Kids love it when it’s all about them. Let’s leverage off of that and get in some fun data analysis work as there’s been a big push recently to get students to look at, describe, and interpret data. And analyzing data is foundational to critical thinking, a skill very much needed to make sense of our world today. So what better way to begin to develop these skills than through a fun and engaging Math Monster Mash activity at your…
Back in January, I sent out a newsletter with a new activity I had created for my Math Medley Family Math Night: Caterpillar Sign-In. Along with the sign-in I had also created a What Do You Notice? “poster”. A What Do You Notice? poster gives students (and their families) an opportunity to think about and share their thoughts about the math they see reflected in the poster. For this activity, I wanted students to visually see that one whole can be made up of equal parts that…
Families really do want to come to your Family Math Night. They’re just busy… with life. One simple strategy that has consistently boosted attendance for me is offering food. Taking dinner off a family’s to‑do list makes their evening a little easier. Of course, providing food can add to your already full plate. So here’s how I recently solved that for my Math Medley Family Math Night event. I asked. Last month, Chick‑fil‑A donated 100 of their delicious chicken sandwiches for our event. One quick phone…
No matter what time of year it is, families are busy. So getting them to come to an after-school event can be a challenge. That’s why we’re going to meet them right where they are. How? With a flexible family-first solution that removes barriers to participation. No schedule. No travel. No obstacles. For families who are unable to attend an in-person Family Math Night event we offer our virtual Family Math Nights. Our virtual events are self-paced and can be accessed when it’s convenient for your families. And they’re available…
Creative “sign-in sheets” are a fun way to get families involved in math from the moment they walk into your Family Math Night event. For a recent Math Medley event, I decided to focus on fractions as my sign-in. And since I so look forward to spring at this time of the year…caterpillars came to mind. I wanted to have students focus on a variety of fractions so I created two caterpillars: one that focused on fourths and eighths and the other that focused on thirds and sixths….