WaystoHelpYoungChildrenLoveMath

Singsongsandreadbooks.Singsongs.Songsarepatterned.Learningthepatternhelpsusrememberthesong.Patternsrepeatinapredictablewaythathelpsusknowwhatcomesnext.SongslikeFiveGreenandSpeckledFrogs,FiveLittleMonkeys,HokeyPokey,andTenLittleFingersteachnumberorder—childrencountupordownfromanumber—andspatiallanguagelikeon,in,out,andaround.Readbooks.Therearelotsofgreatpicturebooksaboutcounting,number,pattern,measurement,shapes,measurement,andengineeringthatcanbefoundatthelocallibrary.Takealookatthelistatwww.ym.edc.org.

Useyourfingers!Scientistsknowthatwhenchildrenusetheirfingerstocounttheyarestrengtheningtheirnumberknowledgeandtheirabilitytovisualizenumbersintheirmind.Youcanplaythesetwogameswithfingers,toys,otherobjects,andevenpeople!

HowManyDoYouSee?Haveyourchildcountyourfingersandseehowmanydifferentwaysyoucan“show5”ontwohands.Then,youcanshownumbersupto10.Eventually,addyourhandsandgoupto20.

HowManyAreHiding?Startwithyourwholehand and“hide”somefingers .Askchildren“Howmanyarehiding?”.

DoPuzzles.

Jigsawpuzzles.Startwitheasypuzzlesandfindmorechallengingonesasyourchildneeds.Youcanevenmakeyourownpuzzlesbydrawingapictureandcuttingitinto2,3,4,ormorepieces!

3Dbuildingpuzzles.Blocks,Legos,K’nex,Magna-Tiles,orLincolnLogsmaynotseemlikepuzzlesbutbuildinginthreedimensionstocreateastructure.Buildingwiththesematerialshelpschildrendevelopstrongspatialskills.

Numberpuzzles.KenKenpuzzlescanbedoneinpaperandpenciloronappsonmobilephones.Thesegamehelpchildrenthingstrategically,lookforpatterns,andfindefficientsolutions.Starteasyandletyourchildguidewhentoseekmorechallenge.

Origami.Thecreationsyoucanmakejustbyfoldingpaperhelpchildrendevelopstrongspatialskills[website?].

Playingwithpuzzleshelpschildrenthinkaboutnumber,shapes,andspatialrelationshipsmoreeffectivelybythinkingstrategically,lookingforpatterns,andfindingefficientsolutions.Researchershavefoundthatpeoplewithstrongspatialskillstendtodobetterinmathastheygetolder.Puzzlesalsohelpchildrenseethefunandbeautyinmathandtofindsatisfactioninsolvingachallengingpuzzle.Award-winningmathematicianSarahFlannerywrote,“puzzleshavebeenfarmorebeneficialtomethanyearsoflearningformulaandproofs.”

©2016Allrightsreserved.Tolearnmore,visitym.edc.org.

WaystoHelpYoungChildrenLoveMath

Playboardgamesandcardgames.Boardgames.WhileplayinggameslikeCandyLand,ChutesandLadders,Hi-HoCherry-O,andSorry,childrenbuildimportantearlymathskillslikemovingagamepieceonespaceatatimewhilecountingthenumberofspaces(one-to-onecorrespondence).Atthesametime,childrenaredevelopingimportantmathematicalhabitsofmindthattheyneedtobesuccessfulinmathlikeperseverance,problem-solving,lookingforpatternsandrelationships,determiningstrategies,andlearningfrommistakes.

Cardgames.GameslikeMemory,GoFish,War,SlapJack,Crazy8s,Uno,andSleepingQueenshelpchildrenpracticerecognizingandcomparingnumbers.Theyalsodevelopimportantexecutivefunctionskillssuchasworkingmemoryandpayingattentiontomultipleattributes(suchasshape,number,andcolor).Theseareskillsthatchildrenneedforsuccessinmath.

Bepositiveandencouragea“growthmindset”.Childrentendtoadopttheirparents’attitudesaboutmath,sotohelpyourchildsucceedandfeelpositiveaboutmath,talkabouthowmathisinterestingandfun.Sometimesmathmakesusthinkhard,butthatchallengeisgoodforourbrains.Insteadofreactingnegativelytochildren’smistakes,talkaboutwhattheycanlearnfromthemistake.Lookforthelogicintheirthinkingandwheretheywentwrong.Mistakesarenatural;weallmakemistakes;butnoticing,learningfromthem,andtryingagainiswhatmakesourbrainssmarter.Smarterissomethingyou“get”,notsomethingyou“are”.

BigIdeasinPreschoolMathCount,Group,Compare,Problem-Solve,Communicate

Number.Childrengainnumberknowledgebypracticingthenumberwords,countinggroupsofobjectsandnaminghowmanyinall,comparingandorderingobjectsandnumbers(morethan,lessthan,sameas),takingapartandputtingtogethergroupsofobjectsandnoticingthenumberstheyget.

Shape.Childrengainknowledgeofshapesbymanipulating,sorting,andusingmirrorsonmanydifferentshapes,andbycombiningthemtomakenewshapes.Andtheylearnalotbyseeingcontrastingshapesandcomparing(e.g.numberandlengthofsides,numberandsizeofcorners,straightorcurvededges)andnamingthem.

Spatialreasoning.Childrengainspatialknowledgebydoingpuzzles,buildingwithblocksandLegos,andusingspatiallanguage(e.g.in,on,under).Thepuzzlesstrengthenchildren’sabilitytovisualize,manipulate,mentallyanalyzeobjectsindifferentpositions.Thelanguagehelpsthemdescribeandcommunicate.

Measuring.Throughplayandexperimenting,andactivelymeasuringand/orjustcomparingamounts,childrengainknowledgelength,height,distance,area,weight,volume,andtime.

Pattern.Childrenrecognizepatternsinallaspectsoftheirlivesfromtheirbedtimeroutinetosinginganddancing.Patternsrepeatinaregularwaythathelpsyoupredictwhatcomesnext.Lookingforpatternsintheworldinnumber,art,nature,andbuildinghelpschildrendevelopthisimportantmathematicalwayofthinking.

©2016Allrightsreserved.Tolearnmore,visitym.edc.org.