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Step 1
Make flash cards with colorful pieces of cardstock to memorize multiplication tables. Bind the cards with a length of ribbon or metal binder ring and carry them to review while waiting in lines or at restaurants.
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Step 2
Use real-life items like pieces of food, small toys, ribbon, containers and kitchen tools to practice measurements, simple fractions and basic geometry. Eat a slice of pizza, then have your child calculate what fraction is left, for example.
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Step 3
Head to the mall to practice money math or set up a pretend restaurant at home. Collect takeout menus from favorite eateries and fill toy cash register with play coins and bills. Use a sales slip to take orders, then have your child total the bill and hand you the exact amount or calculate the proper change from an amount you've "paid" with.
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Step 4
Practice time skills every day by giving your child a watch or cute battery-operated clock. Ask them to calculate the minutes until their favorite television show starts or what time you'll return from an hour-long shopping trip, for instance.
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Step 5
Create worksheets of word problems to help your child memorize which phrases and scenarios require addition, subtraction, multiplication or division. Consult their recent homework and tests for sample problems, but use names of friends and favorite cartoon characters in yours to hold their interest.
