The skills that your child learns in preschool will help set them up for success in kindergarten. That may be especially important when it comes to math skills – your children's math skills in kindergarten are a good early indicator of future academic success. There's no reason that all your child's math practice needs to be confined to their preschool classroom. There are plenty of ways that you can include math in your child's daily routine outside of school as well. Take a look at some of the ways you can teach your preschooler that math is a fun part of their lives.
Point Out the Numbers
You may already be in the habit of pointing out printed words to your child as you go about your daily routine. Pointing out words on buildings or signs that you pass is a good way to increase your child's vocabulary and pre-reading skills. You can do the same things with numbers.
When you come across numbers as you go about your day, make sure to point them out to your child. If a sign in the grocery advertises that can buy three of some item for a dollar, ask your child to identify the "3" and see if they can correctly pick out three of the sale items.
Let Your Child Help in the Kitchen
You can't cook or bake without math. Your child may be too young to use the stove, but they aren't too young to help cook, bake, or prepare lunches.
Show your child how to measure dry goods with measuring cups. This introduces the concept of fractions. If your child brings a lunch with them to preschool, have them help pack it the night before. Let them count out five baby carrots to add to their lunchbox or figure out how many pieces of bread are needed to make two sandwiches.
Include Math in Your Daily Reading
Your child's preschool teacher has probably stressed the importance of reading with your child every day. Your child's nightly bedtime story is also a good time to include some math – you won't forget it even on a busy day, and your child will associate the math with an activity they already enjoy.
Point out opportunities to count and do math while you're reading. For example, you can ask your child to count items in the pictures on the page you're looking at or count the number of characters in the book. You can also have them count how many pages are in the book or figure out how many pages you have left after you've read part of the book.
When your child learns early on that numbers and math are part of every day and nothing to be afraid of, they'll be more comfortable and confident with math. This will help set them up for success later. For more information about early education, contact a school like Sammamish Montessori School.
Share1 March 2018
Have you recently moved into your own place for the first time in your life? Perhaps, you just graduated from high school and moved into a college dorm room. Or, you might have recently bought your first home after landing the job of your dreams. If you’re independent for the first time, consider enrolling in some continuing education classes to help you thrive. For instance, you might learn important financial concepts in a money management course. If you’ve never prepared a meal without the aid of a microwave, you may adore attending a cooking class. On this blog, I hope you will discover the numerous ways everyone can benefit from taking continuing education courses. Enjoy!
