Money Confident Kids - Great Resource for Parents

Check out this great free resource from scholastic to help your kids understand important financial topics such as money, savings, even retirement.  Activities are kid friendly, there are even a couple of great on line games that teach these concepts. http://www.scholastic.com/mck/parents/

Providing Enriching Math Opportunities for Your Child - Resources provided

Math enrichment gives your child opportunities to think like a true mathematician and extend what they learn in a standard classroom to the real world.  This develops the critical thinking section of their brains which we all know is like a muscle so the more it is used the more proficient it becomes.

Giving your child a chance to struggle through a problem that is at their level this which means  instead giving your 2nd grader multiplication and division problems, rather dive deep into what they have learned already.  Question their thinking, have your child justify their answer to you.  If they are working on a number puzzle, ask them if the rule they identify applies to all situations.

Good questions to ask:
"is this always true?"
"can you find an example to make this not true?"
"how can you prove that your answer is correct?"
"is there another way you could solve this?"

Below are some resources that are great to use for these type of activities.  Include some of the questions mentioned above when your child works the problems out.  And remember to give them that very important opportunity to struggle through a problem.  Real mathematicians get problems wrong repeatedly but they keep on trying until they persevere though them.

Fun fact: the longest math problems took 365 years to solve.  Google Fermat's Last Theorem.

Resources:
Books -  a sample of authors who have other great books about math
The Grapes Of Math Paperback – June 1, 2004. ... Greg Tang, a lifelong lover of math, shares the techniques that have helped him solve problems in the most creative ways! ...Math For All Seasons: Mind-Stretching Math Riddles  - http://www.amazon.com/The-Grapes-Math-Greg-Tang/dp/0439598400

G Is for Googol: A Math Alphabet Book - B is for Binary, F is for Fibonacci, P is for Probability... even a small sample begins to give you the idea that this is a math book unlike any other.  http://www.amazon.com/G-Googol-Math-Alphabet-Book/dp/1883672589/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1460402226&sr=1-1&keywords=g+is+for+google

Math Appeal: Mind-Stretching Math Riddles - Greg Tang underscores the importance of four basic rules in problem-solving. Keeping an open mind, looking for unusual number combinations, using multiple skills (like subtracting to add) and looking for patterns will guarantee any child success in math. In MATH APPEAL, Tang continues to challenge kids with his innovative approach to math. http://www.amazon.com/Math-Appeal-Mind-Stretching-Riddles/dp/0439210461/ref=pd_sim_14_8?ie=UTF8&dpID=514bh0fY6CL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR139%2C160_&refRID=1A8GMYAXD8P8QHVMP26G 

Math Curse - http://www.amazon.com/Math-Curse-Jon-Scieszka/dp/0670861944/ref=pd_sim_14_6?ie=UTF8&dpID=51uj2yLxRzL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR159%2C160_&refRID=1A8GMYAXD8P8QHVMP26G 

Web - Resources

1.   New Zealand Math - provides information and resources to support the extension of students whose abilities and performance in mathematics are strong.  http://nzmaths.co.nz/

      NRICH - enriching mathematics through various activities and resources for parents and teachers. http://nrich.maths.org/frontpage

      Brain Teasers and Math problems - a wide range of problems http://www.syvum.com/teasers/

       Places to Visit -

      The Discovery Museums and MathWorks Partner Again on Traveling Science Workshops for 2011-2012 School Year   http://www.discoverymuseums.org/

         

        MIT Museum - Children of all ages are welcome to attend the MIT Museum family events, but most activities are targeted for middle-schoolers and up. Sign up for their newsletter for updates on workshops and events.  http://web.mit.edu/museum/index.html