Keeping Your Math Skills Sharp This Summer

It’s summer… no more classes, no more books, etc, etc, etc!  Fine-tuning your math skills is the last thing on your mind. Shorts and sandals are looking really good and somewhere there’s a beach or pool with your name on it. It’s time to kick back and enjoy your freedom!

Everyone needs an occasional escape from the routine of daily life. While this is certainly true for students, experts have found that long absences, like summer break, can result in a nearly two month set-back in learning.  This is especially critical in the case of math skills, which are often difficult to master in the sterile environment of the classroom. Learning math skills can be compared to learning to play an instrument or a sport. Practice makes the difference between being OK and being GREAT! Learning to use math in real life situations will enable you to visualize mathematical theories that are too often merely abstract concepts. 

Some Summer Applications for Those Classroom Math Skills

We’re all familiar with the old adage, “use it or lose it.”  Learning to convert your classroom mathematics into practical math skills will put you ahead of the game when classes resume in the fall. Best of all, using your math skills during the summer doesn’t have to feel like doing homework. 

There are many math-based websites that present interactive math problems in a gaming format that will appeal to students from pre-K to pre-Algebra. These websites are the perfect venue to use your gaming ability to enhance your math skills.   

For older students with strong math skills, a summer job as a math tutor or a volunteer in a math and science museum will keep skills sharp and provide positive work experience that can be included on a resume for college or a job.  Math students of all ages and skill levels can also take advantage of summer camps and educational events that use math and science principles to create challenging hands-on experiments and activities. Check with your local libraries, parks department, and other civic organizations for information on math-based summer programs in your community. 

Practical Math Skills and Your Graphing Calculator

If you own a graphing calculator, summer provides limitless opportunities to put your math skills to use.  Are you a sports fan? Calculate team and player stats. Interested in finances? Graph market trends to spot potentially lucrative investments. Taking a summer trip? Graph the route, determine the mileage, calculate the cost of fuel, and estimate a time of arrival. Going grocery shopping? Save money by figuring cost-per-unit percentages. Want to be an architect or engineer? Create designs for everything from simple paper airplanes to elaborate shopping malls. Need more real-life math ideas? Do a little summer surfing! The web is full of sites that will enhance your math skills in interactive formats guaranteed to challenge and entertain. 

Perhaps you’ve already found math programs you’d like to try, but you don’t have a graphing calculator. Perhaps you’re ready for an upgrade, but don’t want to spend a fortune. Whatever your situation, sellyourcalculators.com is the online destination to visit. Contact us today for more information or a buy-back quote.