Looking for ways to homeschool while running errands with your kids? We’ve got good news for you! We found a fun resource that will help you tackle math at the grocery store.
*This is a sponsored post and I received a complimentary copy of Grocery Cart Math for review purposes. As always, I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are my own. You can see my full disclosure for any additional information.*
If you caught our review of Learning Language Arts Through Literature, you know how long we’ve loved using resources from Common Sense Press in our homeschool. Even so, this math resource was a side of this favorite publisher we had yet to experience and that’s why I’m excited to share it with you today!
Grocery Stores: Where Math and Life Skills Go Hand in Hand
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone suggest that it’s a waste of his or her time to learn math. Sometimes it shows up in a quick jab such as, “Like we’re ever going to use this in real life…” Other times it’s more like, “How is this going to help me?” or “Do you know anyone who actually needs to know how to do this, you know, other than a math teacher?”
You’ve likely heard this sort of thing also. In fact, it’s possible your own kids have asked questions like those while working through a math lesson. But here’s the thing:
Math is a part of life and it’s not going anywhere.
We may not all regularly use higher level math like trigonometry or calculus, but we do use some form of math each day. That’s why it’s so important to be sure our kids understand that math skills and life skills are often one and the same.
Think about it. We use math while measuring to see if furniture will fit into a room, measuring ingredients for a cake, and while determining when we should leave our homes in order to arrive on time for an appointment.
While all of those certainly provide examples of how we all use math in daily life, there’s one place we all go — the grocery store — that offers multiple opportunities to practice math skills each time we step inside.
Why Teach Math at the Grocery Store?
I’m all for a solid math curriculum, but there’s value in showing our kids how they’ll use the math they’re learning now. That’s why Grocery Cart Math is such a great idea.
For example:
- Adding and subtracting – We use this each time we’re shopping for ingredients that don’t come packaged according to a recipe we’re using for guidance. We may need to buy two 15 ounce cans of diced tomatoes if the recipe calls for 30 ounces and that size is out of stock.
- Price comparisons – When comparing brands, sizes, and specific varieties of the same product, may use addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division as needed to determine the best value.
- Budgeting – There are ongoing calculations that go into budgeting for a groceries and staying within budget while the shopping is underway.
View a Sample Lesson from Grocery Cart Math
Want to see a sample? You can find a link for a price comparison activity from Grocery Cart Math through the button below.
You can use opportunities like these any time you’re shopping with your kids to explain to them why math is such an important part of the routine act of buying groceries.
Better yet, you can grab a copy of Grocery Cart Math and use it to guide your grocery store math lessons.
Learning Life Skills with Grocery Cart Math
Grocery Cart Math contains 32 easy lessons with sections to be completed in the store and at home. Designed to teach and reinforce 3rd – 5th grade math skills, each exercise is a chance for kids to gain hands-on math practice while shopping alongside you at the grocery store.
These lessons cover a variety of math skills that are perfect to practice while perusing the grocery aisles. Here are some of the math topics that show up in Grocery Cart Math:
- estimation
- skip counting
- counting money
- addition and subtraction
- multiplication and division
- rounding
- less than and greater than
- weights and measurements
The lessons themselves do not have to be completed in a specific order. That makes it easy to customize to meet your needs or work lessons into what’s happening at your local grocery store.
Also, there’s a skills index in the back of the book to help you plan which math skills to focus on and which lessons to use.
Lastly, there are four “just for fun” lessons that step into other academic areas like science, nutrition, and geography. These are a fun way to add some variety to your grocery store learning.
Where to Find Grocery Cart Math
Ready to learn more about Grocery Cart Math? You can see a sample lesson and get all the details about it at Common Sense Press.
Save 15% on Grocery Cart Math!
You can save 15% on Common Sense Press homeschool resources until August 31, 2020 using SUMMER2020 at checkout.
Speaking of Common Sense Press, you can also enter to win a Teacher/Student set from Learning Language Arts Through Literature or a level of Great Science Adventures through the giveaway widget below. :)
In closing, I happily recommend Grocery Cart Math for anyone looking to make the most of natural learning environments. Each activity provides a fun opportunity to practice math skills and see how they fit into daily life.
