Huntington Learning Center Celebrates Mathematics Awareness Month

Huntington Learning Center joins schools, colleges, universities, student groups, and other related associations and interest groups to celebrate Mathematics Awareness Month this April. Mathematics Awareness Month began in 1986 when President Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation for National Mathematics Awareness Week. The annual celebration is a collaboration of the American Mathematical Society, the American Statistical Association, the Mathematical Association of America and the Society for Industrial Applied Mathematics.

The theme of this year's Mathematics Awareness Month is "Math drives Careers." Innovation is an increasingly important factor in the growth of world economies. The advances in mathematical sciences have become drivers of innovation as new systems and methodologies have become more complex. As mathematics drives innovation, it also drives careers.

"Any career path you choose involves mathematics in some form," says Eileen Huntington of Huntington Learning Center. "From the basic concepts to the most advanced theories, math is part of our daily lives at home and at our workplace. This year's theme for Mathematics Awareness Month increases an understanding of careers available to those who study mathematical sciences. We're proud to celebrate Mathematics Awareness Month and continue to promote all math skills that can prepare students for so many different careers."

Even at a young age, parents can help their children learn the importance of math in their daily lives and in their future careers. Huntington offers a few ideas for parents to help their child practice math on a daily basis and possibly towards a future career:

1. Have your child help you make a recipe and put him or her in charge of all measuring. Ask questions along the way—is two 1/4 cups the same as a half cup? How can you tell?
2. Measure each family member's height and/or weight on a monthly basis and calculate any change in percentages from month to month. Create a graph to track results.
3. Ask your child to estimate the grocery bill while you shop.
4. Let your child plan a family road trip, estimating how long it will take to drive to each destination based on the speed limits and distance. Have him or her calculate the trip cost based on the cost of hotels, meals and other expenditures.
5. Teach your child how to save their money, and talk about the effect of compound interest.
6. Play games that use math, such as Yahtzee, Monopoly, UNO and dice games.
7. Play games that foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills, such as Sudoku and chess.

To learn more about Mathematics Awareness Month, visit www.mathaware.org.