Math in Everyday Life: Real-Life Examples for Elementary Students

Math is all around us, yet it's one of the hardest subjects for students to succeed in. Some of that has to do with the way we teach math; techniques haven't changed much over the past 300 years. General attitudes about education - the 'empty vessel' theory, e.g., can also work against teachers' best efforts.

Math anxiety plays a major role in learners' math success. This phenomenon makes it hard for students to master math concepts. Incorporating math into everyday activities is an effective way to lower that stress. Follow these strategies to help your child build math fluency.

Everyday Activities to Build Numeracy

Numeracy is having a sense of numbers - which ones are bigger, which are smaller, and where do they fit on a number line? Having 'numbers sense' is the first step towards grasping math concepts. Before any child can build math skills, they must first master numbers. These common tasks work well.

Take a Walk

This activity is a great time to play with numbers. If your child is very young, counting your steps out loud is a fun way to internalize the order of numbers. Incorporate walk-and-run intervals to vary counting speeds! You can even walk backwards, to practice negative counting.

Should they be a bit older, try counting by twos, by threes, and so on. You might use multiplication tables as a type of cadence call: you pose the problem; they shout the answer. A facility that helps students reinforce their math skills plays this game at least once a week; the kids always sound like they have a great time!

Cook Together

Is 2/3 more or less than ¾? Is ½ a pizza the same as 3/6 of a pie? The answers are in your kitchen. In fact, that room is the perfect spot for math engagement, as it contains 'scientific devices' - measuring instruments, to give visual proof of math concepts. While preparing meals or just for fun, make the most of that space to build numeracy skills.

Count Money

Who doesn't like money? Our kids do, and coins and bills are excellent learning tools. Is a nickel worth more than a dime, simply because it's bigger? Organizing your spare change is an occasion to count by 5s, 10s, and quarters. Match the number of coins to the proper bill - 20 nickels to a dollar, 50 dimes for $5, to teach values.

Go Shopping

Whether buying groceries or clothing, comparing prices reinforces numbers order. At this stage, comparisons should be the extent of things for this activity. Once your child has a finely-honed numbers sense, your shopping excursions will include unit price comparisons and calculating percentages.

Everyday Activities to Build Math Skills

Unsurprisingly, the same activities that helped build numbers literacy also work to build math skills. You only need to expand on them.

While Out Shopping

Shopping gives your child a chance to understand value and unit pricing. Luckily, stores include the price-per-unit on the shelf tags, so this lesson should be quick. If you live in a state with a sales tax, you can also practice calculating percentages. That might be a bit tricky at first, as those percentages are not usually round numbers.

You can practice percentages when you dine out. In fact, it might be better to broach this topic at a restaurant. Tips are typically some multiple of 5 - 15%, or 20%. It's quick and easy to slide a decimal and divide by two, if needed, and then add everything together to calculate how much to tip.

While Managing Money

Involve your learners in planning your budget as soon as they're ready. What proportion of your household income goes to shelter, transportation, and food, each budget cycle? What percentage do you put into savings? How much flexibility (what percent) does your household's money system have?

Around the world, surveys repeatedly reveal a woeful lack of financial literacy. Indeed, university students wish they had been taught money skills, rather than learning by trial and error. Building math skills while learning how to manage money is a smart strategy that leaves your child doubly prepared for their future.

While Preparing Meals

Gone are the days when pouring a smaller measure's contents into a larger vessel, splashing water everywhere. Your older learner can master how to convert units of measurement, and how to halve and/or double recipes. Ratios and proportions feature in these activities, too.

While you're at it, take a moment to point out the Fibonacci symmetry and sequence of natural ingredients. Note your broccoli florets' exponential arrangements, or artichokes' meticulous configuration. Be sure to explore the math behind those phenomena!

While Walking

During your evening stroll, you and your learner might focus on properties of time and distance. If you walk for 30 minutes and go around the block three times, how far - and how fast, will you walk? You can estimate the length of your stride, count the number of steps and calculate distance using those values.

Don't forget about geometry! Whether you live in the city or country, geometrical patterns abound. You might note your neighbor's driveway, perfectly perpendicular to the sidewalk. Or the alignment of windows on a multi-story building.

You may even plan a geometry scavenger hunt. Make a list of shapes you expect to see on your walk, for your learners to search for. Such might include a tree with an arced branch (what degree?), something rectangular (a sewer grate), and a house with a 180º window.

Maybe you prefer a bike ride? Then, your math-building activities revolve around speed differences - up a hill versus on level ground. Or calculating braking distances. Or how much further you can go on a bike than by foot, within a set time.

Engagement is the key to building math skills. You, engaging with your learner, and both of you engaging with math. These few suggestions can help you get started; how far you take things relies on your creativity.

Greetings! I'm Sophia Birk. As a teacher and a parent, I believe incorporating math into everyday activities is vital to help kids build their relationship math. While looking for math tutoring near me, I found a coach who introduced me to some of these strategies. They make a great addition to my catalog!