Math and Science for Preschoolers

Major Mathematical Concepts

Understanding numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationship among numbers and number systems Begin to count and recognize “how many objects

Count objects at lunch time, in classroom at home

(cups, plates, forks, papers, pencils, crayons, mats, dolls, toys, etc)

-matching numbers with objects

-number “0” may still be abstract and difficult to represent at this age

Begin to estimate

Guess how many materials are needed for each activity

Understand shapes, patterns and functions Guess musical patterns and hand patterns Play with different shapes Recognize that objects in environment have

shapes Things can change shape Recognize that there may be a lack of

“conservation skills”

Begin to understand size

Classification

Sort by group Children at this age maybe only to do this

with on group at a time (size, color, shape, or other category)

Seriation

Ordering is its beginnings

Easier to compare “er” than “est”

Spatial Relationships

Teach words (under, over, above, below, behind, next to, on, off, beside, in front of, outside inside and in the middle)

Temporal Relationships

Hours, minutes, days, weeks,months, years, today, yesterday, tomorrow, morning, noon and night.

Children begin to refer to these concepts in relation to events (birthdays, school activities, holidays etc.)

Remember when teaching these that some concepts are still abstract.

More ideas

Play “Simon says” with spatial relationships Matching game Play store, bank, shopping etc Classroom directory Graphing Board games such as “ Hi HO Cherry-o” Finger plays and songs

More ideas

Outdoor adventure Cut numbers from magazines Measurement using objects Estimate using string Shapes recognition in the environment