DearFamilies,
In this file are suggestions for activities that you can do with your child as he/sheapproaches the beginning of school to help to develop your child’s mathematicalawareness.
Mathematical development in the early years should be as natural and as play-basedaspossible. The focus at this stage in life should not be on “academic” skills (like mathfacts) but rather on developing a sense of what numbers are for, how different kinds of shapesfittogether, what can be alike and different about various types of objects, and what it meansforsomething to be bigger/longer/more orsmaller/shorter/less.
Many kinds of toys develop the ideas listed above. These include board games (or anygames) that involve number and/or shape, building blocks/sets of any variety, and sets of 2-Dand/or3-Dshapes.
In this file, you will find a list of fun mathematics activities and materials to accompanythese activities. Do not feel that you must do everything on the list! If you are able to do 1 or 2ofthe activities in each section throughout the summer, this will help immensely inpreparingyour child for the beginnings of “academic” learning inschool.
Please enjoy these activities, and have fun with yourchild!
Thank you for supporting your child’s early mathematicaldevelopment,The Stow-Munroe Falls City Schoolsteachers
Mathematics activities for incoming kindergartners andfamilies
To relate numbers toquantities:
With your child, talk about numbers that you commonly see and/or use in everydaylife.
Have your child roll a number cube (die) and find a dot card or numeral card that matches thatnumber.
Have your child choose a numeral card and a dot card that match innumber.
Have your child choose a dot card and write the number that tells how many dots thereare.
Show your child a dot card and ask how many dots are on it. The eventual goal (by the endof kindergarten) is for children to recognize the number of dots, up to about 5, without having tocount.
To learn to write numbers(0-10):
*Note that the numerals on the numeral cards in this file are written in the way we prefer children to writethem (with the possible exception of 8, which does not need the small “tail” at the top – this tail is there toshowchildren that they can start at that point and make the 8 in one motion of the pencil, rather than a “topcircle”and then a “bottomcircle.”)
With your child, look for numbers in everyday life, and namethem.
Have your child write numerals on small chalk or dry eraseboards.
Have your child form numerals with dough (see recipe in this file), pipe cleaners,etc.
Have your child make numerals in a container ofsand.
Have your child place small items (like Cheerios, rice, etc.) on large premade outlines of eachnumeral(not included here, but you can make these just by writing numbers onpaper).
To practice counting to10:
Count things around the home! This is a great way for children to understand the idea that thingscanbe counted if we want to know how many there are. Asking your child to help set the table (orhand things out to people in a group) is a great way for him/her to learn the idea of “one of each, toeveryperson.”
Cut apart and use the numeral cards in this file (with numbers and groups of pictures) – put the cardsinorder (at first) and read them in order with yourchild.
Have your child count the items on each numeral card and then say, “Thereareonthiscard.” (Fill in the blanks with the number and the name of the item; for example, “1 moon.”) Itis important that children come to understand that the last number they say when counting is alwaysthenumber of items in thegroup.
Have your child choose a number from the numeral cards or dot cards or roll a number cube (die),andask your child to count out that many squarecounters.
Cup apart the square counters in this file. Have your child take some and count them. Movethesecounters around (without adding or taking any), and have your child tell you how many there are. Itis important for children to come to understand that the number does not change unless we add someor take someaway.
Put the cards in reverse order, and have your child count backward to0.
To explore types ofshapes:
With your child, look for examples of shapes in the home environment orelsewhere.
Allow your child to build with blocks, Legos, etc. and to take his/her creationsapart.
Have your child use dough (see the recipe in this file) to create different kinds of shapes – anyshapes,whether or not they have names! (Cookie cutters are fun as well!) The shape cards in this file canalsobe used to introduce commonly used shapes to your child, and he/she can build these shapesalso.
Show your child different shape cards (from this file) and ask him/her to name the shape and totrydrawing it on paper or insand.
(continued)
To develop understandings of “more,” “less,” and “thesame”:
Use the words “more,” “less,” and “the same” as often as possible in everyday life! This is thebest way for your child to develop an understanding of what these wordsmean.
Put out a few (up to 6) of the square counters, and ask your child to take “the same” number ofcounters (or “more,” or “less”). Or, ask your child to add “more” to the group or to make the number inthegroup “less.”
Pull out one of the dot cards or numeral cards, or roll a number cube (die), and ask your child to findanumber in the cards that is “more” than then one you have (or to put out more counters than thenumberyou have). Do the same for“less.”
To develop early concepts related to addition andsubtraction:
Use the terms “part” and “total” in connection with each other in everyday situations.Forinstance, “I have poured part of the cereal that you are going to eat into your bowl. Now I ampouring the other part, and the bowl now has the total amount of cereal that you are going toeat.”
Another example would be: “There are 6 total apples in this bag. We are going to eat 4 of them,whichis one part of the bag. 2 will be left, and that is the other part of thebag.”
You can also model the examples above (and others) with the counters from this file. Rememberthatthe parts always make up the total, whether we start with the parts or start with the total (and take apartaway)!
To develop understandings of “bigger,” “smaller,” “longer,” “shorter,” “heavier,” and“lighter”:
Use these words as often as possible in everyday life! This is the best way for your child todevelopan understanding of what these wordsmean.
With your child, explore different objects around the house (whether everyday objects or toys), andtalkabout which are bigger, longer, smaller, etc. (and how youknow).
Have your child use dough (recipe in this file) to create objects that are smaller than others, shorterthanother, heavier than others,etc.
To develop understandings of “alike” and“different”:
Use these words as often as possible in everyday life! This is the best way for your child todevelopan understanding of what these wordsmean.
Have your child, when playing, put objects in piles based on things that are alike or differentaboutthem.
The old Sesame Street song/game “One of these things is not like the other” is a great game toplay!Have your child tell which object does not belong in a group and tell youwhy.
To learn the names and values ofcoins:
Whenever you are using coins in daily life, talk to your child about how you use them andwhatyou can buy with differentcoins.
Keep a bag of change around for your child to play with and perhaps to sort (not to count the valuesof the coins at this point!). Children will discover a lot just by becoming familiar with the differentkinds of coins.
Use the coin cards (in this file) and have your child place the correct coin on each card, naming thecoinand saying how much it isworth.
PreparingforKindergarten
Today!sKindergartenclassroomisdramaticallydifferentthanthefun"filledplayenvironmentthatwasperceivedasabridgeyearbetweenhomeandschool# Ithasbecomeanacademicyearthatservesasaspringboardforallfuturelearning.
EntranceDate
Children age $ by August % mayenterKindergarten
Children age by August % mustenterKindergarten
Self-Care
Fills and empties schoolbag
Buttons' snaps' andzips
Utilizes toiletindependently
Dressesself
Eatsindependently
Recitesfirst(lastname'addressandphonenumber
Makes decisions when givenchoices
SocialSkills
Cooperates and shares withothers
Listens to and followsrules
Pays attention to adult"directedtasks
Functionsinalargegroupofchildren
Demonstrates selfcontrol
Accepts limits set by anadult
Practices goodmanners
Waits his(her turn tospeak
Followssimpletwotothreestepdirections
Speech
Speaksclearly
Speaks in complete sentences of $"&words
Tells(Retells familiarstories
IntellectualSkills
Enjoysbooksandtripstothelibrary
Listens to a story withoutinterrupting
Recognizes first and lastname
Knows colors!basicshapes
Awareofrhymingwordsinnurseryrhymes"songs"stories
Identifiessomealphabetletters#BOTHupperandlowercase$alongwithletterinownname
Is able to count to%&
Holds a bookcorrectly
Isabletodifferentiatesamefromdifferent
Fine MotorSkills
Exhibitshandpreference'appropriatepencilgrip
Handles scissors and glueappropriately
Writes name (kindergarten way) *firstlettercapital"andtherestlowercase++(Bobby)
Gross MotorSkills
Runs" jumps" skips" hops"gallops
Walks a balancebeam
As a parent, have you:
Read to your childdaily?
Pointed out words as youread?
Limited TVtime?
Had your childimmunized?
Taken your child for a dental checkup?
Provided multiple opportunitiesforlearning orexperiences?
Websites:
www,smfschools,org#ourdistrict$www,ode,state,oh,us#OhioDepartmentofEducation$
Stow-Munroe Falls CitySchools Phone: (330)689-5445
0 / 1 / 2
3 / 4 / 5
6 / 7 / 8
9 / 10
Salt doughrecipe
Ingredients:
1 cup ofsalt
1 cup ofwater2 cups offlour
1 tablespoon of cooking oil (optional – to keep the dough a bit moremoist)
Instructions:
Mix the salt, flour, oil, & watertogether.Havefun!