If math is a four-letter word in your household, and if memories of long division make you break out in a cold sweat, it needn't be that way for your kids.
New Jersey mom of three (and astrophysics grad no less) Laura Overdeck has devised a clever blog called Bedtime Math, which challenges kids of varying ages (Wee Ones, Little Kids, Big Kids) and abilities to tackle a math problem before bed or anytime. The site offers a no-pressure approach to sharpening up numeracy skills, and by Bedtime's growing national presence it would seem the strategy is working wonders.
Parents can even sign up by email, as I have, to receive a daily problem to work through with their kids. The problems draw on "real-life, kid-friendly examples," the first of which involved Harry Potter. Bedtime Math is particularly helpful for keeping kids on their toes (and counting them) during the summer brain drain.
And it's never to late for this old dog to relearn some new math tricks... If Kristen Stewart received ten kisses from Rob Patz in the morning then a further twenty from her Snow White director at night, how many public apologies will she need to win her fans back? (See how much fun this can be!)
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