Math Fun d’Mentals
In 2008, the Micron Foundation developed Math Fun d'Mentals, a kit that includes everything a school needs to host a family math night: activity handouts, manipulatives, books and other materials. Less than a year later, the Idaho State Department of Education partnered with the Micron Foundation to distribute free Math Fun d'Mentals kits to school districts across the state. The effort is part of the Idaho Math Initiative, a comprehensive statewide effort to improve student achievement in mathematics.
Resources
- View a presentation about Math Fun d'Mentals and how to use the materials at your school.
- Share the Math Fun d’Mentals brochure with your school.
- Preview the Math Fun d’Mentals activities and how-to-guide by requesting a CD of materials from the Micron Foundation.
- Visit Micron’s Math in the Workplace page which demonstrates real-world math problems to workplace requirements.
- Learn more about how the Idaho Math Initiative is focused on improving math education in all grades to ensure every student is prepared for higher levels of math in the middle grades, high school, post-secondary, and work-force setting.
How to Reserve a Math Fun d’Mentals Kit
- Schools and parent organizations should contact the Idaho Dept. of Education Math Initiative to reserve a Math Fun d’Mentals kit.
- Extra Math Fun d’Mental kits are available for Treasure Valley Schools through the Micron Foundation. Please check with your school district on availability first. To reserve a kit through the Micron Foundation, submit your request through the Micron K-12 activity request form.
Math Fun d’Mentals Frequently Asked Questions
Q: My school has 900 students. Does that mean I need 6 kits to host an event?
A: Another good reason for pre-registration! I suggest you limit the event to the first 300 children to register and use two kits. Coordinating an event for more than 600 people (children and their parents) becomes challenging! Another option is to offer the event two evenings, instead of just one, with families registering for the evening of their choice.
Q: We don’t have an active parent group. Can the school still host an event?
A: Certainly! Teachers or your school administration can organize an event. Often events are organized by Title 1 teachers who recognize the benefits of involving parents. You may have other community service organizations willing to organize an event for your school, for example, Kiwanis, SCORE, Junior League, etc.
Q: Where do we get volunteers?
A: Resources include high school math clubs, parents, teachers, and community service groups.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: There is no cost for using the kits. The costs you may incur would be for reprinting the handouts and for candies.
Q: We hosted an event last spring; a few parents complained that there wasn’t enough time to do all the activities. What should we do?
A: Let parents know the goal is to enjoy the activities and reinforce the child’s learning, not to get them all done. Next year they can explore the activities they didn’t have time for previously.
This brings up another problem some schools have experienced. We suggest you avoid adding additional activities to the evening. Schools that have added guest speakers, serving dinner, etc. have found they did not have enough time scheduled for the event.
Q: We have a lot of single parents with more than one child. Any suggestions for how they can be with all their children?
A: Rather than segregating activities by grade level clusters, put multi-levels in the same room and distinguish them with colored balloons. Parents can have several children involved in the same room. We have hosted events both ways and found benefits with each.
Q: We just don’t get many upper elementary students to participate. Any suggestions?
A: We have found upper elementary students enjoy playing the games with a friend. Encourage them to attend with buddies, rather than necessarily with parents. Then the parents can spend more time with younger siblings.
Q: How far in advance do we need to reserve a kit?
A: Reserve a kit as soon as you can select a date on the school’s calendar. The Idaho State Dept. of Education is preparing more kits for distribution state wide. Their goal is for every Idaho school district to have one kit by the end of the 2009-2010 school year. If your district has not yet requested a kit, contact 208-332-6933.