Sets are basic to children’s thinking and learning. They are also basic to our base 10 number system, or any number system for that matter. One of the most important jobs of each number is to describe "how many" there are in a set of things — be it one, seven, or three hundred and nineteen. Before we can figure out how many apples there are, we have to decide which things are apples, and which are not. Once we’ve created the set of things that are apples, perhaps by separating them from the oranges, then we can count them. Counting requires a set, and as a result, the properties of sets have a large influence on the base 10 number system, and on mathematics.
May 25, 2020
En Español También. Language and math have a lot in common! For example, every time you describe something—as red, tall, sticky, or loud, for example—you are helping to define and categorize things. And defining and categorizing is huge in mathematics!
En Español También. Whether you have a machine at home or visit a laundromat, there is all kinds of math involved in doing laundry. And there are all kinds of ways that children of all ages can join in the thinking and doing.
These printable activity cards in both English and Spanish invite home explorations with sets and sorting using the books and activities related to them. The books can encourage conversations about attributes while also inspiring questions about what is happening from page to page.
In both English and Spanish, the directions here outline how to do an activity at home that can allow parents to involve themselves with the learning taking place in classrooms, all tied to the book Five Creatures.
Children look for ways to organize and make sense of their world through play at school and home, as well as at clean-up time. Sorting items into groups by specific attributes gives children the opportunity to define sets according to a rule of what does and does not belong together.
All members of a household have things in common and things that set them apart. Exploring the important ways that loved ones go together and what makes them unique involves both mathematical thinking and a…
Sets are basic to children’s thinking and learning. They are also basic to our number system. One of the most important jobs of each number is to describe “how many” there are in a set of things. This module is a flexible set of materials that explore the foundational math topic known as sets.
Does a polka-dotted sock match a striped sock? In the book A Pair of Socks young children will learn about an important early skill: matching.
One of the best ways to delve into the rules and patterns that govern algebra is through the books that are read to children each and every day.
On November 18th-21st, 2015 instructors Dr. Hynes-Berry and Dr. Chen attended the annual national conference, presenting on the precursor concepts of math for babies and infants three-years-old and younger.