A simple way families can support math learning during the winter season
As the weather turns colder, winter provides the perfect opportunity for families to explore math in hands-on, cozy ways. The Concrete Representational Abstract (CRA) approach, a research-supported strategy used in classrooms, helps students build deep, flexible understanding of math concepts. The best part? Families can practice it at home using everyday winter items.
Concrete: Build it!
Encourage students to model a math idea using real objects they can touch and move. Winter brings lots of fun options:
Mini marshmallows in hot cocoa
Pieces of cereal
Coins, buttons, or small snacks
Students might show “three groups of four” by placing marshmallows into three small piles, or model addition/subtraction by combining or removing objects.
Representational: Draw it!
Once they have built a model, invite students to sketch what they created.
They can draw:
Snowflakes to show groups
Mittens to represent sets
Snowballs, cups of cocoa, or any winter item they enjoy
The drawing doesn’t need to be perfect. It simply helps them move from doing to seeing the math.
Abstract: Write the math!
After building and drawing, students turn their picture into a math statement:
An equation (e.g., 3 × 4 = 12)
A number sentence
A symbolic representation
This step connects real objects and pictures to the formal math students see in school.
Justify: Explain the thinking!
The final, and often most powerful, step is asking:
“How does your model show your answer is correct?”
Students might say:
“My three piles of four marshmallows show 3 × 4 = 12 because I counted all of them.”
“My mitten drawing has six mittens in two rows of three, so it matches the equation 2 × 3.”
Justification strengthens reasoning, communication, and confidence, and helps adults understand what a child really knows.
Why this matters
Sharing C R A at home gives families an easy, accessible way to support math learning. With a few winter-themed items and a simple set of steps, students can practice meaningful math reasoning in a way that feels fun and natural. It reinforces classroom instruction, deepens understanding, and helps caregivers feel connected to what their children are learning.