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Preschool
Math at Home
35 Simple Activities That
Lay the Foundation for Math Success
KATE SNOW
Preschool
Math at
Home
35 Simple Activities that
Lay the Foundation for
Math Success
Kate Snow
Copyright 2015 Kate Snow
Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................ 1
Why Teach Math to Preschoolers? .......................................................... 2
What Your Child Will Learn ....................................................................3
How to Use This Book............................................................................ 6
Recognizing Amounts and Counting to Five ................................................ 9
1.1 Count Toys in a Line ............................ Error! Bookmark not defined.10
1.2 Count with Fingers ..........................................................................11
1.3 Peek-A-Boo Fingers ........................................................................ 11
1.4 Introduce Zero with Fingers ............................................................. 11
1.5 Feed the Stuffed Animal .................................................................. 10
1.6 Match Claps to Blocks ..................................................................... 12
1.7 Count Claps.................................................................................... 13
1.8 Count Hops .................................................................................... 13
Combinations That Make Five ................................................................. 114
2.1 Hide-and-Seek Toys ....................................................................... 15
2.2 Fingers Up, Fingers Down.............................................................. 126
2.3 Blocks on the Five-Frame ................................................................ 17
2.4 Peek-a-Boo Blocks on the Five-Frame ............................................. 17
2.5 Missing Blocks on the Five-Frame .................................................... 18
2.6 Blocks in a Bag ............................................................................... 18
Counting to Ten and Comparing Amounts ............................................... 139
3.1 Can You…? .................................................................................... 20
3.2 Count with Fingers to Ten................................................................ 21
3.3 Count the Handfuls ......................................................................... 21
3.4 Who Has More? .............................................................................. 22
3.5 Dice War Game ............................................................................... 23
3.6 Race to 10 Game .............................................................................24
Connecting to Written Numerals .............................................................. 25
4.1 Number Race Game .........................................................................26
4.2 Matching Number Cards .................................................................27
4.3 Number Jump.................................................................................27
4.4 Mixed-Up Number Jump .................................................................28
4.5 Number Memory Game ...................................................................28
4.6 Go Fish Game.................................................................................29
4.7 Ten-Frame War.............................................................................. 30
4.8 War Card Game (Traditional Version)................................................ 31
4.9 Number Sequence Memory Game ..................................................... 32
Combinations That Make Ten .................................................................. 33
5.1 Ten-Frame Peek-a-Boo ................................................................... 34
5.2 Peek-A-Boo Fingers with Two Hands ................................................ 35
5.3 Missing Blocks on the Ten-Frame..................................................... 35
5.4 Blocks in a Bag ............................................................................... 36
5.5 Make Tens Memory Game ................................................................ 36
5.6 Make Tens Go Fish Game ................................................................. 37
Printables .............................................................................................. 38
About the Author ................................................................................... 45
Introduction
Why Teach Math to
Preschoolers?
Preschoolers are a joy. Their imaginations never stop. They’re
interested in everything, and they want to go, go, go! They burst
with pride over their newly-developed abilities—to hop on one
foot, to write their names in crooked print, or to know where to
put the forks on the table.
Most preschoolers are just as curious about numbers as they are
about outer space or ladybugs, but preschool math is often a
dreary and boring affair. Workbooks abound for learning to count
and write numbers, but preschoolers need to move, talk, and play
as they begin to explore the world of math.
That’s where this book comes in. You won’t find a single
worksheet in it. Instead, you’ll find simple (but effective) games
and activities to enjoy with your preschooler. Your child will
master the numbers from zero to ten as the two of you count
blocks, hide stuffed animals, jump from number to number, and
play games.
As the two of you enjoy these activities together, your child will
learn far more than just counting to ten, though. Rather, your
child will also learn to visualize the numbers up to ten and to
match quantities with written numbers. She’ll learn to compare
numbers, and she’ll even lay a foundation for addition and
subtraction as she takes numbers apart and explores
combinations.
With a deep understanding of the numbers up to ten, your child will
be well-prepared for kindergarten. Perhaps even more importantly,
she’ll start her formal schooling with a positive attitude toward
math!
Introduction
Page 2
What Your Child Will
Learn
All of the activities in this book focus on the four key skills that
help preschoolers develop a thorough understanding of numbers:
counting, subitizing, comparing numbers, and recognizing
written numerals.
Counting: more complicated than adults realize
Counting seems very basic, but it is actually very complex. To be
able to count accurately, a child has to learn:
•
The order of the counting words (“one, two, three,” etc.),
•
That any kind of thing can be counted (blocks, sounds,
jumps, people, etc.),
•
That you have to count each item once and only once,
•
That you can count objects in any order,
•
That the last number said when counting is the total
number. (For example, young children can often point to
blocks and say “one, two, three” but aren’t able to say how
many blocks there.)
You don’t need to discuss these concepts explicitly with your
child, though. Children learn them naturally through repeated
exposure to counting, and they’re all embedded in the activities
in this book.
Introduction
Page 3
Subitizing: recognizing quantities without counting
While learning counting strategies is essential, children also need
to learn to recognize groups of items without counting. This skill
is called subitizing. Recognizing small quantities helps children
start to think of numbers as groups and understand the
relationships between numbers.
In this book, you’ll use a five-frame for some of the beginning
activities. Take a look at the five-frame below. Notice how you
can immediately “see” that there are three circles, and that two
spots are empty? When you do this, you’re subitizing. Organizing
blocks on the five-frame helps develop this crucial skill and helps
children move beyond one-by-0ne counting to solve problems.
Once your child is familiar with the five-frame, you’ll then use a
ten-frame. The ten-frame is especially useful for noticing
relationships between numbers. For example, can you tell how
many blocks are on this ten-frame without counting?
You might have noticed that there is one empty box and figured
that there must be nine blocks. Or, you might have noticed that
there are five blocks on the left-hand side and four blocks on the
right-hand side, for a total of nine blocks. Either way, you were
using relationships about numbers to find the total, rather than
one-by-one counting, and that’s the kind of thinking you’ll help
your child develop with the activities in this book. While this
book will leave the + and – symbols for kindergarten, learning
how to subitize will provide a huge advantage to your child when
she first encounters written addition and subtraction problems.
Introduction
Page 4
Comparing numbers: more, less, or equal?
As children start to visualize quantities and understand numbers
more deeply, they learn that the numbers that come later in the
counting sequence signify greater amounts than the numbers
that come earlier. (I.e., since six comes after five in the counting
sequence, six is more than five.)
Before children are able to reach this level of abstraction,
however, they need plenty of experience with concrete materials.
Once they’ve spent some time comparing numbers of objects,
they’re then ready to begin comparing spoken numbers without
counting out the corresponding number of objects.
Recognizing written numerals: making the connection between
quantities and symbols
Recognizing the written numbers is essentially reading—
matching a printed symbol to a spoken word. Before children are
ready to deal with the abstract written symbols for numbers (1,2,
3, etc.), they need plenty of experience with quantities and the
number words. In this book, written symbols are addressed in the
final chapter, with lots of time spent making the connections
between the written symbols and what children already know
about
numbers.
Introduction
Page 5
How to Use This
Book
Start when your child is interested
Most children will be ready to start the activities in this book
around age four. If your child becomes interested in numbers at
age three, go ahead and start trying some of the activities. No
matter what age your child is, if there’s frustration or tears, stop!
Put the book away for a month and then give it another try.
Sometimes, children’s brains just need a little more time to
mature before they’re ready to understand number concepts.
Follow your child’s lead for pacing the activities
If your child has a lot of experience with counting, he may breeze
through the first chapter of counting activities. Or, if your child is
younger, you might spend a lot of time on chapter one. Take as
much time as you need with each section, and feel free to skip
concepts that your child has already mastered.
In general, the activities grow in complexity from the beginning
of each chapter to the end, so move on from activity to activity as
your child is ready for more challenge.
Introduction
Page 6
Have a consistent (and short) math time
You’re more likely to remember to do math if you choose a
consistent time each day. You might do a little math together
before bedtime, or you might play with numbers after morning
snack each day.
Most four-year-olds have a very short attention span, so don’t
expect a twenty-minute, focused lesson. You’ll be amazed at what
your child will learn after a year if you do math for just five
minutes per day several times per week!
Make a math basket
It’s much easier to do math together consistently if you don’t
have to hunt around your house for supplies. To make it as easy as
possible to have math time each day, put together a small “Math
Basket” with your supplies. You will need:
•
This book
•
20 small blocks or counters (interlocking blocks, small
wooden blocks, or poker chips are a great size, but you can
use whatever you have around the house.)
•
Printables from appendix, preferably printed on cardstock
(pages 37-43)
•
Two small brown paper bags (or some other small bags that
you can’t see through)
•
Regular, six-sided die
•
Coin with heads and tails
You will also occasionally need small toys (like stuffed animals or
toy cars), a blanket, blank paper, and a marker, but you don’t
need to keep these in your Math Basket.
Introduction
Page 7
“How many?”
As your child masters counting, she needs to learn that the last
number she says when counting is the total number. For example,
she may be able to point to blocks and count “one, two, three,”
but she may not be able to answer afterward when you ask how
many blocks there are. Until she masters this important skill,
make sure to ask her how many objects there are every time she
counts. And, make sure you explicitly say how many objects there
are every time you model counting.
Weave math throughout the day
Math is more than just numbers, but the other math concepts
your preschooler needs to know will come up naturally during the
day. Keep an eye out for opportunities to talk about patterns,
clocks, shapes, and measurements, and use these teachable
moments to introduce these ideas to your preschooler. This can
be as simple as checking the time on the clock or measuring flour
for pancakes together.
Have fun!
Math time for preschoolers should be fun! Feel free to adapt the
games and activities to your preschooler’s personality. Use his
favorite trucks for the counting activities, or pretend that the
blocks on the ten-frame are people sitting on a bus.
Preschoolers especially love peek-a-boo games and being in
charge. In this book, you’ll see lots of hiding games and chances
for your child to “be the teacher.” Go ahead and make the hiding
games as dramatic and fun as possible, and enjoy the chance for
your child to show off what she knows when she leads activities.
Most of all, enjoy this one-on-one time with your preschooler.
Introduction
Page 8
Chapter 1
Recognizing
Amounts and
Counting to Five
Goals
•
Count to five.
•
Recognize groups with up to five items by sight.
•
Introduce the idea of zero.
Sample Activity
1.5 Feed the Stuffed Animal
MATERIALS
5 small blocks or counters; stuffed animal; blank piece of paper or
plastic plate
ACTIVITY
Set the blank paper or plate in front of the stuffed animal. Tell
your child that the animal is hungry for two “cookies” (or apples)
and ask her to put two of the blocks on the plate for the animal to
eat. For added fun, use the stuffed animal as a puppet and have
the animal “eat” the plateful. Repeat for other numbers of
cookies up to five, including zero. Then, let your child choose the
number of cookies and be the puppet-master.
Chapter 1: Recognizing Amounts and Counting to Five
Page 10
Chapter 2
Combinations That
Make Five
Goal
•
Become familiar with the combinations that make five (0
and 5, 4 and 1, 2 and 3).
Sample Activity
2.2 Fingers Up, Fingers Down
No special materials needed
ACTIVITY
Show your child four fingers, with your palm facing you. Ask how
many fingers are up (four). Then, ask how many fingers are down
without turning your hand around. After your child responds
(one), turn your hand so that your palm faces your child so that he
can confirm his answer. Repeat with other numbers of fingers.
Then, let your child be the teacher and show different numbers of
fingers to you.
NOTE
It might take your child a minute to figure out how many fingers
are down. Make sure to give him some thinking time before
offering any help. Children sometimes copy their parent’s hand
with their own hand to see how many are down, and sometimes
they look closely at the edge of the parent’s hand to see where the
tucked fingers’ edges are. Whatever method makes sense to your
child is fine; what’s most important is that she realizes that she’s
capable of figuring things out. If she makes a mistake, just turn
your hand around to show her how many fingers are down and
then
try
again.
Chapter 2: Combinations That Make Five
Page 12
Chapter 3
Counting to Ten
and Comparing
Amounts
Goals
•
Count to ten.
•
Understand what more, less, and equal mean.
•
Compare sets of objects up to ten.
Sample Activity
3.4 Who Has More?
MATERIALS
2 small paper bags with 10 small blocks or counters in each bag
ACTIVITY
Take a handful of blocks out of one bag. With your child, count
how many you took. Leave these blocks out. Ask your child to take
a handful of blocks out of the other bag and count the number of
blocks. Talk about whether you have more, less, or an equal
number of objects. Line the objects up next to each other to
compare if your child isn’t sure.
NOTE
This activity is easier if each bag has different objects (for
example, blue blocks in one bag and red blocks in the other.)
Chapter 4: Connecting to Written Numerals
Page 14
Chapter 4
Connecting to
Written Numerals
Chapter 4: Connecting to Written Numerals
Page 15
Goals
•
Understand written numerals up to ten.
Sample Activity
4.3 Number Jump
MATERIALS
11 sheets of blank paper; marker; tape
ACTIVITY
With your child, count from 0 to 10. As you say each number,
write it on one of the sheets of paper. Make the numbers large
and easy to see. Have your child help you put the numbers in
order on the floor from 0 to 10. (You may need to use a little tape
to keep them from sliding.) Then, have your child start at 0 and
jump on the papers in order up to 10, shouting out each number
as she jumps onto it.
NOTE
Save these papers for the next activity.
Chapter 4: Connecting to Written Numerals
Page 16
Chapter 5
Combinations That
Make Ten
Goal
•
Become familiar with the combinations that make ten (0
and 10, 9 and 1, 8 and2, 7 and 3, 6 and 4, 5 and 5).
Sample Activity
5.5 Make Tens Memory Game
MATERIALS
2 sets of number cards 1-10 (pages 41-43)
OBJECT OF THE GAME
Win the most pairs of matching cards.
ACTIVITY
Shuffle both sets of number cards together and lay them out in a
grid pattern, as in the game Memory. On your turn, flip over two
cards. If the two cards make ten (for example, 6 and 4, or 7 and 3),
you keep the pair. If not, turn them back over.
Continue until all the cards have been matched. Whoever finds
the most pairs wins.
NOTE
After your child turns over the first card, encourage him to say
what card he is looking for before flipping the second card. Keep a
ten-frame and blocks nearby so that your child can use the blocks
to check any combinations he is unsure of.
Appendix: Printables
Page 18
About the Author
Kate Snow is a writer and blogger with a passion for math
education. Before having kids, she majored in math at Harvard,
taught fifth grade in a public school, and wrote elementary math
curriculum. Now, as a parent, she uses her experience to
empower parents to teach math to their own children with
confidence. She writes at kateshomeschoolmath.com.
Appendix: Printables
Page 19