Dear Families,
Below you will find a number of articles about early math support and development in addition to some games and activities you can use to help support your students’ math development. It is important that you remember that your positive support and encouragement is exactly what your children need, and anything beyond that is an added bonus.
If at any point in the school year you find yourself with questions regarding your child or potential math support please do not hesitate to contact me.
Happy learning!
Caitlin Candito
Tier II Educator
Articles for Family Support
10 Things to Know About Math: Quick reminders about why teaching and supporting math exposure and instruction is essential to early development.
Mathematics in Early Childhood Learning: The early foundation of mathematics is essential to helping children to grow in all areas of their academic development.
Early Math: How Children Learn About Numbers: An introduction to what early exposure to mathematics and numbers can do for children and what that may look like in a variety of settings.
Parent Strategies for Improving Their Child’s Math: Suggestions for parents on how to positively support and encourage mathematical development in a way that will be most beneficial to students.
5 Ways to Build Math Into Your Child’s Day: Simple suggestions on how to incorporate math thinking and math talk into already existing daily routines and tasks.
Math Resources to Use at Home
Fact Fluency: A large compilation of games for fact fluency in addition, subtraction, and multiplication. Many games require only dice or a deck of playing cards.
Prodigy Interactive: An online math video game that is interactive and fun for students.
Math Playground: A collection of math games at varying grade levels that are academically appropriate.
Miss Candito's Math Manipulative Room: A resource for many common math manipulatives that can be used to help when completing math work at home.
Digital Math Resources
All of the following resources were recommended by Dr. Kevin Mahoney - his website can be found here.
Freckle - Allows students to work at their own level and provides feedback and data to help teachers track progress.
MobyMax - Finds gaps in student learning and works to fill them in based on a differentiated approach.
XtraMath - Focuses on math facts and fluency and is free. Provides reports and feedback for teachers.
Prodigy - Utilizes a videogame type approach to provide practice in content areas with the opportunity to assign specific standards or allow students to practice in areas where the placement test found gaps.
IXL Math - Fluency and confidence in skills students already have been taught with immediate feedback included. Progress can be tracked by the teacher and or parent.
SplashLearn - Game based review of curriculum aligned content with free access for parents and teachers.
IStation - Includes both reading and math, utilizing assessments to provide practice where needed.
Happy Numbers - Utilizes the notion that all aspects of math are connected to help develop a deeper understanding.
eSpark Learning - Differentiates both reading and math with activities geared toward engaging kids. Groups can be setup based on need and instruction from the teacher can come right through the site.
ScootPad - Adapts to student levels based on assessments to ensure they are getting practice right where they need it and trying to fill in gaps.
DreamBox - Supplements core instruction and includes lessons as well as practice and aims to fill in conceptual gaps.
Math Buddies - Singapore math based approach to instruction utilizing a spiral progression and animations that aid with instruction.