Home Activity: Percent Concepts

A fun 10-minute activity to do with your child!

Dear Family,

Your child is learning about percents - a way to express parts of 100. Percents are everywhere: sales discounts, tips, taxes, grades, and more! Understanding percents is crucial for the Florida FAST test and for making smart financial decisions. No math expertise needed!

Activity 1: Discount Detective 10 min

You'll Need:

  • Sale flyers, store ads, or online shopping pages
  • Calculator (phone works!)
  • Paper and pencil

Find items with percent discounts. Example: "Shoes originally $80, now 25% off!"

Ask: "How much money do you save?" Guide: 25% = 0.25, so 0.25 x $80 = $20 discount

Find the sale price: $80 - $20 = $60

Try more examples! Compare: "Is 30% off $50 better than 20% off $70?"

Key Phrase to Use:

"Percent means 'out of 100.' To find percent OF a number, convert percent to decimal (move decimal left 2 places), then multiply!"

Activity 2: Tip Calculator Challenge 5 min

You'll Need:

  • Restaurant receipt or pretend bill
  • Calculator (optional)

Use a receipt or make up a bill. Example: "Your meal cost $35."

Calculate a 20% tip: "10% of $35 is $3.50. So 20% = 2 x $3.50 = $7.00 tip"

Try different tip amounts: 15% tip? 25% tip? What's the total with tip?

Shortcut for 10%:

"Finding 10% is easy - just move the decimal point LEFT one place! $35 becomes $3.50. Then double it for 20%, or add half for 15%."

Activity 3: Grade Calculator 5 min

You'll Need:

  • Any graded assignment or test
  • Calculator

Look at a test: "You got 18 out of 20 questions right."

Find the percent: 18/20 = 0.90 = 90%

Discuss: "If you need 80% to pass, how many questions is that?" (80% of 20 = 16 questions)

Conversion Reminder:

"To convert a fraction to percent: divide the numerator by denominator, then multiply by 100 (or move decimal right 2 places). 18/20 = 0.9 = 90%"

Questions to Ask Your Child

You're Making a Difference!

Just 10 minutes of practice at home can make a big impact on your child's confidence and success. Understanding percents is a life skill they'll use forever - from shopping smart to understanding grades to managing money. Thank you for being part of their learning journey!

Para Familias Hispanohablantes:

Su hijo esta aprendiendo sobre porcentajes (percents) - una manera de expresar partes de 100. "Por ciento" significa "por cada 100." Para convertir decimal a porcentaje, mueva el punto decimal 2 lugares a la DERECHA (0.45 = 45%). Para convertir porcentaje a decimal, mueva el punto decimal 2 lugares a la IZQUIERDA (45% = 0.45). Para encontrar el porcentaje DE un numero, convierta a decimal y multiplique: 25% de 80 = 0.25 x 80 = 20. Practique con descuentos de tienda, propinas en restaurantes, o calificaciones de pruebas. Gracias por apoyar el aprendizaje de su hijo!