I had the pleasure this morning of talking to 220 home daycare providers. Most of them work with children birth through five years old. The topic was the importance of introducing math concepts and ways to best do this by age. Below are a few take-aways for parents from the workshop.
- Math is much wider than numbers and counting – Of course, it is numbers and counting, but early math also includes sorting, matching, drawing similarities and differences, shapes, weight, time, space, balance, proportion, sequencing and patterns.
- Introduce math concepts through play – Add measuring cups to your sand or water table. Play “Mother May I” requiring them to ask and count out the specific steps.
- Include them in your everyday math – This is as small as 1:1 correspondence of counting the napkins when you set the table and as big as keeping a running price tally in the grocery store.
- Following recipes and cooking together is an easy way – Talk about the sequence of directions and the importance of following each step. Highlight the measurements and temperatures.
- Carry school concepts to real life – If they are learning about counting money in first grade, start using cash and let them be in charge of paying as you go.
- Read about it – There are lots of good books below.
- Counting Crocodile by Sierra
- Henry the Fourth by Murphy
- Mouse Count by Walsh
- Mouse Shapes by Walsh
- Each Orange had 8 Slices by Giganti
- Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On by Ehlert
- Ten Flashing Fireflies by Sturges
- Sorting by Pluckrose
- Length by Pluckrose
- Double the Ducks by Murphy
- Pattern by Pluckrose
- 12 Ways to Get to 11 by Merriam
- When a Line ends a Shape Begins by Greene
- Animals on Board by Murphy
- Just Enough Carrots by Murphy
- More or Less by Murphy
- Size by Pluckrose
- The Mission of Addition by Cleary
- Subtraction Action by Leedy
- Mission: Addition by Leedy
- Elevator Magic by Murphy
- Tally O’Malley by Murphy
- Math for all Seasons by Tang
- Math Potatoes by Tang
- Math Curse by Scieszka
- Math Fables by Tang
- The Grapes of Math by Tang
Parenting by Dr. Rene 