BUILDING BLOCKS: KEEP YOUR CHILD’S MATH FOUNDATION STEADY By the time they reach the middle grades, children are ready to make up their minds about math. They are evaluating their competence in the subject, as well as their interest in it and their motivation. So as the concepts get more difficult—for you and for them—it is important to keep your child engaged and interested in math, as his experiences now will affect his feelings as an adult may impact his educational and professional choices. Technology to the Rescue Children at this age are more interested in videogames and television than in their math homework. Parents can put those inclinations to good use, however, by investing in some creative math software for their home computer. There are a variety of products that incorporate math tutorials into games and puzzles so that learning is synonymous with entertainment. Here are just a few of the titles available for children in grades four through eight: Zoombinis Logical Journey: The Zoombinis are a cheerful race of beings that live on Zoombini Isle until bad guys take over their village. The object of the game is to use math and logic to help the Zoombinis escape Zoombini Isle and make a new home. The game is full of fun puzzles and scenarios that will challenge your child to use his very best problem-solving and math reasoning skills. It promises to help your child learn deductive reasoning, pattern recognition, hypothesis testing, and more, all while leading the Zoombinis to freedom. $19.99. The Learning Company. Ages 9 and up. Math Missions: The Amazing Arcade Adventure, Grades 3–5: Children try to save Spectacle City by helping its businesses succeed. They will solve real-world math challenges and earn money for their efforts, which they eventually can use to open their own arcade. This game includes 15 math activities and 10 math missions, thousands of math challenges and word problems, a glossary of math terms and three difficulty levels that adjust with your child’s progress. $18.40. Scholastic. Grades 3–5. Gold Medal Math: This game uses the Olympic games as a platform for teaching basic math skills. Players compete in separate sporting events, such as the javelin throw and bobsledding. Their performance in the events depends on their ability to solve as many math problems in one minute. This is a simple and fun game to help your child build speed, accuracy and confidence in mathematics. $29.99. EdVenture Software. Ages 7–12. Turn it Off While technology can be a useful tool for teaching your children to enjoy math, it is important to set boundaries and rules when it comes to homework. Make sure that your children set a time every day after school exclusively for math homework. During this time, make sure the television and the computer are off and that you are available to answer questions and offer help.