Math Readiness

To help your child understand the difference between a number and a letter, draw attention to numbers. Identify numbers on your phone, computer, tablet, on a calendar, house numbers, at the grocery store, and on a clock. Point to the number and say: “This is a number, this is the number ___ (say the name of the number). Now it is your turn, what is the number?”(Invite your child to repeat the number.)  Remind your child that he/she has a name. Help your child understand that every number has a name.
 

If your child is able to identify number names, help your child recognize the number word that identifies a number.  Have your child match the number to the number word. You can make a matching game using note cards. Write the number on one card and the number word on another card.
 

Often children learn to count by repeating numbers. When a child understands that counting is one more than the previous number, it helps the child understand the number value and the count sequence. Encourage your child to use his/her fingers to show the number value while saying the number.

Encourage your child to count items by touching and counting. Each time your child touches an object have your child say the number. This is called one to one correspondence. You might also want to have the child move the object as he/she counts.

As children learn the count sequence and identify a value to go with a number, they are able to understand more and less.

Put two piles of objects in front of your child. Have one pile be considerably more; the other pile much less. Ask your child “Which pile is more?” Encourage your child to explain to you why he thinks the pile he chose is more. Help your child understand the word more to mean a lot.  Have your child identify the pile that is less. Help your child understand the word less means not as many.

*Other words you can introduce could be: greater and fewer.

• Show your child two piles that have ten and less in each pile. 
• Have your child touch and count to show how many in each pile.  
• Have your child identify which pile has more and which pile has less.  
• Write the numbers your child has identified. 
• Have your child circle the number that is more and underline the number that is less. Once your child is comfortable in writing numbers, have your child write the two numbers.

*As your child begins to understand more and less: say two numbers to your child, have your child identify which number is more and which number is less. Use the terminology of greater and fewer. Give your child a number and ask him to tell you a number that is greater and a number that is fewer.

• Give your child one food item such as carrot and then give your child another carrot. 
• Ask your child how many carrots does she have now?  Tell your child when she puts both carrots together she has two.  
• Ask your child “ Do you have more?”
• As your child begins to understand putting together means more, then introduce the words “add “.  

Say to your child “if you have five skittles and you add two more, how many skittles do you have now?” You can do the same activity with toys or other objects.

Fold a piece of paper into eight sections. Trace the lines with a marker to show the boxes.  If your child is able to write numbers, have your child write the number in the corner of the box. Have your child put stickers to show the amount. Help your child identify that as we count we “add” one more.

If your child is ready to start adding numbers together. Cut the boxes. Have your child put two boxes of stickers together, discuss how many if your child puts both boxes together. Have your child identify the box that shows how many when both boxes are put together.

• Give your child an amount of blocks that is five or less. 
• Have your child identify how many blocks you have given. 
• Have your child “take apart” the blocks by putting them into two different groups. 
• Identify the number of each of the two groups.
• Talk about how when we take part away we have less.

Give your child five marshmallows. Follow the same procedure as above. Have your child eat one of the piles of marshmallows. Have your child identify how many marshmallows were eaten and how many are left. Talk about how there are less marshmallows.

If your child has a firm understanding of breaking apart the number 5 and less, introduce your child to breaking apart the numbers 6-10.

*Using the activity introduced for addition, cut the box apart to show how the number can be taken apart. Take away a part of the box. Have your child identify how many were taken away and how many are left.

When talking to your child use the words:

• For length: long, short 
• For weight: heavy, light
• For size: big, small
• For distance: near, far

To help your child understand these terms, identify them in your child’s environment. For example, "The stick is long. The rock is heavy. The feather is light."

Play the game: I see something . . . Describe to your child something you see using measurement vocabulary. I see something that is heavy. Have your child identify objects that are heavy.

After your child has a firm understanding of measurement vocabulary, give your child opportunities to compare objects. Ask questions such as Which is longer? Which is shorter? Which one is the longest? Which one is the shortest?

• Keep in mind to use the words bigger, smaller for size.
• Use heavier, lighter to describe weight
• Use words such a near or far to describe distance

A piece of paper is bigger than a brick. A brick is heavier than a piece of paper. Help your child to identify distance by asking questions such as is the grocery store far from our house or near? Is it farther to go to Grandma's house or go to the park? Play the I see game saying: I see something heavier than a rock.

*For children who have mastered measurable vocabulary and comparison, challenge them with using numbers to determine measurements. For example, have your child weigh objects. Determine which number is greater. Help your child to understand the greater the number the heavier the object.  Measure items using a ruler or yardstick. Compare objects to see which is longer or shorter using numbers. Compare numbers on signs to determine which town is farther, which is near.

To help your child understand classifying, he/she must be able to sort objects according to attributes.

• Give your child opportunities to sort objects by color, size and shape.
•  Use items found in your home for your child to explore sorting. 
• Candy, blocks, toys all can be used to practice sorting. 
• An empty egg carton or a muffin tray helps your child organize how he/ she has sorted.
• Encourage your child to identify the way he/she has sorted. 
• As you talk with your child say ”I see that you have sorted all the candies. Why did you put all the red candies together?” Ask your child which color had more? Which had less? If the number of items are under 20, have your child touch and count to identify the number of each.

*To further challenge your child, encourage sorting multiple items using other attributes such as buttons with two holes or four, toy animals according to farm or forest, books that are about people, about animals….

To help your child identify the four basic shapes, concentrate on one shape at a time. Help your child to identify what makes the shape. Give prompts to help remember the shape.

• Rectangle: two long sides, two short sides: can be tall, can be fat
• Square: four sides that are the same
• Triangle: Three sides: can be fat, can be skinny, can point different directions
• Circle: doesn't have any corners, goes around and around

*If your child has mastered the names of the four basic shapes, introduce hexagon.

After your child can identify the four basic shapes, go on a shape hunt. Look for the different shapes. Help your child identify what shape he is seeing. Have your child identify and look at the outside of your home. 

What shapes can he/she see? Find shapes when playing on the playground. Have your child put away toys according to shape.

Stress to your child that a solid shape does not lay flat. A solid shape can be held in his/her hand. A solid shape can be felt on all sides.

• Cube: Looks like a square. Have your child count the corners and “faces” of the cube. Have your child look for cubes in your home such as a block or dice.
• Cone: Has a flat circle on top. Has sides like a triangle and comes to a point. A party hat is a cone.
• Cylinder: A cylinder has a circle on the top and on the bottom. It has two sides. We can take a finger and trace a circle around the middle of a cylinder. It doesn't have any corners. A soup can is a cylinder.
• Sphere: A sphere looks like a circle but doesn't lay flat. It doesn't have any corners or sides. A ball is a sphere.

To help your child understand two dimensional and three dimensional shapes. Refer to two dimensional shapes as flat. Refer to three dimensional shapes as solid.

Have your child collect solid shapes. Give your child a large sack. Have he/she find a sphere, a cylinder, a cube and a cone. Have your child put away toys according to solid shapes.

Have your child create rectangles and squares using stick pretzels. Solid shapes can be formed by using dough.  When having your child compare shapes use a graham cracker. Give your child a graham cracker, break it half to show two squares, break it again to show four small rectangles. Use small square crackers to build a rectangle. Make your child a sandwich. Cut the sandwich in half to show rectangles. Cut the halves to make four squares.

For further learning: 

Cut squares diagonally to show to triangles can make a square