Families can play a fundamental role in encouraging learning and interest in mathematics. Family math has become a "buzz" term for any math opportunities that can be extended outside of the classroom. For good reason. Finding math in the home setting can help children see that math is more than just what is prescribed in a classroom. Math is part of everyday life. Finding it in our homes and our communities has so many benefits.
December 29, 2020
Whether teaching in-person with social distancing or online, the number one question we hear from teachers is how to adapt preschool math games for remote learning. Here are some game ideas that work equally well in person or online.
It’s easy to turn reading books with toddlers into conversations about the math that is all around us. The idea of more and less comes into all kinds of books and finger plays toddlers love—including counting books.
Books are great for babies. Research clearly supports this. What are the best books for babies? We use our Precursor Concepts as a framework for discussing math thinking during the ages of 0-3.
With young children at home, there’s always cleaning to be done. So why not include them in completing the chores? Chores can engage everyone in the household in a little “math all around us” problem-solving.
Stamping or imprinting with a homemade playdough recipe using everyday household items is an active way for children to explore the big ideas of shape.
How do you design a better picture book for children? How does consulting with families along with research help us to understand what makes educational children's books effective and engaging?
David Purpura, PhD, of Purdue University describes his team's research and intervention designed around picture books and their effectiveness in homes.
As children start using number words, they don’t always have a sense of what those words really mean. Early on, we guide children to develop a meaningful number sense by focusing on small numbers.
En Español También. Putting groceries away is necessary work for families. Sharing this work with our children turns an everyday task into a hands-on shape activity.
En Español También. Warm weather and more daylight hours mean now is a great time to take advantage of outdoor spaces. There are so many ways to incorporate math into your child’s outside activity.