Hi Families,

This week in math, our Junior Mathematicians will review subtracting with numbers greater than 10. The strategies of counting back and using addition to subtract will be practiced. The subtraction strategy get to 10 will be reveiwed as well.

There are many situations at home that you can use to practice subtraction. Meal and snack times present many opportunities. Keep in mind that the maximum number of objects your student will work with this week is 20.

While sharing a meal or snack, you could use the following activities.

• Give your Junior Mathematician a number of items, such as raisins. Ask how many there are. Then say, “Suppose you plan to eat 9 of the raisins. How can you count back to find how many raisins will be left? How can you use a related addition equation?”
• Cut 2 cups off 2 egg cartons so that each carton has 10 cups. Count out 16 grapes and have your Junior Mathematician place 1 grape per cup to fill 1 egg carton and use as many cups as needed of the second carton. Say that you plan to eat 8 grapes. Use the get to 10 strategy to find the number of grapes left: Get from 16 to 10 by subtracting 6. Model this by removing the 6 grapes from the second carton. Because 8 = 6 + 2, you still need to subtract 2 from the 10. Model this by removing 2 grapes from the first carton. Have your Junior Mathematician explain each step as it is completed.
• Review making true addition or subtraction equations by giving yourself several items and giving your child fewer of the items. Ask, “How many more do you need so that we both have the same amount?” Then repeat the activity, giving your Junior Mathematician more than you have. Ask, “How many do you need to take away so that we have the same amount?”

Have fun with math and subtracting together!

Hi Families,

This week in math we will continue to learn about time, as well as address a review of comparative numbers, and subtraction. Students will continue to play with analog clocks, focusing on the hour and minute hands, telling time to the hour (o'clock) and half-hour (30 minutes). 

The vocabulary words for this chapter include: analog clock, hour hand, hour, o’clock, half-hour, half past, minute hand, minute, and digital clock.

Here are a few situations that you can use to practice telling time.  

• Guide your Junior Mathematician to number a paper plate to look like the face of a clock. Start with 12 and 6, then label 9 and 3, and finally fill in the numbers between. Cut out hour and minute hands from paper and attach them to the clock using a metal brad or paper clip. Ask your student to show a given time on the clock. For example, say, “You have a piano lesson at 4 o’clock. Show the time on your clock.” Ask your Junior Mathematician to explain how to set the clock. If your Junior Mathematician confuses the hands, point out that “minute” is a longer word than “hour,” and relate this to the fact that the minute hand is longer than the hour hand.
• When getting ready for school, have your Junior Mathematician watch the clock for given times. For example, say, “We need to eat breakfast at 7 o’clock. What will the clock look like at that time?” Then have your Junior Mathematician tell you when the clock shows the given time. Repeat with other times, such as the time your Junior Mathematician needs to leave the house.
• Throughout the day, ask your Junior Mathematician to look at the clock and tell the time, then explain how he or she knows the time (to the hour and half hour only). If reading an analog clock, have your Junior Mathematician tell what the time would look like on a digital clock, and vice versa.

Hi Families,

I hope everyone had a relaxing Spring Break. As our Junior Mathematicians return to class, we will focus on telling time to the hour and half-hour. We will start using only hour hands on an analog clock, then we will use the minute hand. Later, we will use digital clocks.

The vocabulary words for this chapter include: analog clock, hour hand, hour, o’clock, half-hour, half past, minute hand, minute, and digital clock.

Here are a few situations that you can use to practice telling time.  

• Guide your Junior Mathematician to number a paper plate to look like the face of a clock. Start with 12 and 6, then label 9 and 3, and finally fill in the numbers between. Cut out hour and minute hands from paper and attach them to the clock using a metal brad or paper clip. Ask your student to show a given time on the clock. For example, say, “You have a piano lesson at 4 o’clock. Show the time on your clock.” Ask your Junior Mathematician to explain how to set the clock. If your Junior Mathematician confuses the hands, point out that “minute” is a longer word than “hour,” and relate this to the fact that the minute hand is longer than the hour hand.
• When getting ready for school, have your Junior Mathematician watch the clock for given times. For example, say, “We need to eat breakfast at 7 o’clock. What will the clock look like at that time?” Then have your Junior Mathematician tell you when the clock shows the given time. Repeat with other times, such as the time your Junior Mathematician needs to leave the house.
• Throughout the day, ask your Junior Mathematician to look at the clock and tell the time, then explain how he or she knows the time (to the hour and half hour only). If reading an analog clock, have your Junior Mathematician tell what the time would look like on a digital clock, and vice versa.

Have a great time telling time together!

Dear Families,

This week students will be learning how to show and interpret data using tally charts, bar graphs, and picture graphs. As a class, we will use these types of displays to solve problems involving data.

The vocabulary words for this chapter include:

• data, tally chart, tally mark, picture graph, and bar graph.

To have fun with math outside of the classroom, here are a few activities that you can use in the kitchen with your Junior Mathematician to practice the skills of this chapter.

• When putting groceries away, have your Junior Mathematician practice using tally marks. For example, say, “There are six juice boxes in this package. How do you use tally marks to represent six?” Have your Junior Mathematician describe the tally marks or write them on paper.
• When packing lunches or preparing dinner or a snack, have your Junior Mathematician count how many items there are of different types. For example, ask, “What types of fruit are in the fruit bowl? How many do we have of each item?” Then, have your Junior Mathematician make a tally chart or bar graph to display the number of oranges, apples, and bananas. Ask questions such as, “How many more apples than bananas are there? How many pieces of fruit do we have in all?”
• Have your Junior Mathematician post a blank tally chart in the kitchen and ask each family member to record how many servings of fruits and vegetables they eat throughout the day. At the end of the day, have your student use the data to make a picture graph. Ask, “Who ate the most fruits and vegetables? How many fruits and vegetables did our family eat in all?” Encourage your Junior Mathematician to think of questions to ask you about the data as well.

Have a great time practicing tally charts, graphs, and loving math!

Hi Families,

This week our class will continue to work with two digit addition and subtraction and begin learning about the comparison and measurement of lengths. Our lessons will address ordering objects by length, comparing the lengths of two objects using a third object, using like objects to measure length, and solving word problems that compare lengths.

The vocabulary words for this chapter are: shortest, longest, length, measure, length unit, and inch.

There are many situations where you can practice measuring and comparing lengths. Look for opportunities to reinforce these skills while playing with your Junior Mathematician!:

• When playing a game, have your Junior Mathematician compare the lengths of the objects involved. For example, ask, “Is the game card or the spinner longer? Is the board longer or shorter than the game money?”
• When drawing or coloring, select three objects, such as three crayons, or a marker, a paintbrush, and a colored pencil. Ask your Junior Mathematician to order the items from longest to shortest or shortest to longest. Ask your student to explain how he or she determined how to order the objects.
• While playing with toys, choose three items. Compare two of the items to a third, then have your Junior Mathematician compare the first two. For example, say, “The toy drum is shorter than the flute. The xylophone is longer than the flute. Is the toy drum longer or shorter than the xylophone?”
• Use a small item, such as a toy car, number cube, or playing card, to measure the length of other toys. First, have your Junior Mathematician estimate the length of the toy in terms of the smaller item. Then, have them measure to find the length. For example, ask, “About how many cards long do you think the teddy bear is?” Then, line up cards side by side beside the bear without gaps or overlaps. Count to find how many cards in length the bear is.

Have a great time practicing measurement!

Hi Math Families,

This week our Junior Mathematicians will step from our last mental computation strategy and focus on other strategies for adding two-digit numbers. The lessons address adding tens and adding ones, using a number line to add, and making a 10 to add. To assist with this process we will continue to use our previous vocabulary words.

There are many situations in daily life that you can use to model adding two numbers. Try pointing out real-world situations that use addition to help your Junior Mathematician connect math with real life!

• To model adding tens and ones, point out the number of items needed for an activity. For example, point out that you will buy a package of 25 plates and a package of 36 cups for a birthday party. Then ask, “How many ones are there? Are there enough ones to make a 10? How many tens are there? How many plates and cups are there in all?” Encourage your Junior Mathematician to make a quick sketch of the tens and ones if needed.
• To practice adding tens and ones on a number line, point out the day’s low and high temperatures. Say, “It is 34 degrees now. Later, it will be 60 degrees. How many degrees will the temperature increase?” Or say, “It is 34 degrees now. The temperature will increase 26 degrees this afternoon. What will the temperature be then?” Ask your Junior Mathematician to explain how to use a number line to find the answer.
• To practice using addition strategies to solve problems, point out how many miles you will drive for an event. Say, “We will drive 18 miles to Grandma’s house, then 24 more miles to the zoo. We have enough gas in the car to drive 50 miles. Do we have enough gas, or do we need to stop for more along the way?” Have your Junior Mathematician explain how to find the answer.

Math is all around us - have a great time practicing addition!

Hi Families,

This week our Junior Mathematitions will conclude working with 10 more and 10 less, to practice using mental math. This week we will review what we have addressed and have our final test for this unit.

As Math is a language used throughout our daily lives, find ways to practice this skill at home, when watching/playing sports, and shopping.

• To practice using mental math to find 10 more or 10 less, have your Junior Mathematician find the number of items in the package. Then ask, “How many crayons are in that box? What is 10 more than that number? What is 10 less than that number?”
• Show your Junior Mathematician the number of items, then say that you need a certain multiple of 10 more (20, 30, 40, etc.), not exceeding a total of 100. For example, point out that there are 12 eggs in a carton. Ask, “How many eggs would there be if I bought 50 more?” Encourage your wonderful learner to explain the strategy used to find the total. Repeat, using subtraction. Say, “There are 75 beads in this package. If we use 30 for a project, how many will be left? What if we use 60?”
• To reinforce the connection between addition and subtraction, ask your student what addition equation can be used to solve a subtraction problem. Ask, “There are 60 party cups in this package. We need 20 for tomorrow’s picnic. What addition equation can you use to find how many cups will be left?”
• Model other scenarios and have your Junior Mathematician discuss how to use an open number line, quick sketch, or mental math to find the sum or difference.

As always, have fun with math!

Hi Families,

This week we will move from understanding the place values and return to adding and subtracting. Junior Mathematitions will begin by finding 10 more or 10 less than a number. They will then add and subtract tens using various strategies including number lines, quick sketches, and using addition to subtract. The vocabulary phrase this week include open number line.

To practice adding and subtracting tens with your Junior Mathematician, use everyday items found in packages that contain multiple items, such as straws, paper clips, or toothpicks.

When you notice such a package, either at home or while shopping, ask questions like these.

• To practice using mental math to find 10 more or 10 less, have your Junior Mathematician find the number of items in the package. Then ask, “How many crayons are in that box? What is 10 more than that number? What is 10 less than that number?”
• Show your Junior Mathematician the number of items, then say that you need a certain multiple of 10 more (20, 30, 40, etc.), not exceeding a total of 100. For example, point out that there are 12 eggs in a carton. Ask, “How many eggs would there be if I bought 50 more?” Encourage your wonderful learner to explain the strategy used to find the total. Repeat, using subtraction. Say, “There are 75 beads in this package. If we use 30 for a project, how many will be left? What if we use 60?”
• To reinforce the connection between addition and subtraction, ask your student what addition equation can be used to solve a subtraction problem. Ask, “There are 60 party cups in this package. We need 20 for tomorrow’s picnic. What addition equation can you use to find how many cups will be left?”
• Model other scenarios and have your Junior Mathematician discuss how to use an open number line, quick sketch, or mental math to find the sum or difference.

Have a great time adding and subtracting tens!

Hi Families,

This week we are looking into the art of comparing numbers within 100. We will use the vocabulary phrases of equal to, greater than, and less than. Students will begin using the symbols =, >, and <. We will also find one more, one less, ten more, and ten less than a given number. The vocabulary words associated with this chapter are: compare, greater than, and less than.

As life learning is so important to math, here are a few at-home math thoughts. Sporting events and other games are great places to practice comparing numbers. Your Junior Mathematician compares two-digit numbers, so any two scores from 0 through 99 can be compared.

When playing or watching a game, use the following activities.

• Have your Junior Mathematician identify the score of the game. Ask your math genius which team or player has the most points. Then ask, “How can you tell?” Remind your Junior Mathematician to compare the tens first, then compare the ones. Encourage them to use the phrases equal to, greater than, and less than to compare the number of points each team or player has. You also can use this strategy when playing board games or video games together at home.
• Have your Junior Mathematician choose a player and tell you the number on the player’s jersey. Ask, “What number is one more than that number? One less? Ten more? Ten less?” You also can use this strategy with the number of points a certain player or team has.
• To compare numbers on a number line, state how many points you each have during a game. Ask, “Who has a greater number of points: you or me?” Then ask, “On a number line, is your number of points to the left or right of my number?”

Have a great time comparing numbers!

Hi Families,

Last week we had an unexpected extra short week and did not fully wrap up Chapter 6. This week we will have the time to truly complete our review, build self-confidence, have fun with our manipulatives, and finish up with our chapter test on Friday.

Vocabulary words associated with this chapter include 120 chart, row, column, decade numbers, digit, ones, tens, one's place, and ten's place.

To play with math at home, here are a few life strategies to practice understanding the digits of numbers up to 120.

• Please encourage your Junior Mathematician to look for numbers wherever you are. Then, review the value of the digits in the tens and ones places. For example, you might notice a speed limit sign, a channel number on TV, or the jersey number of a favorite athlete. Ask your student to name the number, then tell which digit is in the tens place and which is in the ones place. Then ask about the value of each digit. For example, “The 4 is in the tens place in 45. How much is 4 tens? How much is 5 ones?” You can also use these numbers to review counting on by ones or tens. Ask, “What are the next five numbers when you count on by ones? What are the next five numbers when you count on by tens?”
• Hunt for decade numbers (10, 20, 30, 40...) while running errands. See how many you and your Junior Mathematician can find on signs, license plates, or price tags. Then have your Junior Mathematician tell how many tens are in that number (what number is in the 10's place?).
• To practice identifying numbers with a given amount of tens and ones, make stacks of 10 pennies and leave up to 9 pennies unstacked. Model how to count the stacks by tens, then count the leftovers by ones. Have your Junior Mathematician do the same, then tell how many pennies in all.

Enjoy together time practicing everyday numbers and loving math!

Hi Families,

I hope everyone enjoyed our Winter Break and is ready to get back into our Math fun.

This week we will begin Chapter 6, learning about place value and counting by ones and by tens to 120. Our class will learn what it means when a digit is in the ten's place or the one's place, and will recognize how many tens and ones make up numbers to 120. The vocabulary words associated with this chapter are 120 chart, row, column, decade numbers, digit, ones, tens, one's place, and ten's place.

Here are a few strategies that you can use at home to practice understanding the digits of numbers up to 120.

• Encourage your Junior Mathematician to look for numbers wherever you are. Then, review the value of the digits in the tens and ones places. For example, you might notice a speed limit sign, a channel number on TV, or the jersey number of a favorite athlete. Ask your student to name the number, then tell which digit is in the tens place and which is in the ones place. Then ask about the value of each digit. For example, “The 4 is in the tens place in 45. How much is 4 tens? How much is 5 ones?” You can also use these numbers to review counting on by ones or tens. Ask, “What are the next five numbers when you count on by ones? What are the next five numbers when you count on by tens?”
• Hunt for decade numbers while running errands. See how many you and your Junior Mathematician can find on signs, license plates, or price tags. Then have your Junior Mathematician tell how many tens are in that number.
• To practice identifying numbers with a given amount of tens and ones, make stacks of 10 pennies and leave up to 9 pennies unstacked. Model how to count the stacks by tens, then count the leftovers by ones. Have your Junior Mathematician do the same, then tell how many pennies in all.

Have a great time practicing numbers together!