A fun 10-minute activity to do with your child!
Your child is learning about percent applications - using percentages to calculate tax, tips, discounts, and interest. These are real-world skills your child will use for the rest of their life! No math expertise needed - you'll learn together!
Pick a meal total. Example: "Our dinner costs $45 before tip and tax."
Calculate different tip amounts: "What's 15% tip? 18%? 20%?"
Show the process: "For 20%, convert to decimal: 0.20. Then multiply: 0.20 x $45 = $9."
Quick trick: "To find 10%, just move the decimal one place left. So 10% of $45 is $4.50. Double it for 20%: $9!"
Add tax: "If tax is 7%, what's 0.07 x $45? ($3.15) What's the grand total?"
"To find a percent of a number, convert the percent to a decimal (divide by 100), then multiply. 20% of $45 = 0.20 x 45 = $9."
Find an item on sale. Example: "This jacket was $80, now 30% off."
Calculate the discount: "30% of $80 = 0.30 x 80 = $24 off."
Find the sale price: "$80 - $24 = $56."
Shortcut method: "If it's 30% OFF, you pay 70%. So 0.70 x $80 = $56!"
Challenge: "If something costs $63 after a 10% discount, what was the original price?" (Hint: $63 is 90% of the original)
"When something is 25% off, you're paying 75% of the price. Subtracting the percent off from 100% gives you the percent you pay!"
Find two values to compare. Example: "Last month, gas was $3.00. Now it's $3.60."
Find the change: "$3.60 - $3.00 = $0.60 increase."
Divide by the ORIGINAL: "$0.60 / $3.00 = 0.20 = 20% increase."
Important rule: "Always divide by the ORIGINAL amount, not the new amount!"
"Percent change = (New - Original) / Original x 100. The key is dividing by the ORIGINAL value, not the new one!"
Percent calculations are some of the most useful math skills in daily life. From shopping sales to restaurant tips to understanding loans, your child is learning math they'll use forever. Thank you for being part of their learning journey!
Su hijo esta aprendiendo sobre aplicaciones de porcentajes. Para encontrar un porcentaje de un numero, convierta el porcentaje a decimal (divida entre 100) y multiplique. Por ejemplo: 20% de $50 = 0.20 x 50 = $10. Para descuentos: si algo tiene 30% de descuento, usted paga 70%. Para cambio porcentual: (Nuevo - Original) / Original x 100. Siempre divida por el valor ORIGINAL. Para interes simple: I = P x r x t (Principal x tasa x tiempo). Practique calculando propinas en restaurantes o precios de venta en tiendas. Gracias por apoyar el aprendizaje de su hijo!