Q: I'm looking for ways to reinforce math skills with our children. We do the obvious, like grocery store estimation. Are there fun math books, games and activities to enjoy with our kids?

A: There are many captivating children's books with math themes, notes Marilyn Burns, one of the nation's top math educators and founder of Math Solutions, an organization that provides mathematics resources to educators around the country. For example, "12 Ways to Get to 11" (Aladdin, 1996) builds familiarity with the number 11. "Monster Math" (Sandpiper, 2002) reinforces an understanding of "one less," and "Monster Math Picnic" (Cartwheel, 1998) develops an understanding of addition combinations of 10.

Ask the school librarian for books that match your children's levels, or go to Burns' bibliography of math-themed children's literature at mathsolutions.com/documents/lessons_chart-2.pdf.

Jen Hataway, a math lab instructor at award-winning Beacon Cove Intermediate School in Jupiter, Fla., sends home the following list of games and says, "The games are appropriate for kids 5 to 95!"

-- "Angry Birds": trial and error, weights, angles and positions

-- Battleship: algebraic thinking, plotting coordinates

-- Blokus; Blokus Duo: algebraic thinking, area/spatial sense.

-- Bop It; Simon: auditory patterns, physical actions

-- Dicecapades: basic facts, physical actions, spatial sense, art

-- Dominoes: algebraic thinking, addition, subtraction, fact families

-- Farkle: patterns, probability, addition with large numbers

-- Legos/K'NEX/Lincoln Logs: angles, two- and three-dimensional construction

-- Mastermind: algebraic thinking, patterns, trial and error

-- Monopoly: addition, subtraction, money

-- Name 5: attributes, real-world application of skills

-- Othello: algebraic thinking, area/spatial sense

-- Perplexus and Rubik's Cube: rotate/reflect, matching

-- Rush Hour: algebraic thinking, rotate/reflect, area/spatial sense

-- Qwirkle: attributes, shapes

-- Rumis: algebraic thinking, volume, area/spatial sense

-- Sudoku: algebraic thinking, patterns

-- Trouble and Uno: algebraic thinking, patterns, counting

-- Yahtzee: algebraic thinking, patterns, addition

"You don't need to spend a fortune," says Hataway. Some of these games have free downloadable apps. You can pick up used ones at yard sales and thrift shops.

"Playing old favorites such as rummy or poker with a regular deck of cards promotes algebraic thinking, patterns, place value, basic facts and attributes," she says.

When playing with your children, Hataway offers these tips:

First, interject the vocabulary they are learning in math class, such as "vertical," "horizontal," "diagonal," "clockwise," "counter-clockwise," "column," "row" and so on.

"If you've got a card that's a diamond, explain that it's also called a rhombus," suggests Hataway. "This reinforces terms used in geometry."

Second, encourage them to explain their actions and predict outcomes.

"When it is their turn, ask them what result they expect and then review what happened, much as a coach might," says Hataway. "In math, it's important for kids to talk about their thinking."

Third, don't let them win.

"Doing so deprives them of true accomplishments," says Hataway. "Instead, model winning strategies and let them learn from your example. We want children to feel as smart as they really are; it does them no service to instill a false sense of success."

Fourth, keep it fun!

"There's lots of math within these games. Families can have a wonderful time finding it. But stop when the fun stops and start again another day!"

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: My family was swamped by Hurricane Sandy. We're back home and school is open, but my 8-year–old son isn't sleeping, and he fights going to school. Should I let him stay home for a while?

A: No. He needs to be in school. Experts agree that after meeting basic survival needs, the most important thing we can do for children who have experienced a natural disaster is to restore the routines of school. This is why UNICEF delivers School-in-a-Box kits, along with food and medical supplies to children in developing nations who are displaced from their homes.

While you may have moved on from crisis mode, the impact is still very real to your son.

"Kids need three things from parents during an event like this," says Marissa Gehley, founder of KNOW (Kids Need Our Wisdom) Consulting and an expert on kids in crisis.

"First, they need to be heard," she says. "Don't ignore it. Listen to what they are thinking. Get them to talk about what happened. Ask your son what his biggest fear is. Speaking calmly, without emotion, place the event in perspective with facts. Limit television to avoid overload, and if he does watch, make sure you're with him to answer questions."

Second, empower your son to help.

"An 8-year-old can be a part of a team to help others, such as collecting for the Red Cross," says Gehley. "This constructive response helps him assume some sense of control."

Third, make sure he knows what to do in case of emergency, Gehley says.

"Teach 'emergency thinking,'" she says. "Every family should have a safety plan that is posted and easy to implement. Include a communications plan (place a copy in his file at school), phone list and a safety kit with supplies."

When you create the plan, put your son in charge of something important, such as checking the batteries in emergency lanterns every six months.

"Many families don't create a safety plan with their kids because they think it will worry them needlessly," Gehley says. "To the contrary! Kids who are involved in the plan feel safe and cared for, and they're more likely to be able to function appropriately when an emergency strikes."

The whole family should help create the plan. Ask "what if" questions. What if the family isn't together when emergency strikes? Who is someone everyone can call to check in? Does everyone know where supplies are? What would be taken and what would be left behind?

"Don't just make the plan and post it on the refrigerator door -- rehearse it once every few months," says Gehley. "Kids are familiar with fire drills at school; this is no different."

Be sure to alert his teacher that he's having a hard time dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane.

"Kids bring concerns to class, and it's a good place to clear up misconceptions," Gehley says. "Many teachers, especially since Sept. 11, are trained to help kids deal with traumatic events. Classroom discussion could actually help your son."

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: My middle-schooler has a lot of YouTube videos as homework. He says it's because the school has "flipped instruction." Can you please explain what this is?

A: Flipped instruction is a new teaching strategy. Traditionally, teachers present new material during class time and assign students homework and group projects to do on their own. But flipped instruction switches the model: Teachers introduce new content through videos or podcasts that are assigned as homework. They ask students to take notes and answer questions. In class, the teacher discusses those questions with students and works with them on individual and group projects, such as labs, to put their new knowledge to work.

For instance, let's say your son is learning about the Earth's structure and plate tectonics in science. In flipped instruction, the teacher might assign online videos (including the teacher's own lectures) that tell the story of how continents were formed and where earthquakes and volcanoes occur. Once students have viewed the videos, the teacher uses class time to answer questions, coach students in experiments and check their understanding through tests and activities. (For a short tutorial, go to youtube.com/watch?v=26pxh_qMppE.)

What are the benefits? Colorado educators Aaron Sams and Jonathan Bergmann, authors of "Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day" (International Society for Technology in Education, 2012), believe that flipped instruction personalizes learning, increases student-teacher interaction, holds the attention of students who struggle during class lectures and leads to a deeper understanding of concepts.

Mary Beth Hertz, a K-8 technology teacher in Philadelphia, says that the model provides a way to "individualize learning for students, so they can move at their own pace and review what they need when they need it. It can free the teacher to work one-on-one with students who need the most support. Students who miss lessons can catch up through video and online course tools like Edmodo or Moodle."

For flipped instruction to be successful, says Hertz, teachers must make and choose videos and podcasts carefully.

"Materials should include a variety of approaches in the same way a face-to-face lesson would," she says. "In math, for instance, students must see different ways to solve an equation. The videos must have good sound and image quality so that students can follow along and stay engaged. They must also match the curriculum and the activities the students will complete in class."

One drawback is that students who don't have online access at home can't rely on public libraries, where computers have time limits, says Hertz.

"Plus," she says, "if everyone flips their classrooms, students will be in front of a screen for hours every night. Not everyone learns best through a screen."

Parents should make sure that kids aren't watching a string of videos without corresponding class activities to lock in the learning, says Hertz.

"We know that students achieve best when learning is centered around the student, not the teacher," she says. "Flipped instruction works best when it allows that to happen."

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)