math teaching math to young children

MATHTEACHING MATH TO YOUNG CHILDREN

1 napkin1 straw12 marshmallows10 fruit loops5 toothpicks1 licorice string (it is okay if it breaks)

TRY TO MEMORIZE THESE SYMBOLS

Top to bottom, left to right:

1, 7, 12, 3, 6, 4, 5, 10, 8, 9, 11, 2

NOW TEST YOURSELF:A taste of what a

child has to accomplish

when learning numbers.

The better children were at reading as preschoolers, the better they were at reading in elementary school. And the better preschoolers

were at mathematics, the better they were at mathematics in later grades. This is important, but not surprising. However, this is only half of

the story. Early reading predicts only later reading ability.

Mathematics in preschool predicts not only mathematics, but also later literacy and reading skills. Mathematics is a general cognitive skill

stepping stone for many areas.

Teaching children math / February 2008 Clements and Sarama

MATH IS IN EVERYDAY LIFEWhere do we see math?

Recipes, cleaning up, getting dressed, laundry, dishes, the sandbox, toys, songs,

stories …

More than just 1 - 2 - 3

MATH IN STORIES, SONGS, AND FINGERPLAYS

1,2,3,4,5 once I Caught a Fish Alive6,7,8,9,10 Then I let him go again.

Why’d-ya let him go again?‘cause he bit my finger so!Which finger did he bite?

This little finger on the right.

Other stories and songs that deal with MATH concepts?• 5 Little Monkeys in a tree or on the Bed• 5 Little Speckled Frogs or Little Ducks• How much is a million?• Silly Sally • The old Woman Who Swallowed a fly

TEACHING MATH1. Consider children’s interests and prior knowledge

2. Social interaction is important Oral language is important in development of math skills.

Necessary for the development of every task and skill. Provide opportunities for discussing and questioning

3. MATH CONCEPTS SHOULD BE CONCRETE and MANIPULATIVE Objects that provide hands on learning experiences. Filled with PLAY and Exploration

MATHEMATICAL MANIPULATIVES MANIPULATIVES

Felt & magnetic numbers & shapes Peg boards / Geo Boards Ruler, measuring tapes, measuring cups, scales Play money & cash registers Calendars Timers, clocks, Thermometers Counting rods Light & heavy objects Buttons, keys, spools Puzzles

TEACHING MATH4. Repetition is an important part of all learning.5. Mistakes are great & a very natural part of the learning process. - Reteach the concept in a different way and continue practicing the skill.

- Break it down into small and simple steps and go slow.- Use manipulatives for hands on (tactile) learning.

6. INTRODUCE NEW VOCABULARY

Big & Little

together

High & Low

Wide & NarrowFirst, middle & Last Few & ManyHighest & Lowest

Bunch

Once - TwicePair

Light and heavy

Long, tall, & Short

Same and different

More and less

most

group

MATH CONCEPTS

CONCEPT #1: COUNTING Rote Counting

Learned by memorization Tell how many Touch objects

One to one correspondence Count as we clap, climb stairs, eat,

sidewalk squares, jump up and down Touch points

Number link

TOUCH POINTS (DOT) NUMBERS

1 2 3 4 56 7 8 9

COUNTING IDEAS

• Playing board games • Chutes and Ladders, Hi-Ho Cherry-O

• Feed the Bear • Roll a dice and throw that number of Bean

Bags into the bears mouth • Activity Dice

• Roll a dice and draw an activity card. Do that activity the number on the dice. Ie: jump 3 times.

•*Touch each object as you count it so it is only counted once.•*Hold up a number for them to recognize and count out that many.•*Eat only 1 - now how many? TRY THIS ACTIVITY

CONCEPT #2: MEASURE UP Figuring the measurement of objects

Length, height, weight, size Measuring units: inch, pound, quart, Use their hand, their pencil, candy… to measure

Measurement comparisons Bigger, lighter, more than, …

MEASURING IDEASIt was this big!Cut out several different sizes of fish. Have rulers for the children to compare the different lengths of fish. Use the fish to measure items.

Longer or shorter straw game.Cut straws into different lengths and place in a bag. Write the words “longer” and “shorter” on cards and turn them over. Take turns each drawing a straw and then turn over 1 card. The word on the card determines the winner.

TRY THIS ACTIVITY

CONCEPT #3: CLASSIFICATION AND SORTING Putting items together that are alike in some way or that belong

together - categorizing. Ask: Does this belong?

Sort boys/girls Sort children by hair or eye color Sort different types of animals Sort buttons, laundry, dishes

Sorting trays help organize. clear cup, egg carton, muffin tin, ice cube tray

CLASSIFYING IDEAS

Glue buttons to a sturdy board.Give the children a piece of yarn and show them how to wrap it around the buttons to make designs. Have children wrap the yarn around the same color of buttons, or a certain number of buttons, etc. TEACH SHAPES:Ask the children to create a rectangle, square or triangle.

Have a pile of items: Colored beads, buttons, pompoms, feathers, etc.Ask them to put / glue the appropriate color into the box labeled with the colors or other characteristic.

Beans, Beans, Beans• Combine a variety of beans in a large

tote. • The children can then separate the

beans into smaller bowls.

TRY THIS ACTIVITY

CONCEPT #4: Statistics & Probability

Creating a visual representation of your discovery Graph types of bugs found, growth of plants,

hair or eye colors in class, etc.Making a prediction

Predict how many flowers will bloom from seeds planted.

Statistics IDEAS• Graph

- Types of shoes (tie, slip on, sandals/flip flops, sneakers) that students are wearing.

- Have children pick out their 5 favorite foods and place their pictures on the graph. Count each of the items with the students and discuss which has more and less.

• Chips are Down Game Drop math chips or other items into a jar. Have children lay the items that made it into the jar out in a line. Look at all of the children’s lines to see who made the most drop baskets.

TRY THIS ACTIVITY

CONCEPT #5: Sequencing

The order of how to accomplish a task or how things happened. Beginning, middle, last Beginning and end 1st, 2nd, 3rd then have them

reverse it. Sequence the order of

pictures in a story

SEQUENCING ACTIVITY1 = Stand at attention2 = Arms straight out to side3 = Clap hands above head4 = Hands on waist

– Do all 4 actions as a class.– Divide into 4 groups.

• Assign each an action to a group• Count and have every group do their movement • Do it faster.

• What else can you put in a SEQUENCE?

TRY THIS ACTIVITY

Recipes are Sequencing• Cat Eye• Have snack

crackers, peanut butter, bananas, and raisins available.

• Have children create the snack from the poster.

TRY THIS ACTIVITY

Concept #6 = Time Children can start to read a clock

Have a digital clock next to a face clock Time concepts must relate to their world

The length of their favorite TV show, “sleeps” Before and after, sequence, timers

Salt / Water Timer in a cup.

How fast will you eat your candy?

CONCEPT #7: SPATIAL RELATIONS1. Maps - Map of the classroom - Map the house - Map of neighborhood2. Space / matter - On, in, under, next to - Dog in a dog house.3. Follow directions - Draw or place the red flower

next to the orange one. - Place the red flower in the corner

of the sand bucket.

SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS IDEASHave marshmallows and spaghetti noodles available for children to create a marshmallow sculpture.

Tinker toys, legos, lincoln logs,…

TRY THIS ACTIVITY

CONCEPT #8 TEMPERATURECookingThermometerOutside:Temperature in the shade, sun, car, …

CONCEPT #9: SHAPES Shape identification

Pictures of shapes need name written on it (language development)

The shape of objects in a room 2 & 3 dimension

Spheres, cubes, rectangular, prisms, cylinder (use correct names)

Tommy Triangle is the name for me. Tap my sides one, two, three.Ricky Rectangle is my name. My four sides are not the same. Two are short and two are long. One, two, three, fourSandy Square is my name. My four sides are just the same. Count one side and then count more. Count to two, then three, then four. Turn me around, I don’t care! I’m always the same, I’m sandy square.I’m Suzy Circle watch me bend, Round and round, from end to end.Ollie Oval that is me! I am not round as you can see. Like an egg that a hen has laid, That is the way I am made.Danny Diamond says, “The thing I am like is a colorful, Big, high-flying kite.

triangle

rectangle

circle oval

square

diamond

SHAPES IDEAS

Shape HuntCut out a large circle, square, triangle and rectangle, and star. Place the objects around the room and have the children hunt for the different shapes.Shape MovePlay a game where you move # of spaces of the # of shape sides (circle=0)

Don’t eat Shape!

CONCEPT #10: PATTERNINGRepeat & growing patternsLogical reasoningEliminate ones that are different

PATTERNING IDEASCut construction paper into 1” strips.Have children pick two different colors of construction paper.Alternate the strips and staple closed.

PATTERN ACTIVITYFruit Loops on a paper plate

• Students are to make a pattern on a very small straw (coffee/hot chocolate) using 10 fruit loops.

• Put a small marshmallow on each end.You have just created an EDIBLE ABACUS

What else can be put in a PATTERN?

TRY THIS ACTIVITY

CONCEPT #11 = COLOR

Using crayons or markers, trace the number and do the following:1 = Red

2 = Blue

3 = Green

4 = Orange

5 = Yellow

6 = Purple

7 = Pink

8 = Brown

9 = Black

10 = Your Favorite Color

12

3

4

6

7

9

810 5

6

COLOR IDEAS

Transition timesSorting by colorPlay “I spy”Color charts and graphsColor associations

“Bring me the red block vs. what color is this”

CONCEPT # 12: MONEY Children can start to identify

coins Playing store helps children gain

a sense of the cost of things Label the food in the child care

lab with prices, and allow the children to buy the food.

My dad gave me one dollar billCause I’m his smartest son,

And I swapped it for two shiny quartersCause two is more than one.

And then I took the quartersAnd traded them to Lou

For three dimes-I guess he don’t knowThat three is more than two.

Just then, along came old blind BatesAnd just cause he can’t see

He gave me four nickels for my three dimes,And four is more than three.

And I took the nickels to Hiram CoombsDown at the seed-feed store,

And the fool gave me five pennies for them,And five is more than four.

And then I went and showed my dad,And he got red in the cheeks

And closed his eyes and shook his head-Too proud of me to speak!

SMART

ByShel

SILVERSTEIn

TRY THIS ACTIVITY

CONCEPT #13: SERIATING Size relationships

Putting things in order based on Size, weight, and volume Big, bigger, biggest Tallest to shortest Lightest to heaviest

SERIATION IDEASTrace and cut out each of the children’s feet onto a sheet of paper. Have the children put the feet in order of largest to smallest and vice versa.Go Fishing: attach a paper clip to fish of different sizes. Attach a magnet to a rope and fish. Put the fish in order by size.

Have 4 students come to the front of the room. Group them according to body height and then hair length.

SERIATION ACTIVITY• Take one piece of Shoe String Licorice and break into 4

pieces of different sizes. • Put in order of Shortest to Longest

What else is an example of SERIATION?

TRY THIS ACTIVITY