The current global economic turmoil and non-stop news coverage, while distressing to parents, creates a unique math learning opportunity for children.

As news of the stock market fluctuations and financial services crisis is publicized each day, an opportunity is presented to demonstrate to school-age children the real-life applications of basic math concepts, such as addition, subtraction, percentages, and averages.

"While this is a turbulent time for families, there are ways to use the economic information that is shown on TV or online to help children grasp basic math concepts without causing them undue stress about the overall economy," says Judy Ann Brown, mathematics program manager at Sylvan Learning. "Helping children develop the habit of demonstrating their knowledge of basic math, be it addition and subtraction, or multiplication and percentages, will serve to create a more stress-free, and many times, fun way for children to learn these concepts," Brown concludes.

The math experts at Sylvan Learning offer tips for parents that can serve as a guide to explain math concepts to children:

• Have your child track the closing number for the stock market each day and calculate the difference as a number and a percentage.
• Have your child note how the cost of gas varies from station to station in your town. How much less would you pay at station #1 versus station #2 for a full tank of gas?
• Use the changes in interest rates to pose a math question about how much interest she would pay if she needed a loan to buy a toy. How much interest would she earn if she placed her money in a savings account?
• Use coupons to demonstrate subtractions skills. If a store doubles coupon values, have your child calculate the savings. Or, if you use a coupon that takes cents off an item, have him calculate the new price.