Your child shouln't spend the summer stuck in reverse - especially when it comes to math skills. Children can lose up to three months of learning over summer vacation, according to a study by Dr. Harris Cooper, professor and chair of the Department of Psychological sciences, University of Missouri, so it's important to keep them engaged.
It can be difficult for parents to keep math on the front burner, especially when it is hard to gauge exactly what their child should be learning. Here are some of the best websites to help your child combat the summer math brain drain.
www.mathforum.com This online community includes teachers, students, researchers, parents and educators who have an interest in math and math education. The site includes Ask Dr. Math, Problems of the Week, discussion groups and much more.
www.AAAmath.com Customized by grade level and topic, AAA Math features explanations of various mathematical topics, practice problems and fun, challenging games.
www.coolmath.com This fully interactive site and allows the user to sharpen basic math skills, play games and explore new math concepts.
www.figurethis.org Created by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, this site helps families enjoy mathematics outside school through a series of funand engaging challenges.
www.mathcats.com Math Cats provides playful explorations of important math conceptsthrough games, crafts and interactive projects. Includes a magicchalkboard and an art gallery.
www.funbrain.com/numbers.html This site includes 17 original games based on soccer, car racing andmuch more Other games include Math Baseball, where a child can scoreruns with correct answers and Operation Order, where students can buildpyramids with their knowledge of algebra.
