premath learning activities

Readiness for Kindergarten – 1 2 3 Math

1,2,3…Go! While many children can say the number 3, they also need to attach the number to the concept of 3. Linking a number word to a mental image of how many is an important skill for later learning. Because it is so important it is part of both kindergarten readiness and many kindergarten lessons/projects/activities. Today’s readiness for kindergarten is exploring 3.

To help children develop a visual image of 3, together make groups of 3 things using lots of different objects: 3 blocks, 3 cars, 3 stuffies, 3 action figures, 3 legos, etc. Triangles have 3 sides. Look for some together while taking a walk or riding the bus. Setting the table is a 3 activity: knife, fork and spoon = 3. Put away 3 toys, read 3 books, eat 3 things, do 3 actions–hop, skip, jump. Take 3 giant steps, 3 baby ones, 3 medium ones. Listen to The Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, or do all 3! Sing 3 Little Kittens Lost Their Mittens. Lights, Camera, Action…!

Readiness for Kindergarten – Math is Fun, 2

This month blog posts target the numbe part of kindergarten readiness. The best way to help your kidlets with math readiness for kindergarten is to play and explore with numbers and use them in all kinds of ways.
What are some ways that you and your child can make 2? 2 blocks, 2 stories, 2 cars, 2 hands, 2 feet, 2 eyes, 2 ears, 2 arms, 2 hugs, 2 legs, 2 steps, 2 songs. Shoes come in twos. Pants have 2 legs, sweaters have 2 arms. Egg cartons have 2 rows and are very easy for counting by 2: 2,4,6, etc. Play some games that need 2 people, such as London Bridge. Think of some foods that need 2 ingredients: peanut butter and jam, macaroni and cheese, toast and butter, pancakes and syrup. Maybe the 2 of you could read 2 books, do 2 chores, find 2 things that are misplaced, do 2 exercises, eat 2 cookies. A great 2 book is Jacob Two-Two (and the Hooded Fang). A song to sing is A Bicycle built for 2. Use any deck of cards to make pairs and play Go Fish.
Will you join me for Tea for 2?

Readiness for Kindergarten – Math Fun One

A key concept in math for kids is a kind of ‘oneness’, which is basically that each object gets one number. When kids are learning to count they may point to an object and say a whole string of numbers before going to the next object or they may miss a bunch of objects and only count the first and last things. With lots of experiences, children learn to point to each item in turn and say a single number. This is a critical concept not just for kindergarten readiness but for all kinds of later learning. Some children are accurate counters when they start kindergarten for small groups of things; some can correctly count groups of more than 10 or 20! But all kids can benefit from lots of counting fun and from making all kinds of number connectionswhether or not you are working on readiness for kindergarten.

 Let’s start with 1. What are all the different ways of showing 1? One plate on the table for each person. 1 shoe on each foot. 1 day, 1 activity at a time. Have your child choose 1 stuffie or 1 book to read or 1 snack. Together tidy 1 room in the house. Hop on 1 foot. Wave 1 hand. Stand on 1 leg. Color a picture with 1 crayon. Sing 1 song. Are you having a w1derful time?

Readiness for Kindergarten – Math Activities

Last month’s blog was centered on using fairy tales as a tool to promote learning and kindergarten readiness. It’s time to balance that with another kind of literacy, math literacy. Playing and experimenting with numbers in all kinds of natural and fun activities helps children with readiness for kindergarten. While language is mainly a verbal … Continue reading Readiness for Kindergarten – Math Activities

Kindergarten Readiness – Clipboard Math

Vacations often have little spaces of time to fill, especially when travelling. Whether it’s by bus or car, kids sometimes need something else to do. Years ago, I picked up a plastic covered clipboard at the dollar store with just a small paper holder. Though it was inexpensive it has been really valuable. One little activity was to draw … Continue reading Kindergarten Readiness – Clipboard Math