Parent Tip

What Parents Can do at Home to Help Students with Math:

Card Games Teach Math Skills

Card games are not only fun — they help build math skills! Here are two you can try.

Math Madness. For this game, you’ll need the cards from 1 to 9 in each suit. Give each player four cards. Have players use addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to see how many problems they can create in a specific amount of time using four numbers. Award one point for each answer. Here’s how a player might write problems using 3, 5, 6 and 8.

3 + 5 + 6 + 8 = 22

(8 x 5) – (6 ÷ 3) = 38

(5 – 3) + (8 – 6) = 4

(6 x 3) + 8 + 5 = 31

Fraction Frenzy. For this game, you’ll need the cards from 1 to 10 in each suit. Deal out half the deck to each of two players. Then have player turn over two cards each. The player who can make the largest fraction from the two cards showing takes all the cards. The first person to collect the entire deck wins.