I grew up in a household where we constantly practice what we learn in school in our daily lives.  You may call it ‘practical application’ based on theoretical discussions in the classroom.  For instance, we use our knowledge in Science while helping Mum with the cooking.  My siblings and I would help prepare the meals, and make sure it contains the three basic food groups.  Those were the days when my siblings and I would dabble over the stove.

During Saturdays and Sundays, Dad would treat us with hotdogs and ice cream.  In order to practice our mathematical skills, Dad would quiz us first before giving us the money.  To start with, Dad would inquire as to what we would like to eat, and then ask how much each of us would pay.  By then, my sibling and I would toggle on our thinking helmets, and rattle our brains at mental math.  Whoever gets to answer first wins an extra hotdog.

As we grew older, these math challenges also intensified.  During family dinners, Dad would each randomly ask us a mathematical question, and whoever loses the game gets to clean up the dishes.  This is Dad’s way of helping Mum with the dishes.  Thus, learning mental math was a way for us to escape kitchen duties.

Now that we are all grown up and already have families on our own, we still enjoy those mathematical quizzes that Dad throws our way.  During family gatherings, he would still throw his math questions at us.  But this time, it is the grandkids that give back the answer to Dad.

Back then, the pursuit of developing our math strategies was predicated on Dad’s reward system and positive reinforcement.  Today, my siblings and I realized that it was Dad’s way of teaching us math.  Thanks Dad for helping us with our mental math.  Now, it’s our turn to teach our kids these math strategies.  Check out http://www.mathiseasy.com/ for more on how to develop your kid’s math skills.