95 Getting Ready forKindergarten Mathematics

• The following slides are ideas and suggestions to help your child “get ready” for Kindergarten Mathematics!... Help your child count by pointing to and moving the objects as you say e

Getting Ready for

Kindergarten

Mathematics!

Your Child’s First Teacher

• Is you!

• Research suggests parent participation is

directly related to your child’s success.

• Pre-kindergartners and kindergartners

love mathematics making it easy to

support at home.

• The following slides are ideas and

suggestions to help your child “get ready” for Kindergarten Mathematics!

Understanding

Numbers

• Count everything! Count toys, dinner plates, snacks, and

socks in the dryer Help your child count by pointing to and moving the objects as you say each number out loud Count forwards and backwards from different starting places

• Sing counting songs and read counting books Sing

songs such as, "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe" and "Ten Little

Monkeys" Read counting books such as Anno’s Counting Book

by Mitsumasa Anno

• Explore how numbers are used inside and outside your home Hunt for numbers in your home, neighborhood, books,

magazines or the newspaper Point numbers out on the clock, television, cellphones, stove, microwave, etc

• Ask your child to help you solve everyday number

problems "We need four tomatoes to make salad for dinner,

and we have only two How many more do we need to buy?"

"Two guests are coming for dinner How many forks will

we need?"

Understanding Measurements

• Measure items found around the house Have your child

find objects that are longer or shorter than a ruler Use items such as popsicle sticks or string to measure the length of

objects such as a doormat Fill different containers with sand

or water and see which containers hold more or less

• Estimate everything! Estimate the number of steps from

your front door to the car, then walk with your child to find out how many there really are Estimate how many rolls of paper towels your family will need for the week At the end of the week, count up the number of paper towels you actually used

• Compare and organize household items Take boxes or

cans from the pantry and have your child line them up from tallest to shortest

• Talk about time Ask your child to check the time on the

clock when he goes to school, eats meals, and goes to bed Together, look up the time of a television program your child wants to watch

Understanding Geometry

• Identify shapes and sizes When playing with your

child, identify things by their shape and size: "Pass me an ice cube." "Take the largest potato chip bag out of

the pantry."

• Hide a toy and use directional language to help

your child find it Give clues using words and phrases

such as up, down, over, under, between, through,

and on top of.

• Play "I spy", looking for different shapes "I spy

something that is round." "I spy something that is

rectangular." "I spy something that looks like a cone."

• Go on a "shape hunt" Have your child look for as many

circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles as he or she

can find at home or outside Hunt for three-dimensional objects like cubes, cones, spheres, and cylinders also

Understanding Patterns

• Look for patterns in storybooks and songs Many

children's books and songs repeat lines or passages in

predictable ways, allowing children to recognize and predict the patterns

• Create patterns using your body Clap and stomp your

foot in a particular sequence (clap, clap, stomp), have your child repeat the same sequence Teach your child simple

dances that include repeated steps and movements

• Hunt for patterns around your house and

neighborhood Your child will find patterns in clothing, on

toys, and among trees and flowers in the park Encourage your child to describe the patterns found Try to identify the features of the pattern that are repeated

• Use household items to create and extend patterns

Lay down a row of spoons pointing in different directions in a particular pattern (up, up, down, up, up, down) and ask your child to extend the pattern

Understanding and Managing Data

• Sort household items As your child puts away their toys or

clothing, discuss which items should go together and why

Show your child how you organize food items in the fridge – fruit together, vegetables together, drinks on one shelf, etc Encourage your child to sort other household items such as

crayons by color

• Make a weather graph Have your child draw pictures on a

calendar to record each day's weather At the end of the

month, make a picture graph showing how many sunny days, cloudy days, and rainy days there were in that month

• Make a food chart Create a chart to record the number of

apples, oranges, bananas, and other fruit your family eats each day At the end of the month, have your child count the number

of pieces of each type of fruit eaten Ask which fruit was eaten the most/least

• Talk about the likelihood of events Discuss why you never

do some things (swim outside in January) Ask your child if it's likely to snow today Is it likely that a pig will fly in the air?

Family Games that Use

Kindergarten Mathematical Skills

• Many card games require counting and score

keeping.

• Dice games and dominos help kids learn to

quickly recognize groups of dots from 2 to 12 Also use dice to practice counting on For example if a

4 is rolled, have your child start counting from the number 4.

• Play board games that involve counting squares,

such as Chutes and Ladders.

• Tic Tac Toe and Connect Four build recognition

of rows of 3 and 4 counters.

• Mancala.

Children’s Literature with Mathematical

Concepts

• See the attachment for a list of

children’s literature that supports the mathematical concepts your child will be learning in

Kindergarten

Mathematical Websites

for Kindergartners

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/websites/4_11/site/n umeracy.shtml

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks1/maths/

• http://pbskids.org/games/math.html

• http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/

• http://www.kidsnumbers.com/adding_foundations php

•

http://www.family-games-treasurehouse.com/math_games_for_kids.html

• Dreambox Learning (2012) Parent

Tips to Support Kindergarten Math Learning Fun at Home Retrieved

from

http://www.dreambox.com/parent-tips-kindergarten