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Fun with Math & Science Core Values You   are   your   child’s   first  teacher.    

You   know   your   child  best.    

Children   learn   best   by  doing   and   they   love  doing  things  with  YOU.    

Reading   is   essential   to  school  success.  

 Children   who   have  many  literacy   experiences   as  toddlers  and  preschoolers  come   to   school   ready   to  learn   (Allington   &  Walmsley,  1995)    Values,   attitudes   and  expectations   held   by  parents   and   others   with  respect   to   literacy   are  likely   to   have   a   lasting  effect  on  a  child’s  attitude  about   learning   to   read.    (Snow  et  al.,  1998,  p.138)    

Children   become   “ready  to  read”  between  4  and  7  years   old,   but   becoming  “ready   to   read”   starts   at  birth.    

You   are   already  doing   activities   to  help  your  child  be  

Ready to

Read!

Six Skills Print  Motivation      I  LOVE  BOOKS  

Print  Awareness    I  SEE  WORDS  

Phonological  Awareness    

I  HEAR  WORDS  AND  SOUNDS  

Narrative  Skills    I  TELL  STORIES  

Vocabulary    I  KNOW  WORDS  

Letter  Knowledge    

I  KNOW  MY  ABC’S  

Five Practices

 

neworleanspubliclibrary.org  

 helps  build  scientific  curiosity  about  

the  world.      

Children are naturally curious and search for patterns.

 

Talk about the world Practice  talking  using  the  scientific  method:  

1. Ask  a  question.  2. Make  a  guess  about  the  answer.  3. Do  an  experiment.  4. Make  observations.  5. Draw  conclusions.  

 

Handout:    Cause  &  Effect  

Workshop Activity:

Let’s  prac+ce                                          by  doing  a  magnifying  experiment  Take-­‐Away  Activity:  

Spy  Glass  

 

When  talking,  think  about  ways  to  use  the  following  vocabulary:  

• observing  (using  senses  and  simple  tools)  

• describing  (verbally  or  through  pictorial  representations)  

• comparing  (noting  similarities  and  differences)  

• questioning & predicting (noting  expected  outcomes)  

• experimenting  (trying  an  action  to  discover  an  unknown)  

• reflecting  (integrating  new  info  into  one’s  knowledge  base)  

• cooperating  (working  together  and  sharing  findings)  

• What  do  you  notice  about  this  thing?  •  Colors,  shapes,  textures,  parts...  

• Does  it  remind  you  of  anything?  

• What  could  you  do  with  it?  

ASK  QUESTIONS    

AND    

WAIT!

 

 

neworleanspubliclibrary.org  

Fun with Math & Science  songs  about  science  and  math  help  

children  build  background  information  about  the  world.    

 

Rhythms  and  rhymes  help  develop  

listening  and  attention  skills.  

Active  participation  in  music  increases  retention,  builds  

memory,  and  helps  develop  the  connections  in  the  brain.  

 

Research  handout  -­‐  Synaptic  Density  

Sing  SCIENCE  Songs   • Our Body • Our Senses • Counting • Seasons • Planets • Water Cycle • Moon Cycle • Butterfly Cycle

 

 Sing  COUNTING  Songs    

• Ten  in  the  Bed    • Five  Li'le  Monkeys  • Ants  Go  Marching  In  • Five  Li'le  Ducks  • 10  Li&le  Indians  • Hickory  Dickory  Dickory  

Dock  • One,  Two,  Buckle  My  Shoe  

 

Can you think of other topics to sing about?  

 

 Workshop  Activity    

Let’s  practice                                        

 Dem  Bones  

Take-­‐away  activity:  

Straw  Bones/Necklace  

 

 

 

 

 

neworleanspubliclibrary.org  

is  about  understanding  

the  MEANING of  words.    Children  learn  best  by  hearing  words  spoken  by  the  most  meaningful  people  in  their  life  and  hearing  words  used  in  a  meaningful  context,  i.e.  during  dinner,  at  the  playground,  at  the  library,  walking  around  town,  during  bath  /me.    

Children's  experiences  with  the  world  greatly  influence  their  ability  to  comprehend  what  they  read.  Reading  involves  comprehending  written  texts.  What  children  bring  to  a  text  influences  the  understandings  they  take  away  and  the  use  they  make  of  what  is  read.  

• Background  knowledge  about  the  world  is  built  from  a  child's  experiences.  

• The  more  limited  a  child's  experiences  the  more  likely  he  or  she  will  have  difficulty  comprehending  what  is  read.  

Early  Literacy:  Policy  and  Practice  in  the  Preschool  Years  By:  Dorothy  Strickland  and  Shannon  Riley-­‐Ayers    www.readingrockets.org    

 

 

 

Reading  factual  or  information  books  helps  

build    

BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE

 

Workshop  Activity:      

Let’s  practice              

A  factual  or  information  book  

Take-­‐Away  Activity:  

Hot  &  Cold  

 

Handout:    How  to  Read  Non-­‐Fiction  Texts      

     

 

neworleanspubliclibrary.org  

Fun with Math & Science development  in  the  early  years  is  about  

experimenting  with  movement,  building  strength,  and  grasping  the  world  around  you,  both  literally  and  figuratively!      

 

A  large  listening  and  spoken  vocabulary  makes  it  easier  for  a  child  to  connect  a  written  word  to  its  meaning.    

 

Workshop  Activity:      

Let’s  practice    

by  counting  and  coloring  Mardi  Gras  Masks  Take-­‐away  activity:  

Fun  with  Math  

 

Parent  Tip:    For  ac'vity  ideas  to  reinforce  those  skills  in  your  daily  rou-nes,  we  also  have  Fun  with  Stories  and  Fun  with  Words  and  Fun  with  Le#ers  workshops!  

 

 

How  many  ways  can  you  practice?  

Count  your  blocks  using  hash  marks  

Measure  your  height  

Make  a  grocery  list  

Count  the  bubbles  you  pop  in  the  bath  

Count  the  number  of  peas  you  eat  

Time  how  long  it  takes  you  to  put  away  your  toys  

Measure  how  high  you  can  jump,  you  can  reach  

Count  your  fingers,  toes,  eyes,  nose  

Stack  blocks  and  measure  how  high  

Sort  and  label  ,  with  pictures  or  words  

Let’s  think  of  other  ways!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

neworleanspubliclibrary.org  

helps  your  child  

experiment!  

Workshop  Activity:      

Let’s  practice    

With  Static  Electricity  

Take-­‐away  Activity:  

Play  Dough/Fun  Mixtures  

 

WHAT  IS  A    Sensory  Tub???  

 Handout:    STEM  Tools  at  Home    Research:  Children  have  a  natural  tendency  to  enjoy  observing  and  thinking  about  nature  (Eshach  &  Fried,  2005;  Ramey-­‐Gassert,  

1997).  Young  children  are  motivated  to  explore  the  world  around  them,  and  early  science  experiences  can  capitalize  on  this  inclination  (French,  2004).  Developmentally  appropriate  engagement  with  quality  science  learning  experiences  is  vital  to  help  children  understand  the  world,  collect  and  organize  information,  apply  and  test  ideas,  and  develop  positive  attitudes  toward  science  (Eshach  &  Fried,  2005)  {Teaching  Science  During  the  Early  Years  –  Trundle  2009}  

The  Whole  of  Science  is  nothing  more  than  the  refinement  of  everyday  

thinking.  

-­‐-­‐Albert  Einstein    

One of best ways to play with science & math is in the KITCHEN!

Use Recipes, Describe Steps

Measure Ingredients

Predict changes during mixing, cooking, baking

Observe changes in color, texture, form

Cooperate by doing steps together, taking turns, being safe with hot & sharp things

Experiment with substitute steps or ingredients

Reflect by enjoying your creation and talking about what made it so great!