.

The President’s Council of Advisors on Science also released recommendations that over the next decade the federal government should help recruit and train 100,000 STEM teachers, support the creation of 1,000 new STEM-focused schools, and reward the top 5 percent of STEM teachers.

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Christi Grab is Parentella’s Editorial Director and author of The Unexpected Circumnavigation: Unusual Boat, Unusual People Part 1 – San Diego to Australia. She is currently working on book two of the series

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Posted in Christi Grab, Education Policy | 5 Comments »

Teaching Life Lessons in the Kitchen

Thursday, January 28th, 2010
Being in the kitchen and cooking with your children gives you the perfect opportunity to share life experiences, talk about any issues that may be bothering you child, and can provide a safe place for them to share their fears.  I have often found it is easier to learn what is going on my daughter’s world when we are standing at the kitchen counter with a mixing bowl between us.  There’s just something natural and freeing about preparing a meal together; conversation naturally flows over subjects important to your children without the interruptions of the day to interfere. The emotional benefits that come from the one-on-one time spent with your child will last a lifetime.
Cooking with your children can also serve as an opportunity to introduce your children to many life skills.  It is an excellent opportunity to introduce or reinforce the use of fractions and the concept of matter. Cooking reinforces counting skills, as well as reading skills, in preschool and early elementary students. And your children don’t even realize they are learning!

Cooking also teaches hand-eye coordination and balance (not lessons one would usually think of in the kitchen, I know).  It requires a lot of coordination and balance to pour large amounts of anything into another container without spilling some of it–think of the self-control you must have to crack an egg without smashing it all over counter.

Meal preparation is the perfect time to discuss the nutritional benefits of the meal you are preparing together. Children are naturally interested in learning about how the different vitamins affect their bodies.  Cooking together is also a prime time to teach children about portion control and how to create a balanced meal.  While these lessons many seem trivial in the moment, you are instilling lasting values and passing down important life lessons that will not soon be forgotten.

These are just a few of the important life lessons your child learns each and every time you invite them to cook along side you. As a parent there are many teachable moments in day-to-day life. It is important not to overlook the immense effect the small things can have on our children.

Do you cook with your kids?
image credit: http://students.umf.maine.edu/jasmyn.wagg/public.www/images/sue_mcdonald_and_kids_cooking_large.jpg
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Amanda Henson is Parentella’s Community Manager and owner of High Impact Mom, a socially aware mom-blog.

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Posted in Amanda Henson, Food, Learning Activites | 6 Comments »