Are you looking for a way to improve your child’s math test scores? You can enroll your child in a math learning center, but that involves a commitment of time and resources that you simply may not have. Instead, why not choose one of these math enrichment ideas? You can keep your child engaged and also improve his or her test scores with these easy ideas.
Introduce Programming
Computer programming is a necessary skill in today’s highly digital world. Enrolling your child in a programming course or club after school is a great opportunity for your child, and some surprising results have shown that programming actually boosts test scores. In 2011, summer enrichment programs that were tracked in California found that 95 percent of the students scored higher on their math test scores when they performed well in the coding enrichment program quizzes.
iPad-Based Tutoring
If you are looking for a proven math enrichment option that will boost math test scores without requiring you to drive all over town, consider an iPad math tutoring app, like Thinkster Math. The right app will keep your child engaged and will provide instructions from certified instructors at the point of learning. Thinkster has proven time and time again to boost math test scores, and the program does not require parents to spend valuable time grading papers or driving to a math learning center. This particular math enrichment can happen no matter where you and your child are, as long as you have the iPad with you.
Math Card Games
One of the ways you can boost math test scores is by drilling math facts into your child’s head. Yet working fact after fact with flash cards is boring for both of you. Choose enrichment in the form of math games to make it more fun and rewarding, and thus more interesting to spend time on, for both you and your child. You can find a variety of math card games online. Here is a simple one to try:
Addition Go Fish!
You know the classic card game Go Fish, right? Well, add some addition to the mix with this variation. First, prepare the deck according to the math fact you wish to work on. If your goal is to teach addition facts through 8, remove all cards with a value above 8, as well as the face cards. Then, shuffle the deck and deal out five cards per player. The remaining cards become the draw pile.
Here’s the variation: instead of looking for matches, the players will look for cards that add together to make the chosen number. So, for 8, the player will make books of 3 and 5, 1 and 7, 2 and 6 and so on. Play continues as normal Go Fish until all of the cards are matched. The player with the highest number of matches wins.
Remember, math enrichment should be engaging and interesting to your child. While your ultimate goal may be to see higher test scores, if the activities are dry and boring, your child will not be engaged, and test scores will not increase. Stay focused on the fun and add in some math practice, and watch as your child’s confidence and success begin to grow.
