Helping Preschoolers Learn Math

math: Learning about numbers is fun. The first math skills children learn are sorting, patterning, ordering, counting, number recognition, and the concept of "more" or "less." Young children usually learn to count to ten at an early age. They feel successful and proud when they have accomplished this task, although a true understanding of numbers comes later.

Here are some simple activities you can do to help young children learn their first math skills:

  • Bean Count. Fill a small plastic container with an assortment of different colors and sizes of dry beans (lima, kidney, black, black-eyed, green peas). Have your children sort the beans into the sections of a muffin tin. How many of each kind of bean do you have? Keep the numbers under ten.

    Alternatives: children can sort anything: socks, toy cars, silverware.

  • Lego Color Building. If you have an old container of Legos handy, give the children a pattern you want them to create such as "red, blue, red, blue, red, blue."

    Alternative: If you don’t have Legos, use Fruit Loops and a stick of dried spaghetti. Insert the spaghetti into a clump of playdough to hold it upright. Have the children stack the Fruit Loops in a pattern "red, green, red, green, etc."

  • Stacking Blocks. When children play with blocks they may practice counting, see patterns and designs. They also can match blocks that look alike and learn to build and plan structures.

    Alternatives: save old shoe boxes for children to use as blocks.

  • Sand and Water Play. When children play in the sand they can count, measure and pour. Give them plastic cups and buckets.

  • Estimating. Fill a jar with a variety of objects – anything will do. Have the children guess how many items they think are in the jar. Then count them together. This activity helps children with sequencing (1,2,3,4….) and with the concept of “less than” or “greater than”.

Simple Counting Songs

Let your child practice counting to ten by lining up ten stuffed animals and dolls and singing this familiar tune (Ten Little Indians)

One little, two little, three good friends,
Four little, five little, six good friends,
Seven little, eight little, nine good friends,
Ten good friends are we

Five Little Monkeys

Five Little Monkeys sitting in a tree,
Teasing Mr. Alligator, "You can’t catch me."
Along comes Mr. Alligator, quiet as can be.
Snatch that monkey right out of that tree.

(Repeat verse with four, three, two one)

Reading is always a fun activity to do with children. Some books that talk about math are:

    Miss Spider’s Tea Party
    Piggies
    Ten For Dinner
    There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
    A Pair of Socks

Thank you to Lisa Albert from the EPTSS Division for this month's activity!

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