Getting Ready for Math – Help your child get ready for kindergarten math

Mathematics is an essential part of everyday life. As you know, your home offers a natural setting for your child to explore and apply mathematics in fun and meaningful ways. With this approach, you can encourage your children to apply math to daily world around them. We hope you will explore these activities with your child – math opportunities can be enjoyed by everyone in the family!

  • Be a learning partner with you child – explore the world around you together!
  • Math is all around us – find math in your kitchen, your car, your yard, and the grocery store!
  • Make math hands on!  Have your child hold the many things you can explore together.
  • Schedule a time to attentively interact with your child. Asking questions or having your child explain his/her math reasoning or strategy helps you know how well your child understands math concepts and skills.
  • A positive attitude towards learning is important. If something is too difficult for your child, adjust accordingly.

Make math alive!  – specific activities for you and your child.  Check out the counting books listed too! 

  • Build math vocabulary! Vocabulary is really important!  Help your child describe a cereal box, for example – what is the shape, the colors, the size, the number of sides – these are “attributes”.  Practice what is “more than” and “less than”.  Use math words such as: more, less, equal, tall, short, empty, full, big, small, patterns, count, sort, shapes, size, in, out, measure, quantity, numbers, compare, etc.  You can adjust vocabulary words to age and activity.
  • Count! Have your child count to 100 in order – count the silverware, your pots and pans, all the things in your living room! How many tires, how many doors on the car or truck, how many leaves in the yard? Read Mouse Count.  Read 12 Ways to Get to 11.
  • Group what you see! Practice grouping with your child – how many cups, how many plates, how many socks, how many sneakers, how many tortillas?  What things go together, what things are different?
  • Make rows! Have your child make a row of items. Ask:  Which item is third?  Which is between the second and fourth?  Which one is last?
  • Make a Shapes and Volume Scavenger Hunt! Practice naming shapes around the house together – a circle, a triangle, a polygon, a rectangle, a square. Read The Greedy Triangle.
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    • Check out Sammy Snake Shapes at https://www.primarygames.com/storybooks/sammy/page_6b.htm
    • Discover shapes outdoors!  Look for manhole covers, flags, windows, signs, and other distinct shapes.  Work together, take photos and label the shapes then put them together in a class or family book.
    • Play the “Who Am I” Guessing Game:  Hide a shape and have the child or students ask “yes” and “no” questions to find out what the shape is.  Does the shape have 3 sides?  Does the shape have 4 angles?
    • Put different plastic containers in the bath and explore volume and capacity.

 

  • Rulers make beautiful designs! Teach your child to use a ruler – make beautiful patterns, connect different points, create an art project.
  • Games and Puzzles build learning! Do puzzles and games.  Read I Spy Art.
  • Check out the Calendar! Cross out each day of the month on the calendar. Label special occasions. Use this knowledge by asking questions such as: What is the date today?  How many more days until the weekend? How many more days are left in the month? How many more days until our vacation?
  • Make Mental Math Equations!  Orally, dictate addition/subtraction equations. See if your child can solve problems mentally. Adjust equations to level of ability. This activity can be done in a car, on a walk, or while you are cooking.
  • Sing fun songs! Have fun and sing together!
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