Summer is here...Yippeee! Today I listened to a news story discussing how much time our students have off due to summer break. From kindergarten to 5th grade, they have 15 months of summer! That's a ton! Summer is an important break from "book" learning, but there's no need for students to slide.
Turn this into the Summer of Measurement. Have students cook, doubling recipes or cutting them in half. Give them only a 1/4 and 1/3 cup measuring cup so they have to multiply fractions. Have them weigh ingredients. Try a measurement scavenger hunt, looking for metric and customary measurements.
Taking a vacation? Let them track mileage, figure out miles per gallon, and use maps. Have them use an analog watch to keep track of time and estimate arrival times or elapsed time. If you need to arrive at 2:30, and it takes 4 hours, what time do you need to leave? If you have children of different ages, you can differentiate the problems. An older child can get the same problem, but be told you need to arrive at 2:30 and have to drive 240 miles, at about 60 mph.
Your phone most likely has a great app to help them with walking, biking, or driving (you, not them!) They will learn how far a mile is only when they have multiple experiences.
Don't forget to practice your math facts! Also an important step in preventing summer slide. Enjoy the summer and make math an everyday part of your break.
Just saw this on YouTube...worth watching, although it's about the differences based on socioeconomics.
Summer Learning Loss
