Acknowledgments
This book was made possible with help from the following
people: Phil Demartini, Headmaster, St. Francis School, Goshen,
Kentucky;, Janet G. Gillespie, Teacher, Woodlawn Elementary
School, Portland, Oregon; David Kanter; Sharon Nelson,
Principal, Lower School, Isidore Newman School, New Orleans,
Louisiana; Kathy Rabin, Teacher, Isidore Newman School; and
Annette Raphel, Curriculum Coordinator, Milton Academy, Milton,
Massachusetts.
Others who reviewed early drafts or provided information
and guidance include: Iris Carl, Past President, National
Council of Teachers of Mathematics; Mary Connolly, Marketing
Manager, Elementary Mathematics, DC Heath; Julie Fisher,
Visiting Mathematics Educator, National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics; Vera M. White, Principal, Jefferson Junior High
School, Washington, D.C.; and many people in the U.S.
Department of Education.
Special thanks go to Leo and Diane Dillon for their advice
on how to work with illustrators and to Alison Goldstein and
Emily Dorfman, two Maryland third graders who marked the
manuscript for color overlays. Appreciation is also expressed
to Nathan and Julie Kanter for testing many of the activities
contained in this book.
Patsy E. Kanter is Assistant Principal/Curriculum
Coordinator at the Isidore Newman Lower School in New Orleans,
Louisiana. She is also an instructor of family math and a
consultant for the Louisiana Children's Museum. She has been an
elementary school mathematics teacher, and she founded the
Newman Math Institute at Newman School. She is the author, with
Janet Gillespie, of Every Day Counts and Math Every Day and has
written articles on mathematics for professional magazines. She
has a B.A. from Newcomb College, and, in listing her academic
credentials, she credits her mother, Louise Hirsch Friedler, as
being her first teacher, "who always tried to make learning
interesting for me."
Jerry Guillot is the art teacher for Isidore Newman Lower
School in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he has taught for the
past 24 years. He has a B.A. from Lousiana State University and
received his teaching certification from Tulane University. He
has taught classes and workshops on elementary art for both
college students and private organizations. He is also a
graphic artist for a New Orleans company.
Brian A. Griffin (pages 10, 11, 30, 35, 45, 46) is a
designer for the San Jose Mercury News, San Jose, California.
He was formerly the Art Director of Kids Today, a weekly
children's newspaper published by Gannett Co., Inc. He has won
awards from the Society of Newspaper Design, PRINT Regional
Design Annual, and the Art Director's Club of Metropolitan
Washington.
What We Can Do
To Help Our Children Learn:
Listen to them and pay attention to their problems.
Read with them.
Tell family stories.
Limit their television watching.
Have books and other reading materials in the house.
Look up words in the dictionary with them.
Encourage them to use an encyclopedia.
Share favorite poems and songs with them.
Take them to the library--get them their own library cards.
Take them to museums and historical sites, when possible.
Discuss the daily news with them.
Go exploring with them and learn about plants, animals, and
local geography.
Find a quiet place for them to study.
Review their homework.
Meet with their teachers.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Parents and the Schools
Parents and the Schools
Here are a few ideas that might help you support a
positive math environment in your child's school:
1. Visit the school and see if the children:
* Are actively engaged in math;
* Are talking about mathematics;
* Are working together to solve math problems;
* Have their math work on display;
* Use manipulatives (objects that children can touch and
move) in the classroom.
2. Explore the math program with your child's teacher,
curriculum coordinator, or principal. Here are some
questions you might ask:
* Are there manipulatives in the classroom?
* Are you familiar with the National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics standards (see next page)?
* How are the standards being used in this school?
* What can I do to help foster a strong math program where
children can explore math concepts before giving the right
answer?
3. If you would like to help out, here are some suggestions
for parent groups:
* Make games for teachers;
* Help seek out sponsors who believe in a strong math
program for the school and who might provide materials and
resources;
* Support math classes for families at your school.
4. Keep a positive attitude even if you don't like what you
see. Work to improve the math curriculum by doing some of
the things mentioned throughout this book.
5. Share this book with your child's teacher.
What Should I Expect from a Math Program?
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has
recently endorsed standards by which math should be taught in
the elementary and middle grade years. The powerful nature of
these standards is that they not only have the endorsement of
the academic community, but they are also heavily endorsed by
corporations. These endorsements, together with the
technological advances of our society and the lack of math
confidence in our work force, have combined to produce
tremendous support for the standards.
These standards make some assumptions about the way math
should be taught and what parents might see when visiting the
classroom. Here are some examples:
1. Children will be engaged in discovering mathematics, not
just doing many problems in a book.
2. Children will have the opportunity to explore,
investigate, estimate, question, predict, and test their
ideas about math.
3. Children will explore and develop understanding for math
concepts using materials they can touch and feel, either
natural or manufactured.
4. The teacher will guide the students' learning, not dictate
how it must be done.
5. Children will have many opportunities to look at math in
terms of daily life and to see the connections among math
topics such as between geometry and numbers.
6. Children will be actively involved in using technology
(calculators and computers) to solve math problems.
The complete list of standards is available from NCTM,
1906 Association Drive, Reston, Virginia 22091-1593
(1-800-235-7566).
Resources
1. Math for parents:
Burns, Marilyn. Math for Smarty Pants. Little, Brown and
Company.
Burns, Marilyn. The I Hate Mathematics Book. Little, Brown and
Company.
Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Reston, Virginia
Help Your Child Learn Number Skills. Usborne Parents' Guides,
EDC Publishing, 10302 East 55th Place, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74146.
The Learning With Series. Cuisenaire Company, P.O. Box 5026,
White Plains, New York 106025026, 1-800-237-3142.
Parker, Tom, (1984). In One Day. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Reys, Barbara. Elementary School Mathematics: What Parents
Should Know about Estimation. National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics. Reston, Virginia. 10 for $7.50.
Reys, Barbara. Elementary School Mathematics: What Parents
Should Know About Problem Solving. National Council of Teachers
of Mathematics. Reston, Virginia. 10 for $7.50.
Room, Adrian. The Guiness Book of Numbers. Sterling Publishing
Company, Inc., 387 Park Avenue South, New York, New York
10016-8810.
Stenmark, Virginia Thompson and Ruth Cossey. Family Math.
Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California at Berkeley,
Berkeley California 94720.
Thomas, David A., (1988). The Math-Computer Connection.
Franklin Watts.
Thomas, David A., (1988). Math Projects for Young Scientists.
Franklin Watts.
Math Matters. National PTA and Exxon Foundation. Video tape and
pamphlet useful for parent meetings.
The following pamphlets are available from the National Council
of Teachers of Mathematics, 1906 Association Drive, Reston,
Virginia 22091-1593 (1-800-235-7566). All are priced 20 for $5,
100 for $15.
"Family Math Awareness Activities"
"Help Your Child Learn Math"
"Using Calculators to Improve Your Child's Math Skills"
2. Books for children:
Almost every book you read with your child will offer the
opportunity to talk about math, because math is everywhere.
Some books lend themselves more to in-depth and specific math
discussion. Only a fraction of these books could be listed
here.
Anno, Mitsumasa. Anno's Counting Book. Thomas Y. Crowell.
Anno, Mitsumasa. Anno's Counting House. Philomel Books.
Anno, Mitsumasa. Anno's Hat Trick. Philomel Books.
Anno, Mitsumasa. Anno's Math Games. Philomel Books.
Anno, Mitsumasa. Anno's Mysterious Multiplying Jar. Philomel
Books.
Carle, Eric. The Grouchy Ladybug. Philomel Books.
Carle, Eric. 1,2,3 to the Zoo. Philomel Books.
Carle, Eric. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Philomel Books.
Carter, David. How Many Bugs in a Box? Simon and Schuster.
Cobb, Vicki and Kathy Darling. Bet You Can. Avon.
Cobb, Vicki and Kathy Darling. Bet You Can't. Avon.
Conran, Sebastian. My First 123 Book. Aladdin Books.
Daly, Eileen. 1 Is Red. Western.
Dee, Ruby. Two Ways to Count to Ten. Holt.
Demi. Demi's Count the Animals 123. Grosset and Dunlap.
Feelings, Muriel. Moja Means One: Swahili Counting Book. Dial.
Grayson, Marion. Let's Count. Robert B. Luce, Inc.
Grayson, Marion. Count Out. Robert B. Luce, Inc.
Hoban, Tana. Circles, Triangles, and Squares. MacMillan
Publishing Company, Inc.
Hoban, Tana. Count and See. Macmillan Publishing Company, Inc.
Hoban, Tana. Is It Rough, Is It Smooth, Is It Bumpy? Macmillan
Publishing Company, Inc.
Hudson, Cheryl. Afro-Bets 123 Book. Just Us Productions.
Hutchins, Pat. The Doorbell Rang. Greenwillow Books.
Hutchins, Pat. One Hunter. Greenwillow Books.
Jones, Carol. This Old Man. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Keats, Ezra Jack. Over in the Meadow. Scholastic. Kitchen,
Bert. Animal Numbers. Dial.
Kredenser, Gaff. One Dancing Drum. Phillips.
Lionni, Leo. Numbers To Talk About. Pantheon Books.
Marley, Deborah. Animals One to Ten. Raintree.
McMillan, Bruce. Counting Wildflowers. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard
Books, Inc.
McMillan, Bruce. One, Two, One Pair. Scholastic. Nolan, Dennis.
Monster Bubbles. Prentice Hall.
Pluckrose, Henry. Know about Counting. Franklin Watts.
Pomerantz, Charlotte. The Half-Birthday Party. Clarion Books.
Ross, H.L. Not Counting Monsters. Platt and Munk.
Schwartz, David M. How Much Is a Million? Lothrop, Lee &
Shepard Books, Inc.
Schwartz, David M. If You Made a Million. Lothrop, Lee &
Shepard Books, Inc.
Tafuri, Nancy. Who's Counting? William Morrow & Co.
Testa, Fulvio. If You Take a Pencil. Dial.
Viorst, Judith. Alexander Who Used To Be Rich Last Sunday.
Atheneum.
Vogel, Ilse-Margret. 1 Is No Fun, But 20 Is Plenty.t Atheneum.
Ziefert, Harriet. A Dozen Dizzy Dogs. Random House.
3. Magazines and periodicals:
Dynamath. Scholastic. Available from the school division.
Filled with many different activities that involve all strands
of math. Children in grade 5 particularly like this. Nine
publications are sent each school year. $5.00 for the
subscription.
Games Magazine, P.O. Box 10147, Des Moines, Iowa 50347.
The adult version of Games Junior (see below). Older children
may prefer this to Games Junior.
Games Junior, P.O. Box 10147, Des Moines, Iowa 50347. A
challenging but fun magazine of all different kinds of games
that give children hours of "brain workouts." Appropriate for
ages 7 and up.
Math Power. Scholastic. Available from the school
division. Exciting and inviting, this magazine is filled with
many activities that involve all types of math. Good for grades
3 and 4. Nine publications are sent each school year for $5.00.
Puzzlemania. Highlights, P.O. Box 18201, Columbus, Ohio
43218-0201. Includes puzzles involving words, logical thinking,
hidden pictures, spatial reasoning, etc. The cost is about
$7.50 per month.
Zillions. Consumer Reports, P.O. Box 54861, Boulder,
Colorado 80322. Children's version of Consumer Reports. Shows
math in the real world and offers children the opportunity to
see how gathering data and information can lead to good
decision-making. The cost is approximately $2.75 per issue.
Here are a few ideas that might help you support a
positive math environment in your child's school:
1. Visit the school and see if the children:
* Are actively engaged in math;
* Are talking about mathematics;
* Are working together to solve math problems;
* Have their math work on display;
* Use manipulatives (objects that children can touch and
move) in the classroom.
2. Explore the math program with your child's teacher,
curriculum coordinator, or principal. Here are some
questions you might ask:
* Are there manipulatives in the classroom?
* Are you familiar with the National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics standards (see next page)?
* How are the standards being used in this school?
* What can I do to help foster a strong math program where
children can explore math concepts before giving the right
answer?
3. If you would like to help out, here are some suggestions
for parent groups:
* Make games for teachers;
* Help seek out sponsors who believe in a strong math
program for the school and who might provide materials and
resources;
* Support math classes for families at your school.
4. Keep a positive attitude even if you don't like what you
see. Work to improve the math curriculum by doing some of
the things mentioned throughout this book.
5. Share this book with your child's teacher.
What Should I Expect from a Math Program?
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has
recently endorsed standards by which math should be taught in
the elementary and middle grade years. The powerful nature of
these standards is that they not only have the endorsement of
the academic community, but they are also heavily endorsed by
corporations. These endorsements, together with the
technological advances of our society and the lack of math
confidence in our work force, have combined to produce
tremendous support for the standards.
These standards make some assumptions about the way math
should be taught and what parents might see when visiting the
classroom. Here are some examples:
1. Children will be engaged in discovering mathematics, not
just doing many problems in a book.
2. Children will have the opportunity to explore,
investigate, estimate, question, predict, and test their
ideas about math.
3. Children will explore and develop understanding for math
concepts using materials they can touch and feel, either
natural or manufactured.
4. The teacher will guide the students' learning, not dictate
how it must be done.
5. Children will have many opportunities to look at math in
terms of daily life and to see the connections among math
topics such as between geometry and numbers.
6. Children will be actively involved in using technology
(calculators and computers) to solve math problems.
The complete list of standards is available from NCTM,
1906 Association Drive, Reston, Virginia 22091-1593
(1-800-235-7566).
Resources
1. Math for parents:
Burns, Marilyn. Math for Smarty Pants. Little, Brown and
Company.
Burns, Marilyn. The I Hate Mathematics Book. Little, Brown and
Company.
Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Reston, Virginia
Help Your Child Learn Number Skills. Usborne Parents' Guides,
EDC Publishing, 10302 East 55th Place, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74146.
The Learning With Series. Cuisenaire Company, P.O. Box 5026,
White Plains, New York 106025026, 1-800-237-3142.
Parker, Tom, (1984). In One Day. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Reys, Barbara. Elementary School Mathematics: What Parents
Should Know about Estimation. National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics. Reston, Virginia. 10 for $7.50.
Reys, Barbara. Elementary School Mathematics: What Parents
Should Know About Problem Solving. National Council of Teachers
of Mathematics. Reston, Virginia. 10 for $7.50.
Room, Adrian. The Guiness Book of Numbers. Sterling Publishing
Company, Inc., 387 Park Avenue South, New York, New York
10016-8810.
Stenmark, Virginia Thompson and Ruth Cossey. Family Math.
Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California at Berkeley,
Berkeley California 94720.
Thomas, David A., (1988). The Math-Computer Connection.
Franklin Watts.
Thomas, David A., (1988). Math Projects for Young Scientists.
Franklin Watts.
Math Matters. National PTA and Exxon Foundation. Video tape and
pamphlet useful for parent meetings.
The following pamphlets are available from the National Council
of Teachers of Mathematics, 1906 Association Drive, Reston,
Virginia 22091-1593 (1-800-235-7566). All are priced 20 for $5,
100 for $15.
"Family Math Awareness Activities"
"Help Your Child Learn Math"
"Using Calculators to Improve Your Child's Math Skills"
2. Books for children:
Almost every book you read with your child will offer the
opportunity to talk about math, because math is everywhere.
Some books lend themselves more to in-depth and specific math
discussion. Only a fraction of these books could be listed
here.
Anno, Mitsumasa. Anno's Counting Book. Thomas Y. Crowell.
Anno, Mitsumasa. Anno's Counting House. Philomel Books.
Anno, Mitsumasa. Anno's Hat Trick. Philomel Books.
Anno, Mitsumasa. Anno's Math Games. Philomel Books.
Anno, Mitsumasa. Anno's Mysterious Multiplying Jar. Philomel
Books.
Carle, Eric. The Grouchy Ladybug. Philomel Books.
Carle, Eric. 1,2,3 to the Zoo. Philomel Books.
Carle, Eric. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Philomel Books.
Carter, David. How Many Bugs in a Box? Simon and Schuster.
Cobb, Vicki and Kathy Darling. Bet You Can. Avon.
Cobb, Vicki and Kathy Darling. Bet You Can't. Avon.
Conran, Sebastian. My First 123 Book. Aladdin Books.
Daly, Eileen. 1 Is Red. Western.
Dee, Ruby. Two Ways to Count to Ten. Holt.
Demi. Demi's Count the Animals 123. Grosset and Dunlap.
Feelings, Muriel. Moja Means One: Swahili Counting Book. Dial.
Grayson, Marion. Let's Count. Robert B. Luce, Inc.
Grayson, Marion. Count Out. Robert B. Luce, Inc.
Hoban, Tana. Circles, Triangles, and Squares. MacMillan
Publishing Company, Inc.
Hoban, Tana. Count and See. Macmillan Publishing Company, Inc.
Hoban, Tana. Is It Rough, Is It Smooth, Is It Bumpy? Macmillan
Publishing Company, Inc.
Hudson, Cheryl. Afro-Bets 123 Book. Just Us Productions.
Hutchins, Pat. The Doorbell Rang. Greenwillow Books.
Hutchins, Pat. One Hunter. Greenwillow Books.
Jones, Carol. This Old Man. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Keats, Ezra Jack. Over in the Meadow. Scholastic. Kitchen,
Bert. Animal Numbers. Dial.
Kredenser, Gaff. One Dancing Drum. Phillips.
Lionni, Leo. Numbers To Talk About. Pantheon Books.
Marley, Deborah. Animals One to Ten. Raintree.
McMillan, Bruce. Counting Wildflowers. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard
Books, Inc.
McMillan, Bruce. One, Two, One Pair. Scholastic. Nolan, Dennis.
Monster Bubbles. Prentice Hall.
Pluckrose, Henry. Know about Counting. Franklin Watts.
Pomerantz, Charlotte. The Half-Birthday Party. Clarion Books.
Ross, H.L. Not Counting Monsters. Platt and Munk.
Schwartz, David M. How Much Is a Million? Lothrop, Lee &
Shepard Books, Inc.
Schwartz, David M. If You Made a Million. Lothrop, Lee &
Shepard Books, Inc.
Tafuri, Nancy. Who's Counting? William Morrow & Co.
Testa, Fulvio. If You Take a Pencil. Dial.
Viorst, Judith. Alexander Who Used To Be Rich Last Sunday.
Atheneum.
Vogel, Ilse-Margret. 1 Is No Fun, But 20 Is Plenty.t Atheneum.
Ziefert, Harriet. A Dozen Dizzy Dogs. Random House.
3. Magazines and periodicals:
Dynamath. Scholastic. Available from the school division.
Filled with many different activities that involve all strands
of math. Children in grade 5 particularly like this. Nine
publications are sent each school year. $5.00 for the
subscription.
Games Magazine, P.O. Box 10147, Des Moines, Iowa 50347.
The adult version of Games Junior (see below). Older children
may prefer this to Games Junior.
Games Junior, P.O. Box 10147, Des Moines, Iowa 50347. A
challenging but fun magazine of all different kinds of games
that give children hours of "brain workouts." Appropriate for
ages 7 and up.
Math Power. Scholastic. Available from the school
division. Exciting and inviting, this magazine is filled with
many activities that involve all types of math. Good for grades
3 and 4. Nine publications are sent each school year for $5.00.
Puzzlemania. Highlights, P.O. Box 18201, Columbus, Ohio
43218-0201. Includes puzzles involving words, logical thinking,
hidden pictures, spatial reasoning, etc. The cost is about
$7.50 per month.
Zillions. Consumer Reports, P.O. Box 54861, Boulder,
Colorado 80322. Children's version of Consumer Reports. Shows
math in the real world and offers children the opportunity to
see how gathering data and information can lead to good
decision-making. The cost is approximately $2.75 per issue.
Number Search
Number Search
The object is to look for numbers around you: on cars,
buses, subways, and on foot.
What you'll need
Some type of transportation or
A place from which to observe
Paper
Pencil
Ruler
What to do
1. Create a chart that lists the numbers from 1-50.
2. Write down each number as family members locate that
number on a car, a sign, a building.
3. Write down words that have numbers in them such as
"one-stop shopping," "two-day service," or "Highway 20."
This is a great challenge for family members of all age,
because even young children can learn to recognize numbers.
License Plates
License plates have numbers and are fun to use to play
games while on the go.
What you'll need
License plates
Paper
Pencil
What to do
1. Copy down a license plate. Read it as a number (excluding
the letters). For example, if the license is 663M218, the
number would be six hundred sixty-three thousand, two
hundred eighteen.
2. Find other license plates and read their numbers. Is the
number less than, greater than, or equal to yours?
3. Estimate the difference between your number and another
license plate. Is it 10, 100, 1,000, or 10,000?
4. Record the names of the states of as many different
license plates as you see. From which state do you see the
most? Which has the fewest? Prepare a chart or graph to
show your findings.
These activities encourage reading, recognizing numbers,
noticing symbols, writing, counting, and graphing.
Total It
This is a good game for practicing quick mental
computation.
What you'll need
License plates
What to do
1. Call out the numbers on the license plate.
2. See who can add the numbers up correctly. What strategies
were used? (Were the numbers added by 10's like 2+8; were
doubles like 6+6 used?)
3. Try different problems using the numbers in a license
plate.
For example, if you use the plate number 663M218, ask,
"Using the numbers on the plate, can you:
make a 1 using two numbers? Yes, 3-2=1.
make a 1 using three numbers? Yes, 6-(3+2)=1
make a 1 using four numbers? Yes, (6+6)-8-3-1
make a 1 using five numbers? Yes, 3-[(6+6)-8-2]=1
make a 1 using six numbers? Yes, 8x2-(6+6)-3=1
make a 2 using 1 number? Yes, the 2.
The problem solving and computation going on in your
child's head is very important. It helps your child be creative
with numbers.
How Long? How Far?
Many times when you are on the go, you are headed
somewhere that requires you be there by a certain time.
What you'll need
Information about how far you're traveling and how long
it will take
What to do
1. Ask your children how far they think you are traveling.
Yards? Blocks? Miles?
2. Talk about how long it takes to get there. If it is 3:15
now, and it takes 45 minutes to get there, will we make it
for a 4:15 appointment? How much extra time will we have?
Will we be late?
These types of questions help children see the usefulness
of understanding distance and time.
Guess If You Can
When children practice asking questions about numbers,
they can develop an understanding of the characteristics and
meanings of numbers.
What you'll need
Questions about numbers
What to do
1. Let your child think of a number between a stated range of
numbers while you try to guess the number by asking
questions. Here is a sample conversation.
Child: I am thinking of a number between 1 and 100.
Parent: Is it more than 50?
Child: No.
Parent: Is it an even number?
Child: No.
Parent: Is it more than 20 but less than 40?
Child: Yes.
Parent: Can you divide this number up into 3 equal parts?
And so on ...
2. After you have guessed your child's number, let your child
guess a number from you by asking similar questions.
The questions asked demonstrate many different levels of
math. They can serve as learning tools for explaining concepts.
For example, you can take the opportunity to explain what an
even number is if your child does not know.
The object is to look for numbers around you: on cars,
buses, subways, and on foot.
What you'll need
Some type of transportation or
A place from which to observe
Paper
Pencil
Ruler
What to do
1. Create a chart that lists the numbers from 1-50.
2. Write down each number as family members locate that
number on a car, a sign, a building.
3. Write down words that have numbers in them such as
"one-stop shopping," "two-day service," or "Highway 20."
This is a great challenge for family members of all age,
because even young children can learn to recognize numbers.
License Plates
License plates have numbers and are fun to use to play
games while on the go.
What you'll need
License plates
Paper
Pencil
What to do
1. Copy down a license plate. Read it as a number (excluding
the letters). For example, if the license is 663M218, the
number would be six hundred sixty-three thousand, two
hundred eighteen.
2. Find other license plates and read their numbers. Is the
number less than, greater than, or equal to yours?
3. Estimate the difference between your number and another
license plate. Is it 10, 100, 1,000, or 10,000?
4. Record the names of the states of as many different
license plates as you see. From which state do you see the
most? Which has the fewest? Prepare a chart or graph to
show your findings.
These activities encourage reading, recognizing numbers,
noticing symbols, writing, counting, and graphing.
Total It
This is a good game for practicing quick mental
computation.
What you'll need
License plates
What to do
1. Call out the numbers on the license plate.
2. See who can add the numbers up correctly. What strategies
were used? (Were the numbers added by 10's like 2+8; were
doubles like 6+6 used?)
3. Try different problems using the numbers in a license
plate.
For example, if you use the plate number 663M218, ask,
"Using the numbers on the plate, can you:
make a 1 using two numbers? Yes, 3-2=1.
make a 1 using three numbers? Yes, 6-(3+2)=1
make a 1 using four numbers? Yes, (6+6)-8-3-1
make a 1 using five numbers? Yes, 3-[(6+6)-8-2]=1
make a 1 using six numbers? Yes, 8x2-(6+6)-3=1
make a 2 using 1 number? Yes, the 2.
The problem solving and computation going on in your
child's head is very important. It helps your child be creative
with numbers.
How Long? How Far?
Many times when you are on the go, you are headed
somewhere that requires you be there by a certain time.
What you'll need
Information about how far you're traveling and how long
it will take
What to do
1. Ask your children how far they think you are traveling.
Yards? Blocks? Miles?
2. Talk about how long it takes to get there. If it is 3:15
now, and it takes 45 minutes to get there, will we make it
for a 4:15 appointment? How much extra time will we have?
Will we be late?
These types of questions help children see the usefulness
of understanding distance and time.
Guess If You Can
When children practice asking questions about numbers,
they can develop an understanding of the characteristics and
meanings of numbers.
What you'll need
Questions about numbers
What to do
1. Let your child think of a number between a stated range of
numbers while you try to guess the number by asking
questions. Here is a sample conversation.
Child: I am thinking of a number between 1 and 100.
Parent: Is it more than 50?
Child: No.
Parent: Is it an even number?
Child: No.
Parent: Is it more than 20 but less than 40?
Child: Yes.
Parent: Can you divide this number up into 3 equal parts?
And so on ...
2. After you have guessed your child's number, let your child
guess a number from you by asking similar questions.
The questions asked demonstrate many different levels of
math. They can serve as learning tools for explaining concepts.
For example, you can take the opportunity to explain what an
even number is if your child does not know.
Get into Shapes
Get into Shapes
The grocery store is filled with geometric shapes.
What you'll need
Items at the store
What to do
1. Show your child the pictures of the shapes on this page
before going to the store. This will help to identify them
when you get to the store.
2. At the store, ask your child questions to generate
interest in the shapes.
Which items are solid? Which are fiat?
Which shapes have fiat sides?
Which have circles for faces? Rectangles?
Do any have points at the top?
3. Point out shapes and talk about their qualities and their
use in daily life.
Look to see what shapes stack easily. Why?.
Try to find some cones. How many can you find?
Look for pyramids.
Determine which solids take up a lot of space and which
ones stack well.
Discuss why space is important to the grocer and why the
grocer cares about what stacks well.
Boxes, cans, rolls of toilet paper or paper towels, ice
cream cones and cones that hold flowers, plus produce such as
oranges, grapes, and tomatoes are all geometric shapes.
Recognizing these shapes helps children connect math to the
real world.
Check Out
The check out counter is where we commonly think about
math in the grocery store. It's where the total is added up,
the money is exchanged, and the change is returned.
What you'll need
All the items you intend to buy
What to do
1. Have your child estimate the total.
2. Ask, if I have 10 one-dollar bills, how many will I have
to give the clerk? What if I have 20 one-dollar bills? 5?
How much change should I receive? What coins will I get?
3. Count the change with your child to make sure the change
is correct.
One way to make estimating totals easy is to assign an
average price to each item. If the average price for each item
is $2 and if you have 10 items, the estimate would be about
$20.
It's in the Bag
Here's some fun estimation to do with bags full of
groceries.
What you'll need
Bags of groceries
What to do
1. Have your child guess how many objects there are in a bag.
Ask: Is it full? Could it hold more? Could it tear if you
put more in it? Are there more things in another bag of
the same size? Why do some bags hold more or less than
others?
2. Estimate the weight of the bag of groceries. Does it weigh
5 pounds, 10 pounds, or more? How can you check your
estimate? Now, compare one bag to another. Which is
lighter or heavier? Why?
This activity exposes children to the experiences of
counting items and comparing qualities, as well as to judging
spatial relationships and capacity. It shows how to estimate
weight by feeling how much the bag weighs, comparing it to a
known weight (such as a 5-pound bag of sugar), or weighing it
on a scale.
Put It Away
Now, the sorting begins as you put away the groceries.
What you'll need
Your bags of groceries
Counter top or table to group items on
What to do
1. Find one characteristic that is the same for some of the
products. For example, some are boxes and some are cans.
2. Put all the items together that have the same
characteristic.
3. Find another way to group these items.
4. Continue sorting, finding as many different ways to group
the items as you can.
5. Play "Guess My Rule." In this game, you sort the items and
invite your child to guess your rule for sorting them.
Then, your child can sort the items, and you can guess the
rule.
Sorting helps children develop classifying and reasoning
skills and the ability to examine data and information.
Math on the Go
In this busy world, we spend a lot of time in transit.
These are some projects to try while you are going from place
to place.
While you're moving, have your children keep theft eyes
open for:
* street and building numbers;
* phone numbers on the sides of taxis and trucks;
* dates on buildings and monuments; and
* business names that have numbers in them.
The grocery store is filled with geometric shapes.
What you'll need
Items at the store
What to do
1. Show your child the pictures of the shapes on this page
before going to the store. This will help to identify them
when you get to the store.
2. At the store, ask your child questions to generate
interest in the shapes.
Which items are solid? Which are fiat?
Which shapes have fiat sides?
Which have circles for faces? Rectangles?
Do any have points at the top?
3. Point out shapes and talk about their qualities and their
use in daily life.
Look to see what shapes stack easily. Why?.
Try to find some cones. How many can you find?
Look for pyramids.
Determine which solids take up a lot of space and which
ones stack well.
Discuss why space is important to the grocer and why the
grocer cares about what stacks well.
Boxes, cans, rolls of toilet paper or paper towels, ice
cream cones and cones that hold flowers, plus produce such as
oranges, grapes, and tomatoes are all geometric shapes.
Recognizing these shapes helps children connect math to the
real world.
Check Out
The check out counter is where we commonly think about
math in the grocery store. It's where the total is added up,
the money is exchanged, and the change is returned.
What you'll need
All the items you intend to buy
What to do
1. Have your child estimate the total.
2. Ask, if I have 10 one-dollar bills, how many will I have
to give the clerk? What if I have 20 one-dollar bills? 5?
How much change should I receive? What coins will I get?
3. Count the change with your child to make sure the change
is correct.
One way to make estimating totals easy is to assign an
average price to each item. If the average price for each item
is $2 and if you have 10 items, the estimate would be about
$20.
It's in the Bag
Here's some fun estimation to do with bags full of
groceries.
What you'll need
Bags of groceries
What to do
1. Have your child guess how many objects there are in a bag.
Ask: Is it full? Could it hold more? Could it tear if you
put more in it? Are there more things in another bag of
the same size? Why do some bags hold more or less than
others?
2. Estimate the weight of the bag of groceries. Does it weigh
5 pounds, 10 pounds, or more? How can you check your
estimate? Now, compare one bag to another. Which is
lighter or heavier? Why?
This activity exposes children to the experiences of
counting items and comparing qualities, as well as to judging
spatial relationships and capacity. It shows how to estimate
weight by feeling how much the bag weighs, comparing it to a
known weight (such as a 5-pound bag of sugar), or weighing it
on a scale.
Put It Away
Now, the sorting begins as you put away the groceries.
What you'll need
Your bags of groceries
Counter top or table to group items on
What to do
1. Find one characteristic that is the same for some of the
products. For example, some are boxes and some are cans.
2. Put all the items together that have the same
characteristic.
3. Find another way to group these items.
4. Continue sorting, finding as many different ways to group
the items as you can.
5. Play "Guess My Rule." In this game, you sort the items and
invite your child to guess your rule for sorting them.
Then, your child can sort the items, and you can guess the
rule.
Sorting helps children develop classifying and reasoning
skills and the ability to examine data and information.
Math on the Go
In this busy world, we spend a lot of time in transit.
These are some projects to try while you are going from place
to place.
While you're moving, have your children keep theft eyes
open for:
* street and building numbers;
* phone numbers on the sides of taxis and trucks;
* dates on buildings and monuments; and
* business names that have numbers in them.
Mathland:
Mathland:
The Grocery Store
The grocery store is one of the best examples of a place
where math is real. Since trips to the grocery usually affect
everyone in the family, the following activities include
various levels of difficulty within the activity. Look for the
symbols to determine which parts of the activities are for
which ages:
for grades K-1
for grades 2 and 3
for grades 4 through 8.
All of these activities can take place over many visits to
the store.
Get Ready
Getting ready to go shopping can help parents and children
share their thinking strategies about math with one another.
What you'll need
Paper
Pencil
Coupons (if you use them)
What to do
1. Involve the family in making a list. List each item and
mark with checks or tallies to indicate the number needed.
2. Look at the price of an item you bought last week and
intend to buy this week. How much did it cost last week?
How much does it cost this week? Do you want to
Pay this week's price?
Wait until the price comes down?
Or, stock up if it is on sale?
3. Involve the group in deciding how much milk or juice will
be needed for a week. You might decide to estimate by
cups, explaining that 4 cups are equal to a quart and 4
quarts are a gallon.
4. If you collect coupons, organize them. Choose the coupons
that match the items on the grocery list. Discuss how much
money will be saved on various items by using coupons.
Practicing measurement and estimation will help improve
your children's ability to predict amounts with accuracy.
Scan It
Shopping is a part of life which really necessitates our
being mathematically informed to be good consumers.
What you'll need
Prices
What to do
1. Notice whether the grocery store has prices on the items
or whether the pricing is dependent on scanners.
2. If there are no prices on the items, notice the prices
listed on the shelves.
3. Assign each child the job of remembering the price of a
few items, particularly those listed on sale.
4. Being aware of the prices of items will help you verify
that the scanners are working properly and that the total
is accurate when you go to check out.
The ever increasing use of technology in the grocery store
puts the burden on you to beware. Your protection lies in
having strong mental math skills.
Weighing In
One fun place to try out estimation and measurement skills
in the grocery store is the produce section where everyone can
have the opportunity to participate.
What you'll need
The grocery scale
What to do
1. Help your child examine the scale. Explain that pounds are
divided into smaller parts called ounces and 16 ounces
equal a pound.
2. Gather the produce you are purchasing, and estimate the
weight of each item before weighing it.
3. Use sample questions to foster thinking about measurement
and estimation. You might Want to ask your child,
How much do you think 6 apples will weigh? More than a
pound, less than a pound, equal to a pound? How much do
the apples really weigh? Do they weigh more or less than
you predicted? How about the potatoes? Will 6 potatoes
weigh more or less than the apples? How much do potatoes
cost per pound? If they cost ___ cents per pound, what is
the total cost?
Some grocery stores have scales that tell all the answers
to these questions, so in that case, estimate using the
same procedure to make sure the machines are accurate.
Activities like this help children develop number sense
for weight and foster the ability to compare items when
measuring.
The Grocery Store
The grocery store is one of the best examples of a place
where math is real. Since trips to the grocery usually affect
everyone in the family, the following activities include
various levels of difficulty within the activity. Look for the
symbols to determine which parts of the activities are for
which ages:
for grades K-1
for grades 2 and 3
for grades 4 through 8.
All of these activities can take place over many visits to
the store.
Get Ready
Getting ready to go shopping can help parents and children
share their thinking strategies about math with one another.
What you'll need
Paper
Pencil
Coupons (if you use them)
What to do
1. Involve the family in making a list. List each item and
mark with checks or tallies to indicate the number needed.
2. Look at the price of an item you bought last week and
intend to buy this week. How much did it cost last week?
How much does it cost this week? Do you want to
Pay this week's price?
Wait until the price comes down?
Or, stock up if it is on sale?
3. Involve the group in deciding how much milk or juice will
be needed for a week. You might decide to estimate by
cups, explaining that 4 cups are equal to a quart and 4
quarts are a gallon.
4. If you collect coupons, organize them. Choose the coupons
that match the items on the grocery list. Discuss how much
money will be saved on various items by using coupons.
Practicing measurement and estimation will help improve
your children's ability to predict amounts with accuracy.
Scan It
Shopping is a part of life which really necessitates our
being mathematically informed to be good consumers.
What you'll need
Prices
What to do
1. Notice whether the grocery store has prices on the items
or whether the pricing is dependent on scanners.
2. If there are no prices on the items, notice the prices
listed on the shelves.
3. Assign each child the job of remembering the price of a
few items, particularly those listed on sale.
4. Being aware of the prices of items will help you verify
that the scanners are working properly and that the total
is accurate when you go to check out.
The ever increasing use of technology in the grocery store
puts the burden on you to beware. Your protection lies in
having strong mental math skills.
Weighing In
One fun place to try out estimation and measurement skills
in the grocery store is the produce section where everyone can
have the opportunity to participate.
What you'll need
The grocery scale
What to do
1. Help your child examine the scale. Explain that pounds are
divided into smaller parts called ounces and 16 ounces
equal a pound.
2. Gather the produce you are purchasing, and estimate the
weight of each item before weighing it.
3. Use sample questions to foster thinking about measurement
and estimation. You might Want to ask your child,
How much do you think 6 apples will weigh? More than a
pound, less than a pound, equal to a pound? How much do
the apples really weigh? Do they weigh more or less than
you predicted? How about the potatoes? Will 6 potatoes
weigh more or less than the apples? How much do potatoes
cost per pound? If they cost ___ cents per pound, what is
the total cost?
Some grocery stores have scales that tell all the answers
to these questions, so in that case, estimate using the
same procedure to make sure the machines are accurate.
Activities like this help children develop number sense
for weight and foster the ability to compare items when
measuring.
Newspaper Search
Newspaper Search
Search through the newspaper for mathematical data.
What you'll need
Newspaper
What to do
1. Numbers in the news. Find the following things in the
paper:
a graph
a number less than 10
something that comes in 2s, 3s, 4s
a number more than 50 the days of the week
a number more than 100
a number that is more than 100 but less than 999
a symbol or word for inches, feet, or yards
a schedule of some kind
a triangle
a weather symbol
a percent sign
sports statistics
2. List it. Provide your child with the grocery section of
the newspaper in order to make up a list of food that will
feed the family for a week and meet a budget of a certain
amount of money. Have your child make a chart and use a
calculator to figure the cost of more than one item. If
the total for the groceries is too great, talk about which
items can be eliminated. Could the list be cut down by a
few items or by buying less of another item? What will
best serve the needs of the family?.
3. For a fraction of the cost. Give your child a few coupons
and grocery ads from the paper. Help your child match the
coupons to some of the grocery items in the ad. What
fraction of the cost is the coupon? For example, if an
item costs 79 cents and the coupon is for 10 cents off,
what fraction of the cost can be saved? (About 1/8.) What
percent are you saving on the item? (About 12 1/2
percent.)
One of the main ways people use numbers is for planning.
Knowing how to plan how much things will cost before going to
the store and how to read schedules and weather information
from the paper will help your child understand the world.
Treasure Hunt
Everyone's house has hidden treasures. There is a lot of
math you and your child can do with them.
What you'll need
Buttons
Screws
Washers
Bottle caps
Old keys
Sea shells
Rocks
or anything else you can count
What to do
1. Find a container to hold the treasures.
2. Sort and classify the treasures. For example, do you have
all the same sized screws or keys? How are they alike? How
are they different?
3. Use these treasures to tell addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division stories. For example, if we
share 17 buttons among three friends, how many will we
each get? Will there be some left over? Or, if we have 3
shirts that need 6 buttons each, do we have enough
buttons?
4. Organize the treasures by one characteristic and lay them
end-to-end. Compare and contrast the different amounts of
that type of treasure. For example, there are 3 short
screws, 7 long screws, and 11 medium screws. There are 4
more medium screws than long ones. This may also provide
an opportunity to talk about fractions: 7/21 or 1/3 of the
screws are long.
Finding a container to hold the treasures gives your child
practice in spatial problem solving. The treasures may help you
to explain the concepts of addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division because they can be moved around
and grouped together so your child can count the items.
Family Portrait
Have your child get to know members of your family by
collecting information and picturing it on a graph.
What you'll need
Paper
Pencil
Crayons
What to do
1. Choose an inherited family characteristic: hair colors,
for example.
2. Count how many people in the family have the different
hair colors.
3. Make a graph. For example, if 5 people have brown hair,
draw 5 heads side by side to show these five people. Do
the same for the other hair colors.
Graphs help everyone, including adults, understand
information at a glance. By looking at the lengths of the lines
of heads, your child can quickly see which hair color, for
example, is most common.
Search through the newspaper for mathematical data.
What you'll need
Newspaper
What to do
1. Numbers in the news. Find the following things in the
paper:
a graph
a number less than 10
something that comes in 2s, 3s, 4s
a number more than 50 the days of the week
a number more than 100
a number that is more than 100 but less than 999
a symbol or word for inches, feet, or yards
a schedule of some kind
a triangle
a weather symbol
a percent sign
sports statistics
2. List it. Provide your child with the grocery section of
the newspaper in order to make up a list of food that will
feed the family for a week and meet a budget of a certain
amount of money. Have your child make a chart and use a
calculator to figure the cost of more than one item. If
the total for the groceries is too great, talk about which
items can be eliminated. Could the list be cut down by a
few items or by buying less of another item? What will
best serve the needs of the family?.
3. For a fraction of the cost. Give your child a few coupons
and grocery ads from the paper. Help your child match the
coupons to some of the grocery items in the ad. What
fraction of the cost is the coupon? For example, if an
item costs 79 cents and the coupon is for 10 cents off,
what fraction of the cost can be saved? (About 1/8.) What
percent are you saving on the item? (About 12 1/2
percent.)
One of the main ways people use numbers is for planning.
Knowing how to plan how much things will cost before going to
the store and how to read schedules and weather information
from the paper will help your child understand the world.
Treasure Hunt
Everyone's house has hidden treasures. There is a lot of
math you and your child can do with them.
What you'll need
Buttons
Screws
Washers
Bottle caps
Old keys
Sea shells
Rocks
or anything else you can count
What to do
1. Find a container to hold the treasures.
2. Sort and classify the treasures. For example, do you have
all the same sized screws or keys? How are they alike? How
are they different?
3. Use these treasures to tell addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division stories. For example, if we
share 17 buttons among three friends, how many will we
each get? Will there be some left over? Or, if we have 3
shirts that need 6 buttons each, do we have enough
buttons?
4. Organize the treasures by one characteristic and lay them
end-to-end. Compare and contrast the different amounts of
that type of treasure. For example, there are 3 short
screws, 7 long screws, and 11 medium screws. There are 4
more medium screws than long ones. This may also provide
an opportunity to talk about fractions: 7/21 or 1/3 of the
screws are long.
Finding a container to hold the treasures gives your child
practice in spatial problem solving. The treasures may help you
to explain the concepts of addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division because they can be moved around
and grouped together so your child can count the items.
Family Portrait
Have your child get to know members of your family by
collecting information and picturing it on a graph.
What you'll need
Paper
Pencil
Crayons
What to do
1. Choose an inherited family characteristic: hair colors,
for example.
2. Count how many people in the family have the different
hair colors.
3. Make a graph. For example, if 5 people have brown hair,
draw 5 heads side by side to show these five people. Do
the same for the other hair colors.
Graphs help everyone, including adults, understand
information at a glance. By looking at the lengths of the lines
of heads, your child can quickly see which hair color, for
example, is most common.
Money Match
Money Match
This game helps children count change. Lots of repetition
will make it even more effective.
What you'll need
A die to roll
10 of each coin (penny, nickel, dime)
6 quarters
What to do
1. For young players (5- and 6-year-olds), use only 2
different coins (pennies and nickels or nickels and
dimes). Older children can use all coins.
2. Explain that the object of the game is to be the first
player to earn a set amount (10 or 20 cents is a good
amount).
3. The first player rolls the die and gets the number of
pennies shown on the die.
4. Players take turns rolling the die to collect additional
coins.
5. As each player accumulates 5 pennies or more, the 5
pennies are traded for a nickel.
6. The first player to reach the set amount wins.
7. Add the quarter to the game when the children are ready.
Counting money, which involves counting by 1s, 5s, 10s,
and 25s, is a challenging skill and usually does not come
easily to children until about the third grade.
Money's Worth
When children use coins to play games, it may help them
use coins in real life situations.
What you'll need
Coins
Coupons
What to do
1. Coin clues. Ask your child to gather some change in his or
her hand without showing what it is. Start with amounts of
25 cents or less. Ask your child to tell you how much
money and how many coins there are. Guess which coins are
being held. For example, "I have 17 cents and 5 coins.
What coins do I have?" (3 nickels and 2 pennies.)
2. Clip and save. Cut out coupons and tell how much money is
saved with coins. For example, if you save 20 cents on
detergent, say 2 dimes. Ask your child what could be
purchased using the savings from the coupon. A pack of
gum? A pencil? How much money could be saved with 3, 4, or
5 coupons? How could that money be counted out in coins
and bills? What could be purchased with that savings? A
pack of school paper? A magazine? How much money could be
saved with coupons for a week's worth of groceries? How
would that money be counted out? What could be purchased
with that savings? A book? A movie ticket?
Counting money involves thinking in patterns or groups of
amounts: 1s, 5s, 10s, 25s. Start these activities by having
your child first separate the coins or coupons by types: all
the pennies together, all the nickels, all the dimes, all the
quarters; the coupons for cereal, the coupons for cake and
brownie mixes, the coupons for soap.
In the News
Young children love to look at the newspaper. It is fun
for them to realize that there are things for them to see and
do with the paper.
What you'll need
Newspaper
Glue
Paper
Scissors
Pencil or crayon
What to do
1. Newspaper numbers. Help your child look for the numbers
1-100 in the paper. Cut the numbers out and glue them in
order onto a large piece of paper. For children who cannot
count to 100 or recognize numerals that large, only
collect up to the number they do know. Have your child say
the numbers to you and practice counting. Collect only
numbers within a certain range, like the numbers between
20 and 30. Arrange the numbers on a chart, grouping all
the numbers with 2s in them, all the numbers with 5s, and
so on.
2. Counting book. Cut out pictures from the newspaper and use
them to make a counting book. Page one will have one thing
on it, page 2 will have 2 things that are alike, page 3
will have 3 things that are alike, and so on. All the
things on the pages have to be the same. At the bottom of
each page, write the number of items on the page and the
word for the item. Have your child dictate a story to you
about what is on the page.
Being able to read and understand the newspaper involves
more than just the ability to read the words and understand
what they say. It also involves the ability to read and
understand numbers.
Look It Up
These activities help children understand how items can be
organized and grouped in logical ways.
What you'll need
Newspaper
Paper
Scissors
Glue
What to do
1. Section selection. Show your child that the paper is
divided into different sections and explain that each
section serves a purpose. Show him that each section is
lettered and how the pages are numbered.
2. Ad adventure. Provide your child with grocery store ads
from the newspaper. Help him see how many items are listed
and the prices. Compare the prices at different stores.
Ask which store has the best bargain and why. Talk about
the difference in prices between items bought at regular
price, items on sale, and items bought with coupons. What
happens when an item is bought on sale and bought with a
coupon?
3. Solid search. Look at the store ads or coupons for
pictures of all the cylinders, boxes, or cubes you can
find. What are their different uses? Paste the pictures on
paper and make a "book of geometric solids." Have one page
for each solid.
Understanding that there is a logical order to the way
things are arranged in the newspaper, and in the book of
solids, helps show that math skills can be used in organizing
written material. Comparing information, such as the sale
prices at stores, also helps children see logical relationships
that can be applied to writing.
This game helps children count change. Lots of repetition
will make it even more effective.
What you'll need
A die to roll
10 of each coin (penny, nickel, dime)
6 quarters
What to do
1. For young players (5- and 6-year-olds), use only 2
different coins (pennies and nickels or nickels and
dimes). Older children can use all coins.
2. Explain that the object of the game is to be the first
player to earn a set amount (10 or 20 cents is a good
amount).
3. The first player rolls the die and gets the number of
pennies shown on the die.
4. Players take turns rolling the die to collect additional
coins.
5. As each player accumulates 5 pennies or more, the 5
pennies are traded for a nickel.
6. The first player to reach the set amount wins.
7. Add the quarter to the game when the children are ready.
Counting money, which involves counting by 1s, 5s, 10s,
and 25s, is a challenging skill and usually does not come
easily to children until about the third grade.
Money's Worth
When children use coins to play games, it may help them
use coins in real life situations.
What you'll need
Coins
Coupons
What to do
1. Coin clues. Ask your child to gather some change in his or
her hand without showing what it is. Start with amounts of
25 cents or less. Ask your child to tell you how much
money and how many coins there are. Guess which coins are
being held. For example, "I have 17 cents and 5 coins.
What coins do I have?" (3 nickels and 2 pennies.)
2. Clip and save. Cut out coupons and tell how much money is
saved with coins. For example, if you save 20 cents on
detergent, say 2 dimes. Ask your child what could be
purchased using the savings from the coupon. A pack of
gum? A pencil? How much money could be saved with 3, 4, or
5 coupons? How could that money be counted out in coins
and bills? What could be purchased with that savings? A
pack of school paper? A magazine? How much money could be
saved with coupons for a week's worth of groceries? How
would that money be counted out? What could be purchased
with that savings? A book? A movie ticket?
Counting money involves thinking in patterns or groups of
amounts: 1s, 5s, 10s, 25s. Start these activities by having
your child first separate the coins or coupons by types: all
the pennies together, all the nickels, all the dimes, all the
quarters; the coupons for cereal, the coupons for cake and
brownie mixes, the coupons for soap.
In the News
Young children love to look at the newspaper. It is fun
for them to realize that there are things for them to see and
do with the paper.
What you'll need
Newspaper
Glue
Paper
Scissors
Pencil or crayon
What to do
1. Newspaper numbers. Help your child look for the numbers
1-100 in the paper. Cut the numbers out and glue them in
order onto a large piece of paper. For children who cannot
count to 100 or recognize numerals that large, only
collect up to the number they do know. Have your child say
the numbers to you and practice counting. Collect only
numbers within a certain range, like the numbers between
20 and 30. Arrange the numbers on a chart, grouping all
the numbers with 2s in them, all the numbers with 5s, and
so on.
2. Counting book. Cut out pictures from the newspaper and use
them to make a counting book. Page one will have one thing
on it, page 2 will have 2 things that are alike, page 3
will have 3 things that are alike, and so on. All the
things on the pages have to be the same. At the bottom of
each page, write the number of items on the page and the
word for the item. Have your child dictate a story to you
about what is on the page.
Being able to read and understand the newspaper involves
more than just the ability to read the words and understand
what they say. It also involves the ability to read and
understand numbers.
Look It Up
These activities help children understand how items can be
organized and grouped in logical ways.
What you'll need
Newspaper
Paper
Scissors
Glue
What to do
1. Section selection. Show your child that the paper is
divided into different sections and explain that each
section serves a purpose. Show him that each section is
lettered and how the pages are numbered.
2. Ad adventure. Provide your child with grocery store ads
from the newspaper. Help him see how many items are listed
and the prices. Compare the prices at different stores.
Ask which store has the best bargain and why. Talk about
the difference in prices between items bought at regular
price, items on sale, and items bought with coupons. What
happens when an item is bought on sale and bought with a
coupon?
3. Solid search. Look at the store ads or coupons for
pictures of all the cylinders, boxes, or cubes you can
find. What are their different uses? Paste the pictures on
paper and make a "book of geometric solids." Have one page
for each solid.
Understanding that there is a logical order to the way
things are arranged in the newspaper, and in the book of
solids, helps show that math skills can be used in organizing
written material. Comparing information, such as the sale
prices at stores, also helps children see logical relationships
that can be applied to writing.
Half Full, Half Empty
Half Full, Half Empty
It is helpful to explore whole numbers and fractions
through measurement and estimation. Children can see
relationships and the usefulness of studying fractions.
What you'll need
Clear container with straight sides, that holds at least 4 cups
Masking tape
Marker
Measuring cup with 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 cup measures on it
Uncooked rice, popcorn kernels, or water
Other containers with which to compare
What to do
1. Have your child run a piece of masking tape up the side of
the container so that it is straight from the bottom to
the top.
2. For younger children, use a 1-cup measure. For older
children, use a 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 cup measure. Pour the
chosen amount of a substance listed above into the
container.
3. Mark the level of the jar on the masking tape by drawing a
line with a marker and writing 1 for one cup or 1/2, 1/4,
or 1/8 on the line.
4. Follow this procedure until the container is full, and the
tape is marked in increments to the top of the container.
Now, the jar is marked evenly to measure the capacity of
other containers.
5. While filling different containers, ask your child
"thinking" questions.
How many whole cups do you think this container will hold?
How many 1/2, 1/4, or 1/8 cups do you think the container
will hold?
How many 1/2 cups equal a cup?
How many 1/4 cups equal a 1/2 cup? A cup?
How many 1/8 cups equal a 1/4 cup? A 1/2 cup? A 1/8 cup?
This activity provides a "hands-on" opportunity for
children to experience fractions while making connections to
the real world.
Name that Coin
Children love to look at coins but sometimes cannot
identify the coins or determine their value.
What you'll need
Penny
Nickel
Dime
Quarter
What to do
1. Look at the coins and talk about what color they are, the
pictures on them, and what they are worth.
2. Put a penny, nickel, and dime on the floor or table.
3. Tell your child that you are thinking of a coin.
4. Give your child hints to figure out which coin you are
thinking of. For example, "My coin has a man on one side,
a building on the other."
5. Let your child think about what you have said by looking
at the coins.
6. Ask, "Can you make a guess?"
7. Add another clue: "My coin is silver."
8. Keep giving clues until your child guesses the coin.
9. Add the quarter to the coins on the table and continue the
game.
10. Have your child give you clues for you to guess the coin.
This guessing game helps young children learn to recognize
coins and develop problem-solving and higher level thinking
skills.
It is helpful to explore whole numbers and fractions
through measurement and estimation. Children can see
relationships and the usefulness of studying fractions.
What you'll need
Clear container with straight sides, that holds at least 4 cups
Masking tape
Marker
Measuring cup with 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 cup measures on it
Uncooked rice, popcorn kernels, or water
Other containers with which to compare
What to do
1. Have your child run a piece of masking tape up the side of
the container so that it is straight from the bottom to
the top.
2. For younger children, use a 1-cup measure. For older
children, use a 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 cup measure. Pour the
chosen amount of a substance listed above into the
container.
3. Mark the level of the jar on the masking tape by drawing a
line with a marker and writing 1 for one cup or 1/2, 1/4,
or 1/8 on the line.
4. Follow this procedure until the container is full, and the
tape is marked in increments to the top of the container.
Now, the jar is marked evenly to measure the capacity of
other containers.
5. While filling different containers, ask your child
"thinking" questions.
How many whole cups do you think this container will hold?
How many 1/2, 1/4, or 1/8 cups do you think the container
will hold?
How many 1/2 cups equal a cup?
How many 1/4 cups equal a 1/2 cup? A cup?
How many 1/8 cups equal a 1/4 cup? A 1/2 cup? A 1/8 cup?
This activity provides a "hands-on" opportunity for
children to experience fractions while making connections to
the real world.
Name that Coin
Children love to look at coins but sometimes cannot
identify the coins or determine their value.
What you'll need
Penny
Nickel
Dime
Quarter
What to do
1. Look at the coins and talk about what color they are, the
pictures on them, and what they are worth.
2. Put a penny, nickel, and dime on the floor or table.
3. Tell your child that you are thinking of a coin.
4. Give your child hints to figure out which coin you are
thinking of. For example, "My coin has a man on one side,
a building on the other."
5. Let your child think about what you have said by looking
at the coins.
6. Ask, "Can you make a guess?"
7. Add another clue: "My coin is silver."
8. Keep giving clues until your child guesses the coin.
9. Add the quarter to the coins on the table and continue the
game.
10. Have your child give you clues for you to guess the coin.
This guessing game helps young children learn to recognize
coins and develop problem-solving and higher level thinking
skills.
Problem Solvers
Problem Solvers
These games involve problem solving, computation,
understanding number values, and chance.
What you'll need
Deck of cards
Paper
Pencil
What to do
1. Super sums. Each player should write the numbers 1-12 on a
piece of paper. The object of the game is to be the first
one to cross off all the numbers on this list.
Use only the cards 1-6 in every suit (hearts, clubs,
spades, diamonds). Each player picks two cards and adds up
the numbers on them. The players can choose to mark off
the numbers on the list by using the total value or
crossing off two or three numbers that make that value.
For example, if the player picks a 5 and a 6, the player
can choose to cross out 11, or 5 and 6, or 7 and 4, or 8
and 3, or 9 and 2, or 10 and 1, or 1, 2, and 8.
2. Make 100. Take out all the cards from the deck except ace
through 6. Each player draws 8 cards from the deck. Each
player decides whether to use a card in the tens place or
the ones place so that the numbers total as close to 100
as possible without going over. For example, if a player
draws two 1s (aces), a 2, a 5, two 3s, a 4, and a 6, he
can choose to use the numerals in the following way:
30, 40, 10, 5, 6, 1, 3, 2. This adds up to 97.
These games help children develop different ways to see
and work with numbers by using them in different combinations
to achieve a goal.
Card Support
Have your children sharpen their math skills even more.
What you'll need
Deck of cards
Paper
Pencil
What to do
1. How many numbers can we make? Give each player a piece of
paper and a pencil. Using the cards from 1 (ace)-9, deal 4
cards out with the numbers showing. Using all four cards
and a choice of any combination of addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division, have each player see how
many different answers a person can get in 5 minutes.
Players get one point for each answer. For example,
suppose the cards drawn are 4, 8, 9, and 2. What numbers
can be made?
4+9+8+2=23
4+9-(8+2)=3
(8-4)x(9-2)=28
(9-8)x(4-2)=2
2. Make the most of it. This game is played with cards from 1
(ace) to 9. Each player alternates drawing one card at a
time, trying to create the largest 5-digit number
possible. As the cards are drawn, each player puts the
cards down in their "place" (ten thousands, thousands,
hundreds, tens, ones) with the numbers showing. One round
goes until each player has 6 cards. At that point, each
player chooses one card to throw out to make the largest
5-digit number possible.
3. Fraction fun. This game is played with cards 1 (ace)-10,
and 2 players. Each player receives one-half of the cards.
Players turn over 2 cards each at the same time. Each
player tries to make the largest fraction by putting the 2
cards together. The players compare their fractions to see
whose is larger. For example, if you are given a 3 and a
5, the fraction 3/5 would be made; if the other person is
given a 2 and an 8, the fraction is 2/8. Which is larger?
The larger fraction takes all cards and play continues
until one player has all the cards.
Players can develop strategies for using their cards, and
this is where the math skills come in.
Fill It Up
Children enjoy exploring measurement and estimation. Empty
containers can provide opportunities to explore comparisons,
measurement, estimation, and geometry.
What you'll need
Empty containers in different shapes (yogurt cups, margarine
tubs, juice boxes with tops cut off, pie tins)
Rice, popcorn kernels, or
water
Marker
Masking tape
Paper
What to do
1. Have your child choose an empty container each day and
label it for the day by writing the day on a piece of
masking tape and sticking it on the container.
2. Discover which containers hold more than, less than, or
the same as the container chosen for that day by
filling the day's container with water, uncooked rice, or
popcorn kernels; and
pouring the substance from that container into another
one. Is the container full, not full, or overflowing? Ask
your child, "Does this mean the second container holds
more than the first, less, or the same?"
3. Ask your child questions to encourage comparison,
estimation, and thinking about measurement.
4. Put all the containers that hold more in one spot, those
that hold less in another, and those that hold the same in
yet another. Label the areas "more," "less," and "the
same?
5. After the containers have been sorted, ask, "Do we have
more containers that hold more, hold less, or hold the
same? How many containers are in each category?"
The process of predicting, filling the containers, and
comparing how much each will hold, gives your child the
opportunity to experiment with measurement without worrying
about exact answers.
These games involve problem solving, computation,
understanding number values, and chance.
What you'll need
Deck of cards
Paper
Pencil
What to do
1. Super sums. Each player should write the numbers 1-12 on a
piece of paper. The object of the game is to be the first
one to cross off all the numbers on this list.
Use only the cards 1-6 in every suit (hearts, clubs,
spades, diamonds). Each player picks two cards and adds up
the numbers on them. The players can choose to mark off
the numbers on the list by using the total value or
crossing off two or three numbers that make that value.
For example, if the player picks a 5 and a 6, the player
can choose to cross out 11, or 5 and 6, or 7 and 4, or 8
and 3, or 9 and 2, or 10 and 1, or 1, 2, and 8.
2. Make 100. Take out all the cards from the deck except ace
through 6. Each player draws 8 cards from the deck. Each
player decides whether to use a card in the tens place or
the ones place so that the numbers total as close to 100
as possible without going over. For example, if a player
draws two 1s (aces), a 2, a 5, two 3s, a 4, and a 6, he
can choose to use the numerals in the following way:
30, 40, 10, 5, 6, 1, 3, 2. This adds up to 97.
These games help children develop different ways to see
and work with numbers by using them in different combinations
to achieve a goal.
Card Support
Have your children sharpen their math skills even more.
What you'll need
Deck of cards
Paper
Pencil
What to do
1. How many numbers can we make? Give each player a piece of
paper and a pencil. Using the cards from 1 (ace)-9, deal 4
cards out with the numbers showing. Using all four cards
and a choice of any combination of addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division, have each player see how
many different answers a person can get in 5 minutes.
Players get one point for each answer. For example,
suppose the cards drawn are 4, 8, 9, and 2. What numbers
can be made?
4+9+8+2=23
4+9-(8+2)=3
(8-4)x(9-2)=28
(9-8)x(4-2)=2
2. Make the most of it. This game is played with cards from 1
(ace) to 9. Each player alternates drawing one card at a
time, trying to create the largest 5-digit number
possible. As the cards are drawn, each player puts the
cards down in their "place" (ten thousands, thousands,
hundreds, tens, ones) with the numbers showing. One round
goes until each player has 6 cards. At that point, each
player chooses one card to throw out to make the largest
5-digit number possible.
3. Fraction fun. This game is played with cards 1 (ace)-10,
and 2 players. Each player receives one-half of the cards.
Players turn over 2 cards each at the same time. Each
player tries to make the largest fraction by putting the 2
cards together. The players compare their fractions to see
whose is larger. For example, if you are given a 3 and a
5, the fraction 3/5 would be made; if the other person is
given a 2 and an 8, the fraction is 2/8. Which is larger?
The larger fraction takes all cards and play continues
until one player has all the cards.
Players can develop strategies for using their cards, and
this is where the math skills come in.
Fill It Up
Children enjoy exploring measurement and estimation. Empty
containers can provide opportunities to explore comparisons,
measurement, estimation, and geometry.
What you'll need
Empty containers in different shapes (yogurt cups, margarine
tubs, juice boxes with tops cut off, pie tins)
Rice, popcorn kernels, or
water
Marker
Masking tape
Paper
What to do
1. Have your child choose an empty container each day and
label it for the day by writing the day on a piece of
masking tape and sticking it on the container.
2. Discover which containers hold more than, less than, or
the same as the container chosen for that day by
filling the day's container with water, uncooked rice, or
popcorn kernels; and
pouring the substance from that container into another
one. Is the container full, not full, or overflowing? Ask
your child, "Does this mean the second container holds
more than the first, less, or the same?"
3. Ask your child questions to encourage comparison,
estimation, and thinking about measurement.
4. Put all the containers that hold more in one spot, those
that hold less in another, and those that hold the same in
yet another. Label the areas "more," "less," and "the
same?
5. After the containers have been sorted, ask, "Do we have
more containers that hold more, hold less, or hold the
same? How many containers are in each category?"
The process of predicting, filling the containers, and
comparing how much each will hold, gives your child the
opportunity to experiment with measurement without worrying
about exact answers.
Math in the Home
Math in the Home
This section provides the opportunity to use games and
activities at home to explore math with your child. The
activities are intended to be fun and inviting, using household
items. Please note that the activities for K-1st grade are
marked with a , the activities for grades 2 and 3 with a
, and activities for grades 4 through 8 with a .
Remember,
* This is an opportunity for you and your child to "talk
math," that is to communicate about math while
investigating relationships.
* If something is too difficult, choose an easier activity
or skip it until your child is older.
* Have fun!
Picture Puzzle
Using symbols to stand for numbers can help make math fun
and easier for young children to understand.
What you'll need
Paper
Pencil
Crayons
What to do
1. Choose some symbols that your child can easily draw to
stand for 1s and 10s (if your child is older, include 100s
and 1,000s).
A face could 10s, and a bow could be 1s.
2. List some numbers and have your child depict them.
For example:
More or Less
Playing cards is a fun way for children to use numbers.
What you'll need
Coin
2 decks of cards
Scratch paper to keep score
What to do
1. Flip a coin to tell if the winner of this game will be the
person with "more" (a greater value card) or "less" (a
smaller value card).
2. Remove all face cards (jacks, queens, and kings) and
divide the remaining cards in the stack between the two
players.
3. Place the cards face down. Each player turns over one card
and compares: Is mine more or less? How many more? How
many less?
This game for young children encourages number sense and
helps them learn about the relationships of numbers (more or
less) and about adding and subtracting. By counting the shapes
on the cards and looking at the printed numbers on the card,
they can learn to relate the number of objects to the numeral.
This section provides the opportunity to use games and
activities at home to explore math with your child. The
activities are intended to be fun and inviting, using household
items. Please note that the activities for K-1st grade are
marked with a , the activities for grades 2 and 3 with a
, and activities for grades 4 through 8 with a .
Remember,
* This is an opportunity for you and your child to "talk
math," that is to communicate about math while
investigating relationships.
* If something is too difficult, choose an easier activity
or skip it until your child is older.
* Have fun!
Picture Puzzle
Using symbols to stand for numbers can help make math fun
and easier for young children to understand.
What you'll need
Paper
Pencil
Crayons
What to do
1. Choose some symbols that your child can easily draw to
stand for 1s and 10s (if your child is older, include 100s
and 1,000s).
A face could 10s, and a bow could be 1s.
2. List some numbers and have your child depict them.
For example:
More or Less
Playing cards is a fun way for children to use numbers.
What you'll need
Coin
2 decks of cards
Scratch paper to keep score
What to do
1. Flip a coin to tell if the winner of this game will be the
person with "more" (a greater value card) or "less" (a
smaller value card).
2. Remove all face cards (jacks, queens, and kings) and
divide the remaining cards in the stack between the two
players.
3. Place the cards face down. Each player turns over one card
and compares: Is mine more or less? How many more? How
many less?
This game for young children encourages number sense and
helps them learn about the relationships of numbers (more or
less) and about adding and subtracting. By counting the shapes
on the cards and looking at the printed numbers on the card,
they can learn to relate the number of objects to the numeral.
How Do I Use this Book?
How Do I Use this Book?
This book is divided into introductory material that
explains the basic principles behind the current approach to
math, sections on activities you can do with your children, and
lists of resources. The activities take place in three
locations: the home, the grocery store, and in transit.
The activities are arranged at increasingly harder levels of
difficulty. Look for the circles, squares, and triangles that
indicate the level of difficulty. The means that a child in
kindergarten through 1st grade could probably play the game,
the is for those in grades 2 and 3, and the signals an
activity for a child in grades 4 through 8.
The activities you choose and the level of difficulty
really depend on your child's ability if your child seems
ready, you might want to go straight to the most difficult
ones.
The shaded box on an activity page contains the answer
or a simple explanation of the mathematical concept behind the
activity so that you can explain when your child asks, "Why are
we doing this?"
With these few signs to follow along the way, your math
journey begins.
Important Things To Know
It is highly likely that when you studied math, you were
expected to complete lots of problems accurately and quickly.
There was only one way to arrive at your answers, and it was
believed that the best way to improve math ability was to do
more problems and to do them fast. Today, the focus is less on
the quantity of memorized problems, and more on understanding
the concepts and applying thinking skills to arrive at an
answer.
Wrong Answers Can Help!
While accuracy is always important, a wrong answer may
help you and your child discover what your child may not
understand. You might find some of these thoughts helpful when
thinking about wrong answers.
Above all be patient. All children want to succeed. They
don't want red marks or incorrect answers. They want to be
proud and to make you and the teacher proud. So, the wrong
answer tells you to look further, to ask questions, and to see
what the wrong answer is saying about the child's
understanding.
Sometimes, the wrong answer to a problem might be because
the child thinks the problem is asking another question. For
example, when children see the problem 4 + ___ = 9, they often
respond with an answer of 13. That is because they think the
problem is asking What is 4+9?", instead of "4 plus what
missing amount equals 9?"
Ask your child to explain how the problem was solved. The
response might help you discover if your child needs help with
the procedures, the number facts, or the concepts involved.
You may have learned something the teacher might find
helpful. A short note or call will alert the teacher to
possible ways of helping your child.
Help your children be risk takers: help them see the value
of examining a wrong answer; assure them that the right answers
will come with proper understanding.
Problems Can Be Solved Different Ways
Through the years, we have learned that while problems in
math may have only one solution, there may be many ways to get
the right answer. When working on math problems with your
child, ask, "Could you tell me how you got that answer?" Your
child's way might be different than yours. If the answer is
correct and the strategy or way of solving it has worked, it is
a great alternative. By encouraging children to talk about what
they are thinking, we help them to become stronger
mathematicians and independent thinkers.
Doing Math in Your Head Is Important
Have you ever noticed that today very few people take
their pencil and paper out to solve problems in the grocery,
fast food, or department store or in the office? Instead, most
people estimate in their heads.
Calculators and computers demand that people put in the
correct information and that they know if the answers are
reasonable. Usually people look at the answer to determine if
it makes sense, applying the math in their heads to the
problem. This, then, is the reason why doing math in their
heads is so important to our children as they enter the 21st
century.
You can help your child become a stronger mathematician by
trying some of these ideas to foster mental math skills:
1. Help children do mental math with lots of small numbers in
their heads until they develop quick and accurate
responses. Questions such as, "If I have 4 cups, and I
need 7, how many more do I need?" or "If I need 12 drinks
for the class, how many packages of 3 drinks will I need
to buy?"
2. Encourage your child to estimate the answer. When
estimating, try to use numbers to make it easy to solve
problems quickly in your head to determine a reasonable
answer. For example, when figuring 18 plus 29, an easy way
to get a "close" answer is to think about 20 + 30, or 50.
3. As explained earlier, allow your. children to use
strategies that make sense to them.
4. Ask often, "Is your answer reasonable?" Is it reasonable
that I added 17 and 35 and got 367? Why? Why not?
What Jobs Require Math?
All jobs need math in one way or another. From the
simplest thought of how long it will take to get to work to
determining how much weight a bridge can hold, all jobs require
math.
If you took a survey, you would find that everyone uses
math: the school teacher, the fast food worker, the doctor, the
gas station attendant, the lawyer, the housewife, the painter.
This book is divided into introductory material that
explains the basic principles behind the current approach to
math, sections on activities you can do with your children, and
lists of resources. The activities take place in three
locations: the home, the grocery store, and in transit.
The activities are arranged at increasingly harder levels of
difficulty. Look for the circles, squares, and triangles that
indicate the level of difficulty. The means that a child in
kindergarten through 1st grade could probably play the game,
the is for those in grades 2 and 3, and the signals an
activity for a child in grades 4 through 8.
The activities you choose and the level of difficulty
really depend on your child's ability if your child seems
ready, you might want to go straight to the most difficult
ones.
The shaded box on an activity page contains the answer
or a simple explanation of the mathematical concept behind the
activity so that you can explain when your child asks, "Why are
we doing this?"
With these few signs to follow along the way, your math
journey begins.
Important Things To Know
It is highly likely that when you studied math, you were
expected to complete lots of problems accurately and quickly.
There was only one way to arrive at your answers, and it was
believed that the best way to improve math ability was to do
more problems and to do them fast. Today, the focus is less on
the quantity of memorized problems, and more on understanding
the concepts and applying thinking skills to arrive at an
answer.
Wrong Answers Can Help!
While accuracy is always important, a wrong answer may
help you and your child discover what your child may not
understand. You might find some of these thoughts helpful when
thinking about wrong answers.
Above all be patient. All children want to succeed. They
don't want red marks or incorrect answers. They want to be
proud and to make you and the teacher proud. So, the wrong
answer tells you to look further, to ask questions, and to see
what the wrong answer is saying about the child's
understanding.
Sometimes, the wrong answer to a problem might be because
the child thinks the problem is asking another question. For
example, when children see the problem 4 + ___ = 9, they often
respond with an answer of 13. That is because they think the
problem is asking What is 4+9?", instead of "4 plus what
missing amount equals 9?"
Ask your child to explain how the problem was solved. The
response might help you discover if your child needs help with
the procedures, the number facts, or the concepts involved.
You may have learned something the teacher might find
helpful. A short note or call will alert the teacher to
possible ways of helping your child.
Help your children be risk takers: help them see the value
of examining a wrong answer; assure them that the right answers
will come with proper understanding.
Problems Can Be Solved Different Ways
Through the years, we have learned that while problems in
math may have only one solution, there may be many ways to get
the right answer. When working on math problems with your
child, ask, "Could you tell me how you got that answer?" Your
child's way might be different than yours. If the answer is
correct and the strategy or way of solving it has worked, it is
a great alternative. By encouraging children to talk about what
they are thinking, we help them to become stronger
mathematicians and independent thinkers.
Doing Math in Your Head Is Important
Have you ever noticed that today very few people take
their pencil and paper out to solve problems in the grocery,
fast food, or department store or in the office? Instead, most
people estimate in their heads.
Calculators and computers demand that people put in the
correct information and that they know if the answers are
reasonable. Usually people look at the answer to determine if
it makes sense, applying the math in their heads to the
problem. This, then, is the reason why doing math in their
heads is so important to our children as they enter the 21st
century.
You can help your child become a stronger mathematician by
trying some of these ideas to foster mental math skills:
1. Help children do mental math with lots of small numbers in
their heads until they develop quick and accurate
responses. Questions such as, "If I have 4 cups, and I
need 7, how many more do I need?" or "If I need 12 drinks
for the class, how many packages of 3 drinks will I need
to buy?"
2. Encourage your child to estimate the answer. When
estimating, try to use numbers to make it easy to solve
problems quickly in your head to determine a reasonable
answer. For example, when figuring 18 plus 29, an easy way
to get a "close" answer is to think about 20 + 30, or 50.
3. As explained earlier, allow your. children to use
strategies that make sense to them.
4. Ask often, "Is your answer reasonable?" Is it reasonable
that I added 17 and 35 and got 367? Why? Why not?
What Jobs Require Math?
All jobs need math in one way or another. From the
simplest thought of how long it will take to get to work to
determining how much weight a bridge can hold, all jobs require
math.
If you took a survey, you would find that everyone uses
math: the school teacher, the fast food worker, the doctor, the
gas station attendant, the lawyer, the housewife, the painter.
Build Your Self-Confidence!
Build Your Self-Confidence!
To be mathematically confident means to realize the
importance of mathematics and feel capable of learning to
* Use mathematics with ease;
* Solve problems and work with others to do so;
* Demonstrate strong reasoning ability;,
* See more than one way to approach a problem;
* Apply mathematical ideas to other situations; and
* Use technology.
The Basics
You may have noticed that we are talking about
"mathematics"--the subject that incorporates numbers, shapes,
patterns, estimation, and measurement, and the concepts that
relate to them. You probably remember studying
"arithmetic"--adding, subtracting, multiplying, and
dividing--when you were in elementary school. Now, children are
starting right away to learn about the broad ideas associated
with math, including problem solving, communicating
mathematically, and reasoning.
Kindergartners are building bar graphs of birthday cakes
to show which month has the most birthdays for the most
children in the class. Second graders are using pizzas to learn
fractions, and measurements are being taken using items other
than rulers (for example, the illustrator of this book used his
thumb to determine how large the pictures of the pizzas should
be in proportion to the size of the words on the activities
pages).
What Does It Mean To
* Be a Problem Solver,
* Communicate Mathematically, and
* Demonstrate Reasoning Ability?
A problem solver is someone who questions, investigates,
and explores solutions to problems; demonstrates the ability to
stick with a problem for days, if necessary, to find a workable
solution; uses different strategies to arrive at an answer;
considers many different answers as possibilities; and applies
math to everyday situations and uses it successfully.
To communicate mathematically means to use words or
mathematical symbols to explain real life; to talk about how
you arrived at an answer; to listen to others' ways of thinking
and perhaps alter their thinking; to use pictures to explain
something; to write about math, not just give an answer.
To demonstrate reasoning ability is to justify and explain
one's thinking about math; to think logically and be able to
explain similarities and differences about things and make
choices based on those differences; and to think about
relationships between things and talk about them.
To be mathematically confident means to realize the
importance of mathematics and feel capable of learning to
* Use mathematics with ease;
* Solve problems and work with others to do so;
* Demonstrate strong reasoning ability;,
* See more than one way to approach a problem;
* Apply mathematical ideas to other situations; and
* Use technology.
The Basics
You may have noticed that we are talking about
"mathematics"--the subject that incorporates numbers, shapes,
patterns, estimation, and measurement, and the concepts that
relate to them. You probably remember studying
"arithmetic"--adding, subtracting, multiplying, and
dividing--when you were in elementary school. Now, children are
starting right away to learn about the broad ideas associated
with math, including problem solving, communicating
mathematically, and reasoning.
Kindergartners are building bar graphs of birthday cakes
to show which month has the most birthdays for the most
children in the class. Second graders are using pizzas to learn
fractions, and measurements are being taken using items other
than rulers (for example, the illustrator of this book used his
thumb to determine how large the pictures of the pizzas should
be in proportion to the size of the words on the activities
pages).
What Does It Mean To
* Be a Problem Solver,
* Communicate Mathematically, and
* Demonstrate Reasoning Ability?
A problem solver is someone who questions, investigates,
and explores solutions to problems; demonstrates the ability to
stick with a problem for days, if necessary, to find a workable
solution; uses different strategies to arrive at an answer;
considers many different answers as possibilities; and applies
math to everyday situations and uses it successfully.
To communicate mathematically means to use words or
mathematical symbols to explain real life; to talk about how
you arrived at an answer; to listen to others' ways of thinking
and perhaps alter their thinking; to use pictures to explain
something; to write about math, not just give an answer.
To demonstrate reasoning ability is to justify and explain
one's thinking about math; to think logically and be able to
explain similarities and differences about things and make
choices based on those differences; and to think about
relationships between things and talk about them.
It's Everywhere! It's Everywhere!
It's Everywhere! It's Everywhere!
Math is everywhere and yet, we may not recognize it
because it doesn't look like the math we did in school. Math in
the world around us sometimes seems invisible. But math is
present in our world all the time--in the workplace, in our
homes, and in life in general.
You may be asking yourself, "How is math everywhere in my
life? I'm not an engineer or an accountant or a computer
expert!" Math is in your life from the time you wake until the
time you go to sleep. You are using math each time you set your
alarm, buy groceries, mix a baby's formula, keep score or time
at an athletic event, wallpaper a room, decide what type of
tennis shoe to buy, or wrap a present. Have you ever asked
yourself, "Did I get the correct change?" or "Do I have enough
gasoline to drive 20 miles?" or "Do I have enough juice to fill
all my children's thermoses for lunch?" or "Do I have enough
bread for the week?" Math is all this and much, much more.
How Do You Feel About Math?
How do you feel about math? Your feelings will have an
impact on how your children think about math and themselves as
mathematicians. Take a few minutes to answer these questions:
* Did you like math in school?
* Do you think anyone can learn math?
* Do you think of math as useful in everyday life?
* Do you believe that most jobs today require math skills?
If you answer "yes" to most of these questions, then you
are probably encouraging your child to think mathematically.
This book contains some ideas that will help reinforce these
positive attitudes about math.
You Can Do It!
If you feel uncomfortable about math, here are some ideas
to think about.
Math is a very important skill, one which we will all need
for the future in our technological world. It is important for
you to encourage your children to think of themselves as
mathematicians who can reason and solve problems.
Math is a subject for all people. Math is not a subject
that men can do better than women. Males and females have
equally strong potential in math.
People in the fine arts also need math. They need math not
only to survive in the world, but each of their areas of
specialty requires an in-depth understanding of some math, from
something as obvious as the size of a canvas, to the beats in
music, to the number of seats in an audience, to
computer-generated artwork.
Calculators and computers require us to be equally strong
in math. Theft presence does not mean there is less need for
knowing math. Calculators demand that people have strong mental
math skills--that they can do math in their heads. A calculator
is only as accurate as the person putting in the numbers. It
can compute; it cannot think! Therefore, we must be the
thinkers. We must know what answers are reasonable and what
answers are outrageously large or small.
Positive attitudes about math are important for our
country. The United States is the only advanced industrial
nation where people are quick to admit that "I am not good in
math." We need to change this attitude, because mathematicians
are a key to our future.
The workplace is rapidly changing. No longer do people
need only the computational skills they once needed in the
1940s. Now workers need to be able to estimate, to communicate
mathematically, and to reason within a mathematical context.
Because our world is so technologically oriented, employees
need to have quick reasoning and problem-solving skills and the
capability to solve problems together. The work force will need
to be confident in math.
Math is everywhere and yet, we may not recognize it
because it doesn't look like the math we did in school. Math in
the world around us sometimes seems invisible. But math is
present in our world all the time--in the workplace, in our
homes, and in life in general.
You may be asking yourself, "How is math everywhere in my
life? I'm not an engineer or an accountant or a computer
expert!" Math is in your life from the time you wake until the
time you go to sleep. You are using math each time you set your
alarm, buy groceries, mix a baby's formula, keep score or time
at an athletic event, wallpaper a room, decide what type of
tennis shoe to buy, or wrap a present. Have you ever asked
yourself, "Did I get the correct change?" or "Do I have enough
gasoline to drive 20 miles?" or "Do I have enough juice to fill
all my children's thermoses for lunch?" or "Do I have enough
bread for the week?" Math is all this and much, much more.
How Do You Feel About Math?
How do you feel about math? Your feelings will have an
impact on how your children think about math and themselves as
mathematicians. Take a few minutes to answer these questions:
* Did you like math in school?
* Do you think anyone can learn math?
* Do you think of math as useful in everyday life?
* Do you believe that most jobs today require math skills?
If you answer "yes" to most of these questions, then you
are probably encouraging your child to think mathematically.
This book contains some ideas that will help reinforce these
positive attitudes about math.
You Can Do It!
If you feel uncomfortable about math, here are some ideas
to think about.
Math is a very important skill, one which we will all need
for the future in our technological world. It is important for
you to encourage your children to think of themselves as
mathematicians who can reason and solve problems.
Math is a subject for all people. Math is not a subject
that men can do better than women. Males and females have
equally strong potential in math.
People in the fine arts also need math. They need math not
only to survive in the world, but each of their areas of
specialty requires an in-depth understanding of some math, from
something as obvious as the size of a canvas, to the beats in
music, to the number of seats in an audience, to
computer-generated artwork.
Calculators and computers require us to be equally strong
in math. Theft presence does not mean there is less need for
knowing math. Calculators demand that people have strong mental
math skills--that they can do math in their heads. A calculator
is only as accurate as the person putting in the numbers. It
can compute; it cannot think! Therefore, we must be the
thinkers. We must know what answers are reasonable and what
answers are outrageously large or small.
Positive attitudes about math are important for our
country. The United States is the only advanced industrial
nation where people are quick to admit that "I am not good in
math." We need to change this attitude, because mathematicians
are a key to our future.
The workplace is rapidly changing. No longer do people
need only the computational skills they once needed in the
1940s. Now workers need to be able to estimate, to communicate
mathematically, and to reason within a mathematical context.
Because our world is so technologically oriented, employees
need to have quick reasoning and problem-solving skills and the
capability to solve problems together. The work force will need
to be confident in math.
Helping your Child
Helping your Child
Learn Math
with activities for children
aged 5 through 13
By Patsy F. Kanter
Foreword
"Why?"
This is the question we parents are always trying to
answer. It's good that children ask questions: that's the best
way to learn. All children have two wonderful resources for
learning--imagination and curiosity. As a parent, you can
awaken your children to the joy of learning by encouraging
their imagination and curiosity.
Helping Your Child Learn Math is one in a series of books
on different education topics intended to help you make the
most of your child's natural curiosity. Teaching and learning
are not mysteries that can only happen in school. They also
happen when parents and children do simple things together.
For instance, you and your child can: sort socks on
laundry day--sorting is a major function in math and science;
cook a meal together--cooking involves not only math and
science but good health as well; tell and read each other
stories--storytelling is the basis for reading and writing (and
a story about the past is also history); or play a game of
hopscotch together--playing physical games will help your child
learn to count and start on a road to lifelong fitness.
By doing things together, you will show that learning is
fun and important. You will be encouraging your child to study,
learn, and stay in school.
All of the books in this series tie in with the National
Education Goals set by the President and the Governors. The
goals state that, by the year 2000: every child will start
school ready to learn; at least 90 percent of all students will
graduate from high school; each American student will leave the
4th, 8th, and 12th grades demonstrating competence in core
subjects; U.S. students will be first in the world in math and
science achievement; every American adult will be literate,
will have the skills necessary to compete in a global economy,
and will be able to exercise the rights and responsibilities of
citizenship; and American schools will be liberated from drugs
and violence so they can focus on learning.
This book is a way for you to help meet these goals. It
will give you a short rundown on facts, but the biggest part of
the book is made up of simple, fun activities for you and your
child to do together. Your child may even beg you to do them.
At the end of the book is a list of resources, so you can
continue the fun.
As U.S. Education Secretary Lamar Alexander has said:
The first teachers are the parents, both by example and
conversation. But don't think of it as teaching. Think of it as
fun.
So, let's get started. I invite you to find an activity in
this book and try it.
Diane Ravitch
Assistant Secretary and Counselor to the Secretary
Contents
Foreword
Introduction
The Basics
Important Things To Know
Math in the Home
Picture Puzzle
More or Less
Problem Solvers
Card Smarts
Fill It Up
Haft Full, Haft Empty
Name that Coin
Money Match
Money's Worth
In the News
Look It Up
Newspaper Search
Treasure Hunt
Family Portrait
Mathland: The Grocery Store
Get Ready
Scan It
Weighing In
Get into Shapes
Check Out
It's in the Bag
Put It Away
Math on the Go
Number Search
License Plates
Total It
How Long? How Far?
Guess If You Can
Appendices
Parents and the Schools
What Should I Expect from a Math Program?
Resources
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Most parents will agree that it is a wonderful experience
to cuddle up with their child and a good book. Few people will
say that about flash cards or pages of math problems. For that
reason, we have prepared this booklet to offer some math
activities that are meaningful as well as fun. You might want
to try doing some of them to help your child explore
relationships, solve problems, and see math in a positive
light. These activities use materials that are easy to find.
They have been planned so you and your child might see that
math is not just work we do at school but, rather, a part of
life.
It is important for-home and school to join hands. By
fostering a positive attitude about math at home, we can help
our children learn math at school.
Learn Math
with activities for children
aged 5 through 13
By Patsy F. Kanter
Foreword
"Why?"
This is the question we parents are always trying to
answer. It's good that children ask questions: that's the best
way to learn. All children have two wonderful resources for
learning--imagination and curiosity. As a parent, you can
awaken your children to the joy of learning by encouraging
their imagination and curiosity.
Helping Your Child Learn Math is one in a series of books
on different education topics intended to help you make the
most of your child's natural curiosity. Teaching and learning
are not mysteries that can only happen in school. They also
happen when parents and children do simple things together.
For instance, you and your child can: sort socks on
laundry day--sorting is a major function in math and science;
cook a meal together--cooking involves not only math and
science but good health as well; tell and read each other
stories--storytelling is the basis for reading and writing (and
a story about the past is also history); or play a game of
hopscotch together--playing physical games will help your child
learn to count and start on a road to lifelong fitness.
By doing things together, you will show that learning is
fun and important. You will be encouraging your child to study,
learn, and stay in school.
All of the books in this series tie in with the National
Education Goals set by the President and the Governors. The
goals state that, by the year 2000: every child will start
school ready to learn; at least 90 percent of all students will
graduate from high school; each American student will leave the
4th, 8th, and 12th grades demonstrating competence in core
subjects; U.S. students will be first in the world in math and
science achievement; every American adult will be literate,
will have the skills necessary to compete in a global economy,
and will be able to exercise the rights and responsibilities of
citizenship; and American schools will be liberated from drugs
and violence so they can focus on learning.
This book is a way for you to help meet these goals. It
will give you a short rundown on facts, but the biggest part of
the book is made up of simple, fun activities for you and your
child to do together. Your child may even beg you to do them.
At the end of the book is a list of resources, so you can
continue the fun.
As U.S. Education Secretary Lamar Alexander has said:
The first teachers are the parents, both by example and
conversation. But don't think of it as teaching. Think of it as
fun.
So, let's get started. I invite you to find an activity in
this book and try it.
Diane Ravitch
Assistant Secretary and Counselor to the Secretary
Contents
Foreword
Introduction
The Basics
Important Things To Know
Math in the Home
Picture Puzzle
More or Less
Problem Solvers
Card Smarts
Fill It Up
Haft Full, Haft Empty
Name that Coin
Money Match
Money's Worth
In the News
Look It Up
Newspaper Search
Treasure Hunt
Family Portrait
Mathland: The Grocery Store
Get Ready
Scan It
Weighing In
Get into Shapes
Check Out
It's in the Bag
Put It Away
Math on the Go
Number Search
License Plates
Total It
How Long? How Far?
Guess If You Can
Appendices
Parents and the Schools
What Should I Expect from a Math Program?
Resources
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Most parents will agree that it is a wonderful experience
to cuddle up with their child and a good book. Few people will
say that about flash cards or pages of math problems. For that
reason, we have prepared this booklet to offer some math
activities that are meaningful as well as fun. You might want
to try doing some of them to help your child explore
relationships, solve problems, and see math in a positive
light. These activities use materials that are easy to find.
They have been planned so you and your child might see that
math is not just work we do at school but, rather, a part of
life.
It is important for-home and school to join hands. By
fostering a positive attitude about math at home, we can help
our children learn math at school.
For More Information
For More Information
Affiliated with the Land Grant university in each state is
a system of County Cooperative Extension Offices. Usually
listed in the telephone directory under county or state
government, these offices often have a range of resources on
lawn care and landscape maintenance, including plant selection,
pest control, and soil testing.
State agriculture and/or environmental agencies may
publish information on pests and pest management strategies.
The state pesticide regulatory agency can provide information
on pesticide regulations, and may also have information on
companies with a history of complaints or violations. NPTN (see
below) can identify the agency responsible for pesticide
regulation in each state.
The National Pesticide Telecommunications Network is a
tollfree, 24-hour information service that can be reached by
calling 1-800-858-7378 or by FAX at 806-743-3094. The operators
can provide a wide range of information about the health
effects of pesticides, and provide assistance in dealing with
pesticide-related emergencies.
Libraries, bookstores, and garden centers usually have a
wide selection of books that discuss lawn care and other
aspects of landscape management. Garden centers may also have
telephone hotlines or experts available on the premises to
answer your gardening questions.
The Environmental Protection Agency can provide
information on integrated pest management strategies for lawn
care. Write EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs, Field
Operations Division (H7506C), 401 M St., S.W., Washington, D.C.
20460.
Some suppliers of lawn care products can provide helpful
tips, answer questions, and help identify problems. Look for
information/hotline numbers on product packaging.
The Bio-Integral Resource Center (BIRC), a non-profit
organization formed in 1978 through an EPA grant, has
information on least-toxic methods for lawn care. BIRC's
address is: P.O. Box 7414, Berkeley, CA 94707.
Affiliated with the Land Grant university in each state is
a system of County Cooperative Extension Offices. Usually
listed in the telephone directory under county or state
government, these offices often have a range of resources on
lawn care and landscape maintenance, including plant selection,
pest control, and soil testing.
State agriculture and/or environmental agencies may
publish information on pests and pest management strategies.
The state pesticide regulatory agency can provide information
on pesticide regulations, and may also have information on
companies with a history of complaints or violations. NPTN (see
below) can identify the agency responsible for pesticide
regulation in each state.
The National Pesticide Telecommunications Network is a
tollfree, 24-hour information service that can be reached by
calling 1-800-858-7378 or by FAX at 806-743-3094. The operators
can provide a wide range of information about the health
effects of pesticides, and provide assistance in dealing with
pesticide-related emergencies.
Libraries, bookstores, and garden centers usually have a
wide selection of books that discuss lawn care and other
aspects of landscape management. Garden centers may also have
telephone hotlines or experts available on the premises to
answer your gardening questions.
The Environmental Protection Agency can provide
information on integrated pest management strategies for lawn
care. Write EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs, Field
Operations Division (H7506C), 401 M St., S.W., Washington, D.C.
20460.
Some suppliers of lawn care products can provide helpful
tips, answer questions, and help identify problems. Look for
information/hotline numbers on product packaging.
The Bio-Integral Resource Center (BIRC), a non-profit
organization formed in 1978 through an EPA grant, has
information on least-toxic methods for lawn care. BIRC's
address is: P.O. Box 7414, Berkeley, CA 94707.
Choosing A Lawn Care Service
Choosing A Lawn Care Service
Many people choose to hire a professional company to help
maintain their lawn. Lawn care companies offer a range of
services, from fertilizing and pest control to aerating,
mowing, and renovation.
Lawn care companies should follow the same healthy lawn
program outlined in this brochure. They should also follow the
same precautions for minimizing pesticide risks.
How can you be sure that a service will do these things?
Start by asking questions like these:
Q. Is the company licensed?
A. Nearly all states require lawn care companies to be
licensed. The qualifications for obtaining a license vary
from state to state, but having a license is one
indication that the company is reputable and operating
legally.
Q. Does the company have a good track record?
A. Ask neighbors and friends who have dealt with the company
if they were satisfied with the service they received.
Call the Better Business Bureau or the state or local
consumer protection office listed in your phone book; have
they received any complaints about the company? Determine
from the state pesticide regulatory agency if the company
has a history of violations.
Q. Is the company affiliated with a professional lawn care
association?
A. Affiliation with a professional association helps members
to stay informed of new developments in the lawn care
field.
Q. Does the company offer a variety of pest management
approaches? Does it apply pesticides on a set schedule or
only when they are really needed? Does it use integrated
pest management, or "IPM"--an approach that often reduces
pesticide use by combining it with other, non-chemical
methods of pest control?
A. More and more lawn companies are offering integrated pest
management (IPM) in response to public concern about
pesticides. Be aware that IPM is a general term and that
companies may use it to describe a wide range of
activities. Find out exactly what a company means if it
says it uses IPM.
Q. Is the company willing to help you understand your lawn's
problems and the solutions?
A. Lawn services generally apply fertilizers and pesticides.
But you may be the one who mows and waters--and poor
watering and mowing practices can lead to disappointing
results. The company should tell you how it plans to take
care of your lawn, and advise you about the work you need
to do to keep your lawn in good shape.
Q. Will the company tell you what pesticides it applies to
your lawn and why, and what health and environmental risks
may be presented by their use?
A. You have a right to this information. If asked, the
company should readily supply it. All pesticides sold
legally in the United States are registered by EPA, but
such registration is not a guarantee of safety. Ask to see
a copy of pesticide labels to make sure they bear an EPA
registration number, and to review the directions that
should be followed. If the company can't answer your
questions about the chemicals it uses, call NPTN
(1-800-858-7378) for more information.
Many people choose to hire a professional company to help
maintain their lawn. Lawn care companies offer a range of
services, from fertilizing and pest control to aerating,
mowing, and renovation.
Lawn care companies should follow the same healthy lawn
program outlined in this brochure. They should also follow the
same precautions for minimizing pesticide risks.
How can you be sure that a service will do these things?
Start by asking questions like these:
Q. Is the company licensed?
A. Nearly all states require lawn care companies to be
licensed. The qualifications for obtaining a license vary
from state to state, but having a license is one
indication that the company is reputable and operating
legally.
Q. Does the company have a good track record?
A. Ask neighbors and friends who have dealt with the company
if they were satisfied with the service they received.
Call the Better Business Bureau or the state or local
consumer protection office listed in your phone book; have
they received any complaints about the company? Determine
from the state pesticide regulatory agency if the company
has a history of violations.
Q. Is the company affiliated with a professional lawn care
association?
A. Affiliation with a professional association helps members
to stay informed of new developments in the lawn care
field.
Q. Does the company offer a variety of pest management
approaches? Does it apply pesticides on a set schedule or
only when they are really needed? Does it use integrated
pest management, or "IPM"--an approach that often reduces
pesticide use by combining it with other, non-chemical
methods of pest control?
A. More and more lawn companies are offering integrated pest
management (IPM) in response to public concern about
pesticides. Be aware that IPM is a general term and that
companies may use it to describe a wide range of
activities. Find out exactly what a company means if it
says it uses IPM.
Q. Is the company willing to help you understand your lawn's
problems and the solutions?
A. Lawn services generally apply fertilizers and pesticides.
But you may be the one who mows and waters--and poor
watering and mowing practices can lead to disappointing
results. The company should tell you how it plans to take
care of your lawn, and advise you about the work you need
to do to keep your lawn in good shape.
Q. Will the company tell you what pesticides it applies to
your lawn and why, and what health and environmental risks
may be presented by their use?
A. You have a right to this information. If asked, the
company should readily supply it. All pesticides sold
legally in the United States are registered by EPA, but
such registration is not a guarantee of safety. Ask to see
a copy of pesticide labels to make sure they bear an EPA
registration number, and to review the directions that
should be followed. If the company can't answer your
questions about the chemicals it uses, call NPTN
(1-800-858-7378) for more information.
Tips For Using Pesticides
Tips For Using Pesticides
Sometimes, even with good lawn care practices, weather
conditions or other factors can cause pest problems to develop.
Pesticides can help control many lawn pests. But pesticides
have risks as well as benefits, and it's important to use them
properly.
The chemicals we call pesticides include insecticides,
herbicides, and fungicides. These products are designed to kill
or control pest insects, weeds, and fungal diseases. Pesticides
can be very effective. But don't be tempted to rely solely on
pesticides as a quick-fix solution to any lawn problem.
Serious, ongoing pest problems are often a sign that your lawn
is not getting everything it needs. In other words, the pests
may be a symptom of an underlying problem. You need to correct
the underlying problem to reduce the chance that the pest will
reappear.
All pesticides are toxic to some degree. This means they
can pose some risk to you, to your children and pets, and to
any wildlife that venture onto your lawn--especially if these
chemicals are overused or carelessly applied. Pesticides can
also kill earthworms and other beneficial organisms, disrupting
the ecological balance of your lawn.
Store pesticides out of children's reach in a locked
cabinet or garden shed.
When Spraying, Protect your skin, your eyes, your lungs
Wash this clothing separately before using it again.
Before Using Any Pesticide, Be Sure To Review These Basic Rules
1. Take safety precautions. Never assume a pesticide is
harmless.
* Read the entire label and follow its instructions. Use
only the amount directed, at the time and under the
conditions specified, and for the purpose listed.
* Be sure to wear any protective clothing--like gloves, long
sleeves, and long pants--indicated on the label. Wash this
clothing separately before using it again.
* Keep children and pets away from pesticides, and make sure
no one goes on a treated lawn for at least the time
prescribed by the pesticide label.
* Remember to follow any state or local requirements for
posting your treated lawn or notifying your neighbors that
a pesticide has been applied.
* Store and dispose of pesticides properly, according to the
label directions and any state and local regulations.
2. Use pesticides to minimize pests, not eradicate them. The
latter is often impossible and unnecessary.
3. Be sure you have accurately identified the pest so you can
choose the best pesticide for the job and use it most
effectively. Obtain professional advice from your county
extension agent or a local expert.
4. Spot treat whenever possible. In most cases, it isn't
necessary to treat the whole lawn with pesticides if the
problem is confined to certain areas. Spraying more than
necessary is wasteful and can be environmentally damaging.
If you have questions about a pesticide, call EPA's
tollfree National Pesticide Telecommunications Network
(1-800-858-7378). For general information on minimizing
pesticide risks, call or write EPA for a free copy of the
Citizen's Guide to Pesticides. The number to call is
703-305-5017; the address is: EPA, Office of Pesticide
Programs, Field Operations Division, H7506C, 401M Street, S.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20460.
Sometimes, even with good lawn care practices, weather
conditions or other factors can cause pest problems to develop.
Pesticides can help control many lawn pests. But pesticides
have risks as well as benefits, and it's important to use them
properly.
The chemicals we call pesticides include insecticides,
herbicides, and fungicides. These products are designed to kill
or control pest insects, weeds, and fungal diseases. Pesticides
can be very effective. But don't be tempted to rely solely on
pesticides as a quick-fix solution to any lawn problem.
Serious, ongoing pest problems are often a sign that your lawn
is not getting everything it needs. In other words, the pests
may be a symptom of an underlying problem. You need to correct
the underlying problem to reduce the chance that the pest will
reappear.
All pesticides are toxic to some degree. This means they
can pose some risk to you, to your children and pets, and to
any wildlife that venture onto your lawn--especially if these
chemicals are overused or carelessly applied. Pesticides can
also kill earthworms and other beneficial organisms, disrupting
the ecological balance of your lawn.
Store pesticides out of children's reach in a locked
cabinet or garden shed.
When Spraying, Protect your skin, your eyes, your lungs
Wash this clothing separately before using it again.
Before Using Any Pesticide, Be Sure To Review These Basic Rules
1. Take safety precautions. Never assume a pesticide is
harmless.
* Read the entire label and follow its instructions. Use
only the amount directed, at the time and under the
conditions specified, and for the purpose listed.
* Be sure to wear any protective clothing--like gloves, long
sleeves, and long pants--indicated on the label. Wash this
clothing separately before using it again.
* Keep children and pets away from pesticides, and make sure
no one goes on a treated lawn for at least the time
prescribed by the pesticide label.
* Remember to follow any state or local requirements for
posting your treated lawn or notifying your neighbors that
a pesticide has been applied.
* Store and dispose of pesticides properly, according to the
label directions and any state and local regulations.
2. Use pesticides to minimize pests, not eradicate them. The
latter is often impossible and unnecessary.
3. Be sure you have accurately identified the pest so you can
choose the best pesticide for the job and use it most
effectively. Obtain professional advice from your county
extension agent or a local expert.
4. Spot treat whenever possible. In most cases, it isn't
necessary to treat the whole lawn with pesticides if the
problem is confined to certain areas. Spraying more than
necessary is wasteful and can be environmentally damaging.
If you have questions about a pesticide, call EPA's
tollfree National Pesticide Telecommunications Network
(1-800-858-7378). For general information on minimizing
pesticide risks, call or write EPA for a free copy of the
Citizen's Guide to Pesticides. The number to call is
703-305-5017; the address is: EPA, Office of Pesticide
Programs, Field Operations Division, H7506C, 401M Street, S.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20460.
Healthy Lawn
Healthy Lawn
Healthy Environment
Caring for Your Lawn in an Environmentally Friendly Way
Healthy Lawn, Healthy Environment
Caring for Your Lawn in an EnvironmentaIly Friendly Way
Picture a healthy green lawn: perfect for lounging, great
for ball games and cookouts, a real asset to your home. But did
you know that your lawn--and how you take care of it--can also
help the environment? * Healthy grass provides feeding ground
for birds, who find it a rich source of insects, worms, and
other food. Thick grass prevents soil erosion, filters
contaminants from rainwater, and absorbs many types of airborne
pollutants, like dust and soot. Grass is also highly efficient
at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen, a process that helps
clean the air. * Caring for your lawn properly can both enhance
its appearance and contribute to its environmental benefits.
You don't have to be an expert to grow a healthy lawn. Just
keep in mind that the secret is to work with nature. This means
creating conditions for grass to thrive and resist damage from
weeds, disease, and insect pests. It means setting realistic
goals for your lawn, whether you or a professional lawn care
service will be doing the work. And if you choose to use
pesticides, it means using them with care so as to get the most
benefit and reduce any risks. * Caring for your lawn in an
environmentally sensible way can have a bigger impact than you
might think. Your lawn is only a small piece of land, but all
the lawns across the country cover a lot of ground. That means
you and your lawn care activities, along with everyone else's,
can make a difference to the environment. And that's why taking
care of the environment begins in our own backyards.
Working With Nature: A Preventive Health Care Program For Your
Lawn
To start, think about lawn care as a preventive health
care program, like one you would use to keep up your own
health. The idea is to prevent problems from occurring so you
don't have to treat them. As they say, an ounce of prevention
is worth a pound of cure. A healthy lawn can out-compete most
weeds, survive most insect attacks, and fend off most
diseases--before these problems ever get the upper hand.
Your lawn care program should be tailored to local
conditions--the amount of rainfall you get, for example, and
the type of soil you have. The sources listed at the back of
this brochure can help you design a lawn care program that
suits both local conditions and your own particular needs. But
no matter where you live, you can use the program outlined in
this brochure as a general guide to growing a healthy lawn.
A preventive health care program for your lawn should have
the following steps:
1. Develop healthy soil
2. Choose a grass type that thrives in your climate
3. Mow high, often, and with sharp blades
4. Water deeply but not too often
5. Correct thatch build-up
6. Set realistic goals
1. Develop Healthy Soil
Good soil is the foundation of a healthy lawn. To grow
well, your lawn needs soil with good texture, some key
nutrients, and the right pH, or acidity/alkalinity balance.
Start by checking the texture of your soil to see whether
it's heavy with clay, light and sandy, or somewhere in between.
Lawns grow best in soil with intermediate or "loamy" soils that
have a mix of clay, silt, and sand. Whatever soil type you
have, you can probably improve it by periodically adding
organic matter like compost, manure, or grass clippings.
Organic matter helps to lighten a predominantly clay soil and
it helps sandy soil retain water and nutrients.
Also check to see if your soil is packed down from lots of
use or heavy clay content. This makes it harder for air and
water to penetrate, and for grass roots to grow. To loosen
compacted soil, some lawns may need to be aerated several times
a year. This process involves pulling out plugs of soil to
create air spaces, so water and nutrients can again penetrate
to the grass roots.
Most lawns need to be fertilized every year, because they
need more nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium than soils
usually contain. These three elements are the primary
ingredients found in most lawn fertilizers. It's important not
to over-fertilize--you could do more harm to your lawn than
good--and it's best to use a slow-release fertilizer that feeds
the lawn slowly. It's also important to check the soil's pH.
Grass is best able to absorb nutrients in a slightly acidic
soil, with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0. Soil that is too acidic can be
"sweetened" with lime; soil that's not acid enough can be made
more sour by adding sulfur.
Have your soil tested periodically to see whether it needs
more organic matter or the pH needs adjusting. Your county
extension agent (listed in your phone book under county
government) or local nursery should be able to tell you how to
do this. These experts can also help you choose the right
fertilizer, compost, and other "soil amendments," and they can
advise you about aerating if your soil is compacted. If a
professional service takes care of your lawn, make sure it
takes these same steps to develop good soil. There's no getting
around it: your lawn's health is only as good as the soil it
grows in.
2. Choose A Grass Type That Thrives In Your Climate
The right type of grass--one that suits your needs and
likes the local weather--will always give better results.
Grasses vary in the type of climate they prefer, the amount of
water and nutrients they need, their resistance to pests, their
tolerance for shade, and the degree of wear they can withstand.
If you are putting in a new lawn, it will be worth your
while to do some research to identify the best grass type for
your needs.
If you're working with an established lawn that fails to
thrive despite proper care, you might consider replanting with
a different type of grass.
Why struggle to grow grass that's susceptible to fungal
disease if you live in a humid climate? Or a water-loving
species if you live in an area with water shortages? Grass that
is well-adapted to your area will grow better and resist local
pests and diseases better.
New grass varieties and mixtures come out on the market
every year.
Ask your county extension agent or another one of the
sources listed in this brochure for recommendations.
3. Mow High, Often and With Sharp Blades
Mowing high--that is, keeping your lawn a bit long--will
produce stronger, healthier grass with fewer pest problems.
Longer grass has more leaf surface to take in sunlight.
This enables it to grow thicker and develop a deeper root
system, which in turn helps the grass survive drought, tolerate
insect damage, and fend off diseases. Longer grass also shades
the soil surface keeping it cooler, helping it retain moisture,
and making it difficult for weeds to germinate and grow.
A lawn's ideal length will vary with the type of grass,
but many turf grass species are healthiest when kept between
2-1/2 and 3-1/2 inches. The ruler at the back of this brochure
will help the best mowing height for your grass variety. You
may have to readjust your mower--most are set too low.
It's also important to mow with sharp blades to prevent
tearing and injuring the grass. And it's best to mow often,
because grass adjusts better to frequent than infrequent
mowing. The rule of thumb is to mow often enough that you never
cut more than one-third of the height of the grass blades. Save
some time and help your lawn and the environment by leaving
short clippings on the grass--where they recycle
nitrogen--rather than sending them in bags to the landfill.
You don't have to grow a foot-high meadow to get good
results. Just adding an inch will give most lawns a real boost.
4. Water Deeply But Not Too Often
Watering properly will help your lawn grow deep roots that
make it stronger and less vulnerable to drought. Most lawns are
watered too often but with too little water. It's best to water
only when the lawn really needs it, and then to water slowly
and deeply. This trains the grass roots down. Frequent shallow
watering trains the roots to stay near the surface, making the
lawn less able to find moisture during dry periods.
Every lawn's watering needs are unique: they depend on
local rainfall, the grass and soil type, and the general health
of the lawn. But even in very dry areas, no established home
lawn should require daily watering.
Try to water your lawn in a way that imitates a slow,
soaking rain, by using trickle irrigation, soaker hoses, or
other water-conserving methods. It's also best to water in the
early morning, especially during hot summer months, to reduce
evaporation. Apply about an inch of water--enough that it soaks
6-8 inches into the soil. Then let the lawn dry out thoroughly
before watering it again.
The best rule is to water only when the lawn begins to
wilt from dryness--when the color dulls and footprints stay
compressed for more than a few seconds.
5. Correct Thatch Build-Up
All grass forms a layer of dead plant material, known as
thatch, between the grass blades and the soil. When thatch gets
too thick--deeper than one-half inch--it prevents water and
nutrients from penetrating to the soil and grass roots. Some
grasses tend to form a thick layer of thatch. Overuse of
fertilizer can also create a heavy layer of thatch.
You can reduce thatch by raking the lawn or using a
machine that slices through the thatch layer to break it up.
Sprinkling a thin layer of topsoil or compost over the lawn
will also help.
In a healthy lawn, microorganisms and earthworms help keep
the thatch layer in balance by decomposing it and releasing the
nutrients into the soil.
6. Set Realistic Goals
Setting realistic goals will allow you to conduct an
environmentally sensible lawn care program. It's probably not
necessary to aim for putting-green perfection. Did you know
that a lawn with 15 percent weeds can look practically
weed-free to the average observer? Even a healthy lawn is
likely to have some weeds or insect pests. But it will also
have beneficial insects and other organisms that help keep
pests under control.
Also realize that grass just can't grow well in certain
spots. Why fight a losing battle with your lawn, when you have
other options? At the base of a tree, for example, you might
have better luck with wood chips or shade-loving ornamental
plants like ivy, periwinkle, or pachysandra. If your climate is
very dry, consider converting some of your lawn to dry-garden
landscaping. It could save time, money, and water resources.
What Is IPM?
Integrated Pest Management is essentially common-sense
pest control. IPM is not a new concept; some forms of it have
been practiced for centuries.
IPM involves the carefully managed use of three different
pest control tactics--biological, cultural, and chemical--to
get the best long-term results with the least disruption of the
environment. Biological control means using natural enemies of
the pest, like lady bugs to control aphids. Cultural or
horticultural control involves the use of gardening methods,
like mowing high to shade out weeds. Chemical control involves
the judicious use of pesticides.
IPM is a highly effective approach that minimizes the use
of pesticides and maximizes the use of natural processes. Lawn
care professionals who use IPM should have a sophisticated
understanding of the ecosystem of your turf and the available
pest control tactics. Home gardeners can also practice IPM by
following the steps outlined in this brochure.
Healthy Environment
Caring for Your Lawn in an Environmentally Friendly Way
Healthy Lawn, Healthy Environment
Caring for Your Lawn in an EnvironmentaIly Friendly Way
Picture a healthy green lawn: perfect for lounging, great
for ball games and cookouts, a real asset to your home. But did
you know that your lawn--and how you take care of it--can also
help the environment? * Healthy grass provides feeding ground
for birds, who find it a rich source of insects, worms, and
other food. Thick grass prevents soil erosion, filters
contaminants from rainwater, and absorbs many types of airborne
pollutants, like dust and soot. Grass is also highly efficient
at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen, a process that helps
clean the air. * Caring for your lawn properly can both enhance
its appearance and contribute to its environmental benefits.
You don't have to be an expert to grow a healthy lawn. Just
keep in mind that the secret is to work with nature. This means
creating conditions for grass to thrive and resist damage from
weeds, disease, and insect pests. It means setting realistic
goals for your lawn, whether you or a professional lawn care
service will be doing the work. And if you choose to use
pesticides, it means using them with care so as to get the most
benefit and reduce any risks. * Caring for your lawn in an
environmentally sensible way can have a bigger impact than you
might think. Your lawn is only a small piece of land, but all
the lawns across the country cover a lot of ground. That means
you and your lawn care activities, along with everyone else's,
can make a difference to the environment. And that's why taking
care of the environment begins in our own backyards.
Working With Nature: A Preventive Health Care Program For Your
Lawn
To start, think about lawn care as a preventive health
care program, like one you would use to keep up your own
health. The idea is to prevent problems from occurring so you
don't have to treat them. As they say, an ounce of prevention
is worth a pound of cure. A healthy lawn can out-compete most
weeds, survive most insect attacks, and fend off most
diseases--before these problems ever get the upper hand.
Your lawn care program should be tailored to local
conditions--the amount of rainfall you get, for example, and
the type of soil you have. The sources listed at the back of
this brochure can help you design a lawn care program that
suits both local conditions and your own particular needs. But
no matter where you live, you can use the program outlined in
this brochure as a general guide to growing a healthy lawn.
A preventive health care program for your lawn should have
the following steps:
1. Develop healthy soil
2. Choose a grass type that thrives in your climate
3. Mow high, often, and with sharp blades
4. Water deeply but not too often
5. Correct thatch build-up
6. Set realistic goals
1. Develop Healthy Soil
Good soil is the foundation of a healthy lawn. To grow
well, your lawn needs soil with good texture, some key
nutrients, and the right pH, or acidity/alkalinity balance.
Start by checking the texture of your soil to see whether
it's heavy with clay, light and sandy, or somewhere in between.
Lawns grow best in soil with intermediate or "loamy" soils that
have a mix of clay, silt, and sand. Whatever soil type you
have, you can probably improve it by periodically adding
organic matter like compost, manure, or grass clippings.
Organic matter helps to lighten a predominantly clay soil and
it helps sandy soil retain water and nutrients.
Also check to see if your soil is packed down from lots of
use or heavy clay content. This makes it harder for air and
water to penetrate, and for grass roots to grow. To loosen
compacted soil, some lawns may need to be aerated several times
a year. This process involves pulling out plugs of soil to
create air spaces, so water and nutrients can again penetrate
to the grass roots.
Most lawns need to be fertilized every year, because they
need more nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium than soils
usually contain. These three elements are the primary
ingredients found in most lawn fertilizers. It's important not
to over-fertilize--you could do more harm to your lawn than
good--and it's best to use a slow-release fertilizer that feeds
the lawn slowly. It's also important to check the soil's pH.
Grass is best able to absorb nutrients in a slightly acidic
soil, with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0. Soil that is too acidic can be
"sweetened" with lime; soil that's not acid enough can be made
more sour by adding sulfur.
Have your soil tested periodically to see whether it needs
more organic matter or the pH needs adjusting. Your county
extension agent (listed in your phone book under county
government) or local nursery should be able to tell you how to
do this. These experts can also help you choose the right
fertilizer, compost, and other "soil amendments," and they can
advise you about aerating if your soil is compacted. If a
professional service takes care of your lawn, make sure it
takes these same steps to develop good soil. There's no getting
around it: your lawn's health is only as good as the soil it
grows in.
2. Choose A Grass Type That Thrives In Your Climate
The right type of grass--one that suits your needs and
likes the local weather--will always give better results.
Grasses vary in the type of climate they prefer, the amount of
water and nutrients they need, their resistance to pests, their
tolerance for shade, and the degree of wear they can withstand.
If you are putting in a new lawn, it will be worth your
while to do some research to identify the best grass type for
your needs.
If you're working with an established lawn that fails to
thrive despite proper care, you might consider replanting with
a different type of grass.
Why struggle to grow grass that's susceptible to fungal
disease if you live in a humid climate? Or a water-loving
species if you live in an area with water shortages? Grass that
is well-adapted to your area will grow better and resist local
pests and diseases better.
New grass varieties and mixtures come out on the market
every year.
Ask your county extension agent or another one of the
sources listed in this brochure for recommendations.
3. Mow High, Often and With Sharp Blades
Mowing high--that is, keeping your lawn a bit long--will
produce stronger, healthier grass with fewer pest problems.
Longer grass has more leaf surface to take in sunlight.
This enables it to grow thicker and develop a deeper root
system, which in turn helps the grass survive drought, tolerate
insect damage, and fend off diseases. Longer grass also shades
the soil surface keeping it cooler, helping it retain moisture,
and making it difficult for weeds to germinate and grow.
A lawn's ideal length will vary with the type of grass,
but many turf grass species are healthiest when kept between
2-1/2 and 3-1/2 inches. The ruler at the back of this brochure
will help the best mowing height for your grass variety. You
may have to readjust your mower--most are set too low.
It's also important to mow with sharp blades to prevent
tearing and injuring the grass. And it's best to mow often,
because grass adjusts better to frequent than infrequent
mowing. The rule of thumb is to mow often enough that you never
cut more than one-third of the height of the grass blades. Save
some time and help your lawn and the environment by leaving
short clippings on the grass--where they recycle
nitrogen--rather than sending them in bags to the landfill.
You don't have to grow a foot-high meadow to get good
results. Just adding an inch will give most lawns a real boost.
4. Water Deeply But Not Too Often
Watering properly will help your lawn grow deep roots that
make it stronger and less vulnerable to drought. Most lawns are
watered too often but with too little water. It's best to water
only when the lawn really needs it, and then to water slowly
and deeply. This trains the grass roots down. Frequent shallow
watering trains the roots to stay near the surface, making the
lawn less able to find moisture during dry periods.
Every lawn's watering needs are unique: they depend on
local rainfall, the grass and soil type, and the general health
of the lawn. But even in very dry areas, no established home
lawn should require daily watering.
Try to water your lawn in a way that imitates a slow,
soaking rain, by using trickle irrigation, soaker hoses, or
other water-conserving methods. It's also best to water in the
early morning, especially during hot summer months, to reduce
evaporation. Apply about an inch of water--enough that it soaks
6-8 inches into the soil. Then let the lawn dry out thoroughly
before watering it again.
The best rule is to water only when the lawn begins to
wilt from dryness--when the color dulls and footprints stay
compressed for more than a few seconds.
5. Correct Thatch Build-Up
All grass forms a layer of dead plant material, known as
thatch, between the grass blades and the soil. When thatch gets
too thick--deeper than one-half inch--it prevents water and
nutrients from penetrating to the soil and grass roots. Some
grasses tend to form a thick layer of thatch. Overuse of
fertilizer can also create a heavy layer of thatch.
You can reduce thatch by raking the lawn or using a
machine that slices through the thatch layer to break it up.
Sprinkling a thin layer of topsoil or compost over the lawn
will also help.
In a healthy lawn, microorganisms and earthworms help keep
the thatch layer in balance by decomposing it and releasing the
nutrients into the soil.
6. Set Realistic Goals
Setting realistic goals will allow you to conduct an
environmentally sensible lawn care program. It's probably not
necessary to aim for putting-green perfection. Did you know
that a lawn with 15 percent weeds can look practically
weed-free to the average observer? Even a healthy lawn is
likely to have some weeds or insect pests. But it will also
have beneficial insects and other organisms that help keep
pests under control.
Also realize that grass just can't grow well in certain
spots. Why fight a losing battle with your lawn, when you have
other options? At the base of a tree, for example, you might
have better luck with wood chips or shade-loving ornamental
plants like ivy, periwinkle, or pachysandra. If your climate is
very dry, consider converting some of your lawn to dry-garden
landscaping. It could save time, money, and water resources.
What Is IPM?
Integrated Pest Management is essentially common-sense
pest control. IPM is not a new concept; some forms of it have
been practiced for centuries.
IPM involves the carefully managed use of three different
pest control tactics--biological, cultural, and chemical--to
get the best long-term results with the least disruption of the
environment. Biological control means using natural enemies of
the pest, like lady bugs to control aphids. Cultural or
horticultural control involves the use of gardening methods,
like mowing high to shade out weeds. Chemical control involves
the judicious use of pesticides.
IPM is a highly effective approach that minimizes the use
of pesticides and maximizes the use of natural processes. Lawn
care professionals who use IPM should have a sophisticated
understanding of the ecosystem of your turf and the available
pest control tactics. Home gardeners can also practice IPM by
following the steps outlined in this brochure.
OTHER LAND DISPOSALS BY FEDERAL AGENCIES GENERAL SERVICES
OTHER LAND DISPOSALS BY FEDERAL AGENCIES GENERAL SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION
REGION 1
CONNECTICUT, ILLINOIS, INDIANA,
MAINE, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN,
MINNESOTA, NEW HAMPSHIRE,
NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO,
PUERTO RICO, RHODE ISLAND,
VERMONT, VIRGIN ISLANDS, WISCONSIN
10 Causeway Street, Room 1079
Boston, MA 02222
(617) 565-5700
REGION 4
ALABAMA, DELAWARE,
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, FLORIDA,
GEORGIA, KENTUCKY, MARYLAND,
MISSISSIPPI, NORTH CAROLINA,
PENNSYLVANIA, SOUTH CAROLINA,
TENNESSEE, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA
401 West Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30365
(404) 331-5133
REGION 7
ARKANSAS, COLORADO, IOWA, KANSAS,
LOUISIANA, MISSOURI, MONTANA,
NEBRASKA, NEW MEXICO,
NORTH DAKOTA, OKLAHOMA,
SOUTH DAKOTA, TEXAS, UTAH,
WYOMING
819 Taylor Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
(817) 334-2331
REGION 9
ALASKA, AMERICAN SAMOA, ARIZONA,
CALIFORNIA, GUAM, HAWAII, IDAHO,
NEVADA, OREGON, THE TRUST
TERRITORY OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS,
WASHINGTON
525 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 744-5940
U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
1849 C St., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20240
As the Nation's principal conservation agency, the
Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of
our nationally owned public lands and natural resources.
This includes fostering the wisest use of our land and water
resources, protecting our fish and wildlife, preserving the
environmental and cultural values of our national parks and
historical places, and providing for the enjoyment of life
through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses our
energy and mineral resources and works to assure that their
development is in the best interests of all our people. The
Department also has a major responsibility for American
Indian reservation communities and for people who live in
Island Territories under U.S. administration.
ADMINISTRATION
REGION 1
CONNECTICUT, ILLINOIS, INDIANA,
MAINE, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN,
MINNESOTA, NEW HAMPSHIRE,
NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO,
PUERTO RICO, RHODE ISLAND,
VERMONT, VIRGIN ISLANDS, WISCONSIN
10 Causeway Street, Room 1079
Boston, MA 02222
(617) 565-5700
REGION 4
ALABAMA, DELAWARE,
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, FLORIDA,
GEORGIA, KENTUCKY, MARYLAND,
MISSISSIPPI, NORTH CAROLINA,
PENNSYLVANIA, SOUTH CAROLINA,
TENNESSEE, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA
401 West Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30365
(404) 331-5133
REGION 7
ARKANSAS, COLORADO, IOWA, KANSAS,
LOUISIANA, MISSOURI, MONTANA,
NEBRASKA, NEW MEXICO,
NORTH DAKOTA, OKLAHOMA,
SOUTH DAKOTA, TEXAS, UTAH,
WYOMING
819 Taylor Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
(817) 334-2331
REGION 9
ALASKA, AMERICAN SAMOA, ARIZONA,
CALIFORNIA, GUAM, HAWAII, IDAHO,
NEVADA, OREGON, THE TRUST
TERRITORY OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS,
WASHINGTON
525 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 744-5940
U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
1849 C St., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20240
As the Nation's principal conservation agency, the
Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of
our nationally owned public lands and natural resources.
This includes fostering the wisest use of our land and water
resources, protecting our fish and wildlife, preserving the
environmental and cultural values of our national parks and
historical places, and providing for the enjoyment of life
through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses our
energy and mineral resources and works to assure that their
development is in the best interests of all our people. The
Department also has a major responsibility for American
Indian reservation communities and for people who live in
Island Territories under U.S. administration.
U.S.DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FOREST SERVICE
U.S.DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FOREST SERVICE
New legislative authority will be necessary to allow
the sale of national forest system lands. If Congress
authorizes the sale of national forest system lands, details
can be obtained from the Forest Service, P.O. Box 96090,
Washington, D.C. 20090.
TAX DELINQUENCY SALES
Some local governments sell private land on which taxes
have been delinquent to satisfy the tax debt. The Federal
Government has no involvement in these sales. The best
source for information is the local county tax assessor in
the area involved.
STATE LAND PROGRAMS
State governments sometimes sell state-owned land.
Information on these types of sales can be obtained through
the State Lands Office in the State capital.
U.S.DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
STATE OFFICES
ALASKA:
222 W. 7th Ave., # 13
Anchorage, AK 99513-7599
(907) 271-5555
ARIZONA:
3707 North 7th Street
P.O. Box 16563
Phoenix, AZ 85011
(602) 640-5547
CALIFORNIA:
2800 Cottage Way, E-2841
Sacramento, CA 95825-1889
(916) 978-4754
COLORADO:
2850 Youngfield Street
Lakewood, CO 80215-7076
(303) 239-3705
STATES EAST OF THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER, plus
ARKANSAS, IOWA, LOUISIANA,
MINNESOTA, and MISSOURI:
Eastern States Office
7450 Boston Boulevard
Springfield, Virginia 22153
(703) 440-1600
IDAHO:
3380 Americana Terrace
Boise, ID 83706
(208) 384-3000
MONTANA, NORTH DAKOTA,
and SOUTH DAKOTA:
222 N. 32nd Street
P.O. Box 36800
Billings, MT 59107
(406) 255-2940
NEVADA:
850 Harvard Way
P.O. Box 12000
Reno, NV 89520-0006
(702) 785-6501
NEW MEXICO, KANSAS,
OKLAHOMA, and TEXAS:
1474 Rodeo Road
P.O. Box 27115
Santa Fe, NM 87502-0115
(505) 438-7450
OREGON and WASHINGTON:
1300 N.E. 44th Ave.
P.O. Box 2965
Portland, OR 97208-2965
(503) 280-7158
UTAH:
CFS Financial Center - 301
324 South State Street
P.O. Box 45155
Salt Lake City, UT 84145-0155
(801) 539-4100
WYOMING and NEBRASKA:
2515 Warren Avenue
P.O. Box 1828
Cheyenne, WY 82003
(307) 775-6117
New legislative authority will be necessary to allow
the sale of national forest system lands. If Congress
authorizes the sale of national forest system lands, details
can be obtained from the Forest Service, P.O. Box 96090,
Washington, D.C. 20090.
TAX DELINQUENCY SALES
Some local governments sell private land on which taxes
have been delinquent to satisfy the tax debt. The Federal
Government has no involvement in these sales. The best
source for information is the local county tax assessor in
the area involved.
STATE LAND PROGRAMS
State governments sometimes sell state-owned land.
Information on these types of sales can be obtained through
the State Lands Office in the State capital.
U.S.DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
STATE OFFICES
ALASKA:
222 W. 7th Ave., # 13
Anchorage, AK 99513-7599
(907) 271-5555
ARIZONA:
3707 North 7th Street
P.O. Box 16563
Phoenix, AZ 85011
(602) 640-5547
CALIFORNIA:
2800 Cottage Way, E-2841
Sacramento, CA 95825-1889
(916) 978-4754
COLORADO:
2850 Youngfield Street
Lakewood, CO 80215-7076
(303) 239-3705
STATES EAST OF THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER, plus
ARKANSAS, IOWA, LOUISIANA,
MINNESOTA, and MISSOURI:
Eastern States Office
7450 Boston Boulevard
Springfield, Virginia 22153
(703) 440-1600
IDAHO:
3380 Americana Terrace
Boise, ID 83706
(208) 384-3000
MONTANA, NORTH DAKOTA,
and SOUTH DAKOTA:
222 N. 32nd Street
P.O. Box 36800
Billings, MT 59107
(406) 255-2940
NEVADA:
850 Harvard Way
P.O. Box 12000
Reno, NV 89520-0006
(702) 785-6501
NEW MEXICO, KANSAS,
OKLAHOMA, and TEXAS:
1474 Rodeo Road
P.O. Box 27115
Santa Fe, NM 87502-0115
(505) 438-7450
OREGON and WASHINGTON:
1300 N.E. 44th Ave.
P.O. Box 2965
Portland, OR 97208-2965
(503) 280-7158
UTAH:
CFS Financial Center - 301
324 South State Street
P.O. Box 45155
Salt Lake City, UT 84145-0155
(801) 539-4100
WYOMING and NEBRASKA:
2515 Warren Avenue
P.O. Box 1828
Cheyenne, WY 82003
(307) 775-6117
FINDING AND PURCHASING PUBLIC LANDS
FINDING AND PURCHASING PUBLIC LANDS
Does the Federal Government ever sell public land? The
answer is yes. Lands identified as excess to the public's
and Government's needs or more suited to private ownership
are sometimes offered for sale. This brochure can help
explain the procedures and where to go for details.
First, it's important to understand the Federal
Government has two major categories of property which it
makes available for sale: real property and public lands.
Real Property is primarily developed land with buildings,
usually acquired by the Federal Government for a specific
purpose, such as a military base or office building.
Public Land is undeveloped land with no improvements,
usually part of the original public domain established
during the western expansion of the United States. Most of
this land is in the 11 Western States and Alaska,* although
some scattered parcels are in the East. This land is the
responsibility of the Department of the Interior's Bureau of
Land Management (BLM).
If it's public land you're interested in, read on. We
can help you. If you're interested in real property, you
should contact the General Services Administration (GSA);
it's responsible for selling developed, surplus property.
Addresses of the GSA Regional Offices are listed in the back
of this brochure.
If you're still reading, we can assume you're
interested in the possibility of buying public land from the
BLM. We receive numerous questions about our land sales, and
this brochure is designed to answer many of the questions most
commonly asked. Later on, we'll also tell you where you can
obtain more detailed information.
* Due to land entitlements to the State of Alaska and to
Alaska Natives, no public land sales will be conducted in
Alaska in the foreseeable future.
Q. Where are these public lands?
A. Almost all are in the Western States of Alaska, Arizona,
California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico,
Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming.
There are also small amounts in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida,
Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South
Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin.
There are no public lands managed by the BLM in Connecticut,
Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,
North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Q. Is any of this land available free through homesteading?
A. No. Congress has repealed the Homestead Act.
Q. What lands are available?
A. Although homesteading is a thing of the past, the BLM
does have lands suitable for purchase by private citizens.
These are lands that have been identified as unneeded by the
Federal Government or as better utilized in private
ownership. By law, these lands are made available for sale
at no less than fair market value.
Q. How are these lands selected for sale?
A. The law states that the BLM can select lands for sale if,
through land use planning, they are found to meet one of
three criteria: 1) they are scattered, isolated tracts,
difficult or uneconomic to manage; 2) they were acquired for
a specific purpose and are no longer needed for that
purpose; or 3) disposal of the land will serve important
public objectives, such as community expansion and economic
development.
Q. What do the lands look like?
A. Land types vary widely. Some may be desert; some are
rural. Some are small parcels of just a few acres; some are
several hundred acres in size.
Q. Is any land suitable for farming?
A. Any lands with agricultural potential will be clearly
identified in the sale notice. However, most public lands
have little or no agricultural potential.
Q. On the average, what would public land cost per acre?
A. There is no "average" cost. Each parcel is evaluated
separately through established appraisal procedures, based
on the value of surrounding parcels. Fair market value is
determined for each parcel. No parcel can be sold for less
than fair market value.
Q. How is the land actually sold?
A. The BLM has three options for selling land: modified
competitive bidding where some preferences to adjoining
landowners are recognized, direct sale to one party where
circumstances warrant, and competitive bidding at public
auction. The sale method is determined on a case-by-case
basis, depending on the circumstances of each particular
parcel or sale.
Q. Are there any preferences for veterans?
A. No laws currently exist allowing the BLM to give veterans
any preference for land purchases.
Q. Where can I find out about land that is going to be sold?
A. Your best source is the BLM office with jurisdiction over
the area you're interested in. The BLM State Offices and
their jurisdictions are noted in the back of this brochure.
They can send you sale information. Sale information will
also be published and broadcast in local news media.
Q. Where are land sales held?
A. They are held near the area to be sold, either at the
local BLM office or in a suitable public location. Sales by
the BLM are not held in Washington, D.C.
Q. Are there any restrictions on who can bid on these parcels?
A. Federal law states that the BLM can sell public land only
to U.S. citizens or corporations subject to Federal or State
laws.
Q. Must I appear in person to participate at the sale?
A. Your personal appearance is not required, but it is
always to your advantage to examine the parcel and know
exactly what you are bidding on.
Sales can be conducted by oral bid, sealed bid, or a
combination of both. However, even if only oral bidding is
allowed, you can be represented by an agent.
Details on procedures for a particular sale are
specified in the sale notice available from the BLM. The
notice will specify type of sale, the percentage of the full
price that must be deposited with each bid, and the time
period allowed for full payment. The highest qualified
bidder is eligible to buy the land; the deposits of
unsuccessful bidders are returned.
Q. How is payment made? Is there financing available?
A. A certain minimum percentage of the full price is
required with each bid. If you are the successful high
bidder,the balance must be paid in full to the BLM within a
set period of time before a deed or patent can be issued.
Long-term financing must be arranged through private
lenders.
Q. Once the BLM issues my deed, can I do anything I want with
the land?
A. Yes, according to the terms of the deed and subject to
State or local restrictions. The sale notice will clearly
specify any Federal reservations or conditions of sale. These
might include reserving mineral rights to the Federal
Government, or allowing some currently authorized uses, such
as grazing, to continue for a certain period of time, or
reserving rights-of-way or easements for powerlines,
pipelines, etc.
You are advised to review these conditions carefully so
that you fully understand what your deed does and does not
include.
Q. What about local taxes, zoning, etc.?
A. Once you receive title, the land is subject to all
applicable State and local taxes, zoning ordinances, etc.
Q. Are water, power, and sewer service available on all parcels?
A. You should check with the city or county involved to see
if such services are available.
Q. Are there roads or easements that guarantee I can get to the
property?
A. The sale notice will explain legal access to the property
or any access restrictions. You are advised to check out the
parcel before you buy, including finding out if available
access meets your needs.
Q. I'd like to find out what parcels the BLM currently has listed
for sale. Where can I obtain that information?
A. The BLM State Offices listed on the following pages are
your best source. They can tell you what sales are currently
scheduled and what prospects are coming up. You can write,
call, or visit them periodically for latest details.
If a sale is currently scheduled, information can be
requested from the BLM describing the property and method of
sale.
More detailed information, such as land reports,
environmental assessments, etc., is also available upon
request for a small copy fee.
Does the Federal Government ever sell public land? The
answer is yes. Lands identified as excess to the public's
and Government's needs or more suited to private ownership
are sometimes offered for sale. This brochure can help
explain the procedures and where to go for details.
First, it's important to understand the Federal
Government has two major categories of property which it
makes available for sale: real property and public lands.
Real Property is primarily developed land with buildings,
usually acquired by the Federal Government for a specific
purpose, such as a military base or office building.
Public Land is undeveloped land with no improvements,
usually part of the original public domain established
during the western expansion of the United States. Most of
this land is in the 11 Western States and Alaska,* although
some scattered parcels are in the East. This land is the
responsibility of the Department of the Interior's Bureau of
Land Management (BLM).
If it's public land you're interested in, read on. We
can help you. If you're interested in real property, you
should contact the General Services Administration (GSA);
it's responsible for selling developed, surplus property.
Addresses of the GSA Regional Offices are listed in the back
of this brochure.
If you're still reading, we can assume you're
interested in the possibility of buying public land from the
BLM. We receive numerous questions about our land sales, and
this brochure is designed to answer many of the questions most
commonly asked. Later on, we'll also tell you where you can
obtain more detailed information.
* Due to land entitlements to the State of Alaska and to
Alaska Natives, no public land sales will be conducted in
Alaska in the foreseeable future.
Q. Where are these public lands?
A. Almost all are in the Western States of Alaska, Arizona,
California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico,
Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming.
There are also small amounts in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida,
Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South
Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin.
There are no public lands managed by the BLM in Connecticut,
Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,
North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Q. Is any of this land available free through homesteading?
A. No. Congress has repealed the Homestead Act.
Q. What lands are available?
A. Although homesteading is a thing of the past, the BLM
does have lands suitable for purchase by private citizens.
These are lands that have been identified as unneeded by the
Federal Government or as better utilized in private
ownership. By law, these lands are made available for sale
at no less than fair market value.
Q. How are these lands selected for sale?
A. The law states that the BLM can select lands for sale if,
through land use planning, they are found to meet one of
three criteria: 1) they are scattered, isolated tracts,
difficult or uneconomic to manage; 2) they were acquired for
a specific purpose and are no longer needed for that
purpose; or 3) disposal of the land will serve important
public objectives, such as community expansion and economic
development.
Q. What do the lands look like?
A. Land types vary widely. Some may be desert; some are
rural. Some are small parcels of just a few acres; some are
several hundred acres in size.
Q. Is any land suitable for farming?
A. Any lands with agricultural potential will be clearly
identified in the sale notice. However, most public lands
have little or no agricultural potential.
Q. On the average, what would public land cost per acre?
A. There is no "average" cost. Each parcel is evaluated
separately through established appraisal procedures, based
on the value of surrounding parcels. Fair market value is
determined for each parcel. No parcel can be sold for less
than fair market value.
Q. How is the land actually sold?
A. The BLM has three options for selling land: modified
competitive bidding where some preferences to adjoining
landowners are recognized, direct sale to one party where
circumstances warrant, and competitive bidding at public
auction. The sale method is determined on a case-by-case
basis, depending on the circumstances of each particular
parcel or sale.
Q. Are there any preferences for veterans?
A. No laws currently exist allowing the BLM to give veterans
any preference for land purchases.
Q. Where can I find out about land that is going to be sold?
A. Your best source is the BLM office with jurisdiction over
the area you're interested in. The BLM State Offices and
their jurisdictions are noted in the back of this brochure.
They can send you sale information. Sale information will
also be published and broadcast in local news media.
Q. Where are land sales held?
A. They are held near the area to be sold, either at the
local BLM office or in a suitable public location. Sales by
the BLM are not held in Washington, D.C.
Q. Are there any restrictions on who can bid on these parcels?
A. Federal law states that the BLM can sell public land only
to U.S. citizens or corporations subject to Federal or State
laws.
Q. Must I appear in person to participate at the sale?
A. Your personal appearance is not required, but it is
always to your advantage to examine the parcel and know
exactly what you are bidding on.
Sales can be conducted by oral bid, sealed bid, or a
combination of both. However, even if only oral bidding is
allowed, you can be represented by an agent.
Details on procedures for a particular sale are
specified in the sale notice available from the BLM. The
notice will specify type of sale, the percentage of the full
price that must be deposited with each bid, and the time
period allowed for full payment. The highest qualified
bidder is eligible to buy the land; the deposits of
unsuccessful bidders are returned.
Q. How is payment made? Is there financing available?
A. A certain minimum percentage of the full price is
required with each bid. If you are the successful high
bidder,the balance must be paid in full to the BLM within a
set period of time before a deed or patent can be issued.
Long-term financing must be arranged through private
lenders.
Q. Once the BLM issues my deed, can I do anything I want with
the land?
A. Yes, according to the terms of the deed and subject to
State or local restrictions. The sale notice will clearly
specify any Federal reservations or conditions of sale. These
might include reserving mineral rights to the Federal
Government, or allowing some currently authorized uses, such
as grazing, to continue for a certain period of time, or
reserving rights-of-way or easements for powerlines,
pipelines, etc.
You are advised to review these conditions carefully so
that you fully understand what your deed does and does not
include.
Q. What about local taxes, zoning, etc.?
A. Once you receive title, the land is subject to all
applicable State and local taxes, zoning ordinances, etc.
Q. Are water, power, and sewer service available on all parcels?
A. You should check with the city or county involved to see
if such services are available.
Q. Are there roads or easements that guarantee I can get to the
property?
A. The sale notice will explain legal access to the property
or any access restrictions. You are advised to check out the
parcel before you buy, including finding out if available
access meets your needs.
Q. I'd like to find out what parcels the BLM currently has listed
for sale. Where can I obtain that information?
A. The BLM State Offices listed on the following pages are
your best source. They can tell you what sales are currently
scheduled and what prospects are coming up. You can write,
call, or visit them periodically for latest details.
If a sale is currently scheduled, information can be
requested from the BLM describing the property and method of
sale.
More detailed information, such as land reports,
environmental assessments, etc., is also available upon
request for a small copy fee.
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