Math and Numbers

Q. Why was the number 6 afraid of 7?
A. Because 7 8(ate) 9.

7 isn’t a scary number–it’s wonder-full. Think of the 7 wonders of the world. What else has the number 7? 7 days of the week, 7 dwarfs, 7 names for musical notes, 7 Chinese Brothers, James Bond 007, summer holidays is month 7, 7 Little Goats (and 1 wolf).

The number 7 does seem magical as children explore and learn quantity. 5 is quite a natural number. It’s easy to see and feel. 6 is a fairly easy number, also. After all, it’s good ol’ 5 plus 1 more. But 7 is really quite a few. In my experience–I have no research or data to back this up, only my own observation–once children grasp how many things it takes to make 7, it seems that they learn the rest of the numbers in hardly any time at all. 7 seems to be a turning or tipping point.

Your child may or may not be ready to connect 7 to that quantity, but just like many other kindergarten readiness skills, this develops with lots of playing and discovering. Today, you and your child may find a time when you can  explore 7: counting 7 buttons on a shirt, making a tower of 7 yogurt containers, putting 7 spoons in the dishwasher. You may want to wear off some energy by asking your little one to jump 7 times or hop. Is 7 giant steps enough to go down the hall?

Readiness for kindergarten grows over time, just like our kids do. And isn’t it magical how children develop and learn? What magic did you do today with 7?

Hoppin’ right along with the series of blog posts on some early math skills, started before Easter, we get to the number 6. Lots of experiences with numbers and counting is helpful for kindergarten readiness. While a dice isn’t a typical toy, kids enjoy playing with one, having fun and learning at the same time. Because little things often end up in kids’ mouths, it’s better to use a really big one. These foam ones are very quiet, too.

One way to play is to roll the dice and simply count the dots. Another idea is to roll, count and make that number using a different objects, such as the same number of blocks, stuffies, cars, etc. Or roll the dice and then do that number of hops, jumps, jumping jacks or other actions. A big dice can turn work into play. Roll the dice, count and pick up that many toys on the floor, then do it again. Roll the dice, count and unload that many dishes from the dishwasher. After a few turns, it’s all done.  

Readiness for kindergarten comes from little experiences that all add up. An element of fun makes learning lots easier. Are you on a roll?

The series of blogs this month look at ways that parents and caregivers can help little ones learn about numbers. While kindergarten readiness hopes that children can count accurately, at least 1-10, there is another side to the coin: knowing what number goes with how much. Even wee toddlers give High 5’s and can hold up one hand and show 5 fingers but not all kids can count out 5 cars or 5 spoons, etc. This requires lots of practice. And the best way to practice? Play.

Here are some play ideas for exploring the number 5. If your child likes little stuffies, take a quick break from your work and together check if there are 5 stuffies just like 5 fingers. On your next pass by, see if there are 5 cars. Is there a car for each stuffie? Wow, 5 and another 5. For kids that are ready for more challenge, you may want to show how 4 cars and 1 truck can make 5, or 2 yellow blocks and 3 red blocks stack up to make a tower of 5 blocks. Do 5 jumping jacks, put away 5 things, color a picture with 5 colors. Sing about 5: 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed or 5 Little Speckled Frogs Sat on A Speckled Log.  (5 raisins on a celery stick kind of look like bugs.) There’s lots of stories about 5, too. Take 5 for learning and play; it adds up to a whole lot of  readiness for kindergarten.  High 5 anyone?

Q. Why is doing math dangerous in the jungle? A. Because when you add 4 and 4 you get ate! Instead of exploring the jungle, let’s explore 4. Playing is a form of exploring, so how can we play with 4? With your child, think of some ways to make 4; count 4 shoes, 4 … Continue reading Readiness for Kindergarten – Math 4 Sure →

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. … Continue reading Readiness for Kindergarten – 1 2 3 Math →

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, … Continue reading Readiness for Kindergarten – Math is Fun, 2 →

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 … Continue reading Readiness for Kindergarten – Math Fun One →

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 →