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In this section of our education blog, we give tips for tutors and teachers on how to teach subjects, keep kids passionate, and more. Subscribe to our newsletter (on the left or below on mobile) to get bi-monthly updates in your inbox!

Get kids excited about math skills by showing them cool jobs that use it everyday

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A common question that we’ve all heard at some point in our schooling, whether in elementary school, high school, or beyond, is “why do I need to know this?” Sometimes, as a teacher or parent, it may be hard to think of an answer with specific examples. Here are some ideas of real-life applications to help your child see how math can be useful in the real world.

kids excited about math skills

Math skills used in iconic architecture

Some of the largest and most incredible examples of math in the real world are well-known monuments and buildings around the world. For example, the Taj Mahal has very impressive and perfect symmetry. Meanwhile, the Great Pyramid of Giza has some really cool hidden math concepts in it. In the measurements of the king’s chamber pyramids you can clearly see the Pythagorean Triangle, and the perimeter of the pyramid divided by its height is equal to Pi (3.14159…). By teaching your child about an iconic piece of architecture like these ones, you can have both a history lesson and a math lesson at the same time. You can also point out how the architects and construction workers who design and build these utilize their math skills in a very practical way.

Find math in nature with the Fibonacci Sequence and golden ratio

Another amazing example of math can be found right in your backyard and everywhere in nature. For example, the Fibonacci Sequence (1,2,3,5,8…) can be found all throughout botany, from sunflower seeds to pinecones and flower petals. These are also good examples of the golden ratio, as these two concepts are closely related. Even looking at symmetry in the human body can be intriguing, and can be combined into a science lesson for aspiring physiotherapists, chiropractors, doctors, and disciplines of anatomy. If you are looking for a way to tie science and math together, you can look up more examples of math in nature and go for a hike to see how many things you can find that use the golden ratio and Fibonacci sequence.

Math skills in everyday tasks

Teaching math through everyday tasks is also a great idea, because no matter what your child’s math level is, there is sure to be something they are going to need math skills for eventually. For simple practice of addition and subtraction, have your child practice making purchases and learning to count money. You can also practice adding and subtracting fractions by baking and having your child use different combinations of measuring cups. For a more advanced learner, using the quadratic equation to figure out where a ball will land once thrown. It can help make the concept seem less abstract.

You can tie these examples into a lesson on an appropriate topic, or just point them out as you see them in real life. And of course, if you ever hear one of those questions escape your child’s lips, “why do I need to know this?” or “who actually uses this in real life?”, now you will be able to give them some specific examples. Enjoy!

Create your own math materials at home to help your child see how math works visually

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Math materials at home to help your child

Sometimes no matter how hard you try, a math concept will not ‘click’ with your child by using traditional teaching methods and math materials. It could be because they are a visual or kinesthetic learner. If they are, they may need to see and play around with other manipulatives before they get it. Or, your child might just be bored of doing a bunch of worksheets and need something new to regain interest. Either way, you can easily create some math manipulatives at home that mimic some of the materials you may find in your child’s classroom, but don’t cost a fortune.

Keep things colourful with math materials

The first thing to remember when making math manipulatives is to include different colours. Visual learners in particular will benefit from this, as bright colours will not only be visually stimulating to get them engaged, but can help them learn math concepts through colour association. For example, if you teach them to associate one colour with one operation, say blue for addition, that might resonate with them more than the simple subtraction symbol.

Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing with bottle caps

One idea to ease yourself into making math manipulatives is to write a bunch of numbers on bottle caps for practice with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. You can have a pile of these numbered bottle caps, and you or your child can select a few to form an equation.

This is an easy way to use math materials to get your child practicing solving equations, while switching it up from a boring old worksheet. One way to incorporate colour here is to make the numbers one of four different colours, so that each colour represents an operation. You can stick to one operation for each equation, say addition, or if your child is ready to learn order of operations you can mix them all together.

Another use for bottle caps: make a multiplication table

Another math manipulative you can make at home is a multiplication table out of bottle caps. This will require quite a few bottle caps: 100 if you want to do a full 10×10 table. But if you collect bottle caps easily in your house this is the perfect way to use them.

Start by numbering 1-10 on two strips of paper and place them across the top and left sides of a square of cardboard or any other hard material. Then, fill in each row with 10 bottle caps. Your child can put beads or beans in the caps to visually see how much 6×4 or 8×2 equals. See this link for a visual example (though the writing is in Italian).

Put a creative spin on ordinary integer tiles by making your own

If your child is learning to work with integers, they might have had the opportunity to work with integer tiles at school. When learning to add and subtract with integers, integer tiles can be very useful to help kids see what is happening visually.

Instead of trying to get your hands on expensive math tiles, make some with your child out of paper. Use fun colours or pictures to make them more visually appealing. For example, flowers could be positives and fish could be negatives. Or you could even just colour in positive tiles with red markers and negatives with blue markers. This can turn into a fun craft and an easy way to learn integers using simple math materials at home.

These are just a few examples, but hopefully this gives you an idea of how easy it is to make math materials right at home! Don’t be afraid to get creative! Try to recreate manipulatives you see in your child’s classroom using simple materials from around your house.

Tips to prevent germs from spreading at school

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Keeping kids healthy at school is not always easy. Last week’s blog post talked about why kids are more likely to catch cold and flu viruses at school, but the good news is that there are ways to stay healthy. Here are some tips that you can follow for keeping kids healthy right from the start of the school year that help prevent germs from spreading in the first place.

Prevent germs from spreading at school

How can you help your child prevent germs from spreading at school?

A study was done to find out what the most germy spots are around schools. The lunch room tables, computer mouses and drinking fountains were some of the most infested places. Different kids are touching these surfaces throughout the day and spreading germs to each other. Getting sick can’t always be avoided, but the spread of germs can be reduced by following some general practices. It is good to educate your child at home so they can continue to use the same practices when they are at school.

1. Keep your kids hydrated, rested and full of vitamins

Drinking water is one way to keep your kids bodies equipped to fight off germs. Taking daily vitamins that are full of vitamin C are also ways to help boost your family’s immune system. Making sure to get plenty of rest also keeps your body strong to stand against illnesses. By keeping yourself and your family members healthy your kids will be more likely to avoid catching whatever bugs are going around the school. This is also a good step toward preventing the cold and flu viruses from taking over your home.

2. Wash hands often at home and at school

It might seem like a no brainer to tell kids to wash their hands throughout the day, but this is something kids tend to forget to do. Washing hands is not just important after using the washroom but also after coughing or blowing your nose and before eating. Kids especially eat a lot of finger foods, so it should always be a requirement to wash hands before eating a snack or a meal. Reminding your kids to wash their hands will help keep them and other kids from getting sick at school. This article shows why handwashing is so effective at keeping people healthy.

3. Avoid sharing food or drinks with others

Friends sometimes like to share food and drinks with each other. They may think it is harmless, but this is one way that is bound to spread germs to other students around the school. If your child enjoys sharing snacks with friends they can pack extra snacks or drinks to pass around instead of sharing the same food or drink item.

4. Promote health education at school

It is good to inform your children about how to reduce germs from spreading. Another way of keeping kids healthy at school is to have health education at the school. Sharing health tips with all of the students in the school will help get the whole school involved in preventing germs and sickness from spreading. Even if there is not a separate health class every classroom teacher can spend some time covering basic information with their classes.

These tips can’t guarantee that your kids will never get sick when they go back to school. However, by following these simple steps and reminders it will at least help to reduce germs from spreading and limit the numbers of students who have to stay home from school due to illness.

Can reading practice and doing homework help students learn?

Can reading practice and doing homework help students learn?

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When school is back in session this also usually means that students are required to do homework. Kids are required to read a certain amount of minutes every day, practice their math skills, study foreign languages or play a musical instrument. This seems like a lot to ask of students, especially young children. There are some good reasons behind why students are required to spend time practicing what they are learning. One major reason is that spending time doing a skill can actually change a student’s brain.

Reading experience causes changes in the brain

Some research shows that the act of reading changes our brain. An article by Annie Murphy Paul shows how the brain changes based on the amount of time we spend reading. Research shows that there tends to be less grey matter in the brain in students who are dealing with dyslexia. The article points out how this could be because people who struggle with reading because of dyslexia tend to not spend as much time reading.

Reading practice could lead to improvements in brain development

Some people used to think that the differences in the brain were hard wired or inherited and this was what caused dyslexia. Actually the research suggests that it could be that the lack of time spent reading that causes the differences in the brain. In Annie Murphy Paul’s article it points out that when dyslexic students spent more time with a tutor to practice reading their brains also showed more grey matter just like the students who did not have dyslexia.

Does doing homework help students learn and does it affect their brain development?

This leads us to consider what other parts of the brain are developing as we practice other skills. A student who struggles in math and decides to never do their math homework might be missing out on brain development. If the brain can gain grey matter just by spending the time doing math homework, then it could be benefitting the student even if they don’t realize it.

Could spending time practicing an instrument change the brain?

Some students take music lessons that require daily practice. Among those students it would be interesting to see if the students who spend more time practicing their instrument have more development of grey matter in their brain. We’ve all heard the term “practice makes perfect” and although it’s hard to see what’s actually going on inside of the brain practice could be changing the composition of our brains.

This research should motivate students to spend the recommended time doing their homework, reading books and practicing new skills. Parents can also help explain the importance of doing homework to their children. Especially if your child has difficulties reading, they can be encouraged that the time spent practicing reading has been proven to help their brains develop and even help them overcome their dyslexia to some degree. Here are some other reasons why homework is beneficial for student learning.

Learning spelling and grammar in the age of “spell-check”

Learning spelling and grammar in the age of “spell-check”

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Are students still learning spelling and grammar in schools? Or are they being taught to rely on automated spell checking tools? In an age that uses so much technology there is still the need to have a basic knowledge of the English language. If students aren’t learning spelling and grammar basics in school then no amount of technology can compensate for these skills. There is also a need to be educated in computer literacy as well.

Why is learning spelling and grammar important?

Some people think that even if students are not learning spelling and grammar in schools they will be okay because they can use computers and technology to correct their mistakes. This is not necessarily true. What happens when a student is in a situation where a computer is not available to them.

Spell check can’t solve all grammar problems

If a student is using a word processor with spell check they might think it will solve their problems. Spell check programs do work well if you spell a word slightly incorrectly or if you accidentally slip on the keyboard. If a student has absolutely no idea how to spell a word then spell check might not be able to offer the correct spelling. If the student is given a list of possible choices they may not be able to choose the correct word. This is a problem. Similarly if students rely on electronic programs to automatically place punctuation or correct sentence structure for them, this will not always work. There needs to be some basic foundation first, and then these grammar tools can be very helpful.

How can technology be used to support literacy education?

Technology is by no means a bad thing, nor is it responsible for students learning poor grammar. If technology is used properly it can actually be a huge asset to teaching literacy skills. There are electronic readers that are able to provide students with word definitions or audio help for how to pronounce a word. Some e readers are also connected to the internet. This makes it possible for students to further explore certain sections of the text if they want to dive deeper into the background or meaning of what they are reading. This just shows that if used properly technology can be a real asset to literacy education. We should also be aware that technology does not replace basic spelling and grammar education.

The need to be educated in computer literacy

With the advancements in technology there is a need to educate students on how to use computers. Computers don’t take away the need to learn spelling and grammar, but in addition students should be trained in computer literacy as well. In order to reap the benefits of technology, students and teachers need to know how to use it. Learning the basics of how to operate a computer, word processing programs and the internet are all useful skills that should be taught in schools. Parents can also introduce their children to these computer literacy skills at home. Some children know their way around a laptop or handheld device before they hit preschool, but others don’t have access to technology devices. This means that schools also need to provide computer literacy lessons for all students.

We live in a world that uses technology for almost everything. Students should also learn how to use technology and receive the many benefits from it. We also need to remember that technology doesn’t replace basic literacy skills like spelling and grammar. These literacy skills still need to be taught in schools. With both the basic skills combined with technology our students will be able to advance beyond past generations.

Brain stimulating outdoor activities for kids

Brain stimulating outdoor activities for kids

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Are brain stimulating outdoor activities for kids going out of style? Playing outdoors seems to be less popular among today’s students compared to previous generations. Students may be saying inside more because they spend more time watching television or playing games on computers and tablets. Here are some outdoor activities for kids that will get students to spend some time outside.

Outdoor activities for kids using a map of the neighbourhood

Today’s society relies heavily on GPS devices and smart phones to direct us to where we are going. Some students may never have used a paper map before. There are a lot of activities that can be done using maps. So first and foremost students can create a map of their neighbourhood. They can go on a walk around their area and stop along the way to fill in the different streets and landmarks such as parks or stores.

Kids can learn how to use a compass

After the students have created a map of their neighbourhood they can learn to use a compass. If the student doesn’t have a compass they can follow these instructions to make their own compass by using a magnet, a needle, a piece of cork and a container filled with water. Once the compass is oriented, students can mark the proper directions on their neighbourhood map. The compass can be used for the following fun outdoor activities for kids as well.

Kids will love doing scavenger hunts around the neighbourhood

A parent or older sibling can help prepare the clues for a scavenger hunt. The students can then follow the clues and use their compass and neighbourhood map to complete the scavenger hunt. This activity could include more kids from the neighbourhood as well. If the students are up for an even bigger challenge they can make up their own scavenger hunt for someone else to complete.

Geocaching: the ultimate treasure hunt

Geocaching is a fantastic outdoor activity for students who are really interested in real live treasure hunts. Geocaching actually combines technology and the outdoors. A GPS device must be used to locate a specific set of coordinates where some sort of treasure is hidden. There are people who participate in hiding and searching for geocaches all over the world. Younger students should be accompanied by an adult when geocaching in unfamiliar or heavily wooded areas to ensure the student’s safety. You can search for geocaches near you on this website.

Encouraging students to do more outdoor activities is good for their bodies and their brains. Research shows that people who do physical activities learn better. Doing these outdoor activities for kids can be fun and they will get students out of the house. Perhaps they will even develop an interest in Geography!