Teaching math for kindergarten

6 Tips to Teach Kindergarten Math Without Curriculum

This year, I’m teaching my daughter kindergarten math without curriculum. Kindergarten is the perfect time to “play” school, and kindergarten mathematics is the best place to start with making learning fun.

When my oldest was beginning kindergarten, I excitedly bought a variety of curriculum for him so I could find the best. I had more teacher’s manuals than I could count on one hand. As a result, there were many tears. I persevered. He loved learning (especially math), so he survived the year of double math (among other things).

But each child is different. I knew that if I forced a the same methods and curricula on second child, it would only cause her to hate school time. I needed a new solution. To my surprise, our best result has been to completely drop the kindergarten math curriculum. Here are some tips to make sure your kindergarten math time nurtures your five- or six-year-old child’s natural love for learning.

Use games. Playing card games and board games helps my daughter gain basic number recognition as we count around a board, recognize doubles, and recognize common number pairs. Our current favorite game to play during math time is Skip-Bo, which builds on number sense in great ways!

Read great books. I love reading with my kids. Much of the time, a great picture book can introduce a mathematical concept to a kindergarten-age child in a way that is more memorable than any worksheet-based curriculum could do so. You could even make up your own stories as you go about your days.

Make it real. My daughter loves her analog watch. It helps that it is Minnie Mouse that shows her the time! As we make a schedule and set timers, she learns about passing time, time in general, and reading the time (very generally, at least, in terms of hours). She also loves getting money and shopping at a garage sale with me. Since garage sales deal with small amounts of money (and we can usually find something for a quarter), this is great practical experience. Consider having your child help cook to learn fractions, and counting the bottles of tomato sauce on a grocery run. Even things as simple as helping set the table (How many plates? How many knives?) can count as kindergarten math.

Get moving. My daughter loves anything involving running or jumping around! Use your trampoline to practice counting by tens, or make your math practice a dance party.

Play with toys. In teacher talk, a “manipulative” is something that a child can hold (or manipulate) to help solidify a concept. In your home classroom, anything can be a manipulative! We play with beads, marshmallows, paperclips, pom-poms, mini-erasers, stuffed animals, snap cubes, small plastic jumping frogs. Anything goes! If you can count it, it can be used for math learning. I love the math curriculum-provided manipulatives too, like Cuisenaire rods (also called centimeter rods).

After Planning. As a new homeschool mom, I know would have panicked if someone had suggested ditching the curriculum. Kindergarten is the best place to do so, though, as many states do not require it anyway. In addition, kindergarten concepts are basic enough that you probably cover them on a daily basis. Any gaps that remain are certain to be reviewed in first grade mathematics. To keep track of what you’ve done, sit down after the day is over and write down in your planner what you did. I call this my “after planing” method. I don’t usually plan out our day before we start: I let her choose what we do and we live life. Chances are you can find some way those things relate to math!

Here are the basic concepts commonly addressed in kindergarten math curricula for a whole year. I hope as you read through this list, you’ll think of more ways you can play games, read great books, get moving, make it real, play, and after plan to do your kindergarten math without a curriculum together. It’s more fun than you’ll believe!

Count to 20. (Start with counting to 5, then go from there).
Understand how to count to 100.
Add and subtract within 10 (using manipulatives or images).
Add and subtract within 5 (fluently).
Compare numbers (greater than and less than) under 20.
Count on from a number (…5, ___, 7, 8 ….) rather than starting at the beginning (up to 20)
Identify missing numbers in a sequence (up to 20)
Draw pictures or use manipulatives to show addition (5+2=7)
Find a number to make ten when given a number between 1 and 9 (number ten bonds)
Understand that teen numbers are 10 + a number between 1 and 9.
Compare sizes, such as length and weight, in general using words such as taller, bigger, or shorter.
Identify, compare, sort, and create basic shapes and make new shapes from them.
Recognize the hour and half hour on the clock.
Identify values of pennies, nickles, and dimes.

Rebecca

About the author

Rebecca is a homeschooling mother of three, “Raisin” born in 2007, “Strawberry” born in 2012, and “Kitty” born in 2015. Before she stayed home with her children, she was a professional proofreader. Now that she is home with her kids, she seeks to make learning fun! She loves to incorporate literature, games, and interactive learning in to the homeschooling day. When she's not homeschooling, she loves reading, especially classical literature and history.

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Awesome Math Strategies for Kindergarten and the 6 Questions to Ask Your Small Group – KindergartenWorks

By Leslie Simpson · About 3 minutes to read this article.

Teaching math strategies in kindergarten may be easier than you think. Here are the top math strategies for kindergarten that you can use in your lessons and the questions you should be asking.

I've got everything I'm sharing with you today wrapped up in my Guided Math Pack for kindergarten. That way you can use these math strategies for kindergarten easily.

What are math strategies in kindergarten

You should know that these math strategies for kindergarten came from the Kindergarten Common Core Standards. There is a whole section called "Mathematical Practice" that lists the standards below.

Now hang with me. Here are the standards as they are written out. They are {ahem} super exciting so I won't be offended if you just want to jump past this list.

Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
Model with mathematics.
Use appropriate tools strategically.
Attend to precision.
Look for and make use of structure.
Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Now, if you ask me - these are hardly kindergarten friendly.

But, as I planned out my guided math curriculum for kindergarten I realized that I needed to make use of them. I was supposed to be teaching them, after all.

How I made them kid-friendly

In order to make use of those silly-stated standards, I desperately needed to make them more kinder-friendly. So each standard got rephrased into a strategy or approach that we could actually use.

For example,

"Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others" became "tell and explain"
"Attend to precision" became "check my work"

And those kinder-friendly phrases became go-to things for me.

I'm not kidding. Since I was introducing and using them during small group lessons, I was able to refer to them regularly and prompt students with them.

How you can use pictures to teach strategies

Since I work with beginning readers and non-readers in kindergarten, I made icons or symbols for each strategy. This works on the same principle as illustrating guided reading strategies.

I turned each strategy into posters and cards.

These were integrated into the math prompts my students did in our math journals. They would practice one strategy each time - at the same time as working on content.

Questions to ask your small math groups

What do these math strategies mean for teaching in small groups?

Well, that meant I had questions I could ask.

"How can you show what you are thinking?"
"What tools did you use to figure this out?"
"Tell us about your thinking. What did you notice?"
"What would make good sense?"
"What could you try?"
"What do you notice?"

Rather than tell my students what to do - or how to solve - I could ask questions to help direct their thinking.

I added these math strategies for kindergarten right into my lesson plan templates too.

If you like these math strategies for kindergarten all done for you - you can get the:

strategy posters and cards
guiding questions to ask based on the strategies
math journals prompts with strategies listed
lesson plan templates with strategies listed

all in the Guided Math Pack!

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

More Guided Math

Differentiate Math Easier with the Guided Math Pack for Kindergarten
How to Start Guided Math
5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Getting Started With Guided Math

About Leslie Simpson

Leslie is the teacher behind KindergartenWorks. She believes in teaching kinders how to be pretty incredible along with teaching them to read, write and think for themselves. She enjoys drinking hot tea, making mud pies with her three kids and sharing what she's learned with teachers.

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1. Methods of teaching mathematics in kindergarten

Moscow State Pedagogical University

Abstract on the topic:

"Organization teaching mathematics to preschool children age”

Fulfilled 4th year student, group No. 402:

Fomin Alexei

Anatolyevich

Moscow 2014

Content:

one. Methods of teaching mathematics in children garden

2. Organization of teaching mathematics for children preschool age

2.1 Forms of organizing children's education elements of mathematics

2.2 Methods for Teaching Children the Elements mathematics

2.3 Means of forming elementary mathematical representations

Conclusion

List used literature

Introduction

Important the task of modern pedagogy is formation of a sufficient level of knowledge and skills of children, achievement of the state standard in various types of preschool institutions. An important place is given teaching preschoolers the basics of mathematics. This is due to a number of reasons: schooling from the age of six, an abundance information received by the child increased attention to computerization, desire to make the learning process more intense. Preschool accumulated enough experience in teaching and raising children, carry out work in accordance with modern requirements, based on achievements psychological and pedagogical science. So, studies show that that the foundations of learning activities are important an element of which is the formation elementary mathematical concepts, are established at preschool age. The nature of mathematical knowledge ensure children's skills clearly and sequentially analyze processes what is happening around, contribute cultivating the habit of a complete logical argumentation of everything around. For the mathematical style of thinking characteristic: clarity, brevity, dissection, accuracy and logic reasoning, ability to use symbols, etc. (V. Davydov, G. Kostyuk, A. Leushina, A. Stolyar and others). Main activity in preschool the game remains, but in parallel with it elements are formed and developed learning activities, which organize a more systematic learning process (L. Artyomova, R. Bure, L. Wenger, T. Kondratenko, V. Kotyrlo, S. Ladyvir, V. Mukhina, N. Poddyakov, A. Savchenko, A. Usova, E. Shcherbakova and others). Therefore, one of the most important tasks of the educator and parents - to develop child has an interest in mathematics preschool age.

Purpose of this work: to study the organization teaching mathematics to preschoolers.

Training how the process is purposeful, organized using special methods and various forms, active learning interaction adult and child.

Process learning has a clear structure. Her the leading element is the goal. teacher as the organizer of the educational process always has in his mind the ideal idea of the result to which he aspires in teaching interaction with the child. Psychological and pedagogical meaning of the goal is that it organizes and mobilizes the creative forces of the educator, enhances the effectiveness of his teaching interaction with children helps select and choose the most effective content, methods and forms of work.

Structural the element around which it deploys pedagogical action, interaction all participants in the training - is learning content. Content determined by the educational program and development of preschool children.

essential element of the structure of the learning process are teaching methods. They are ways of learning interaction teacher and children. Teaching methods are ways of working not only educator, but also preschoolers. Any method is only effective when unites in active interaction both sides contribute to the transformation methodological system of the educator in ways of cognitive activity children.

Process learning is unthinkable without such an element as organizational forms. presenter form of education in kindergarten - occupation. Variety of types and forms of organization learning in kindergarten does learning as close as possible to the needs and opportunities for preschool children age.

Results learning as a final component processes involve not only the assimilation children of knowledge, skills and abilities, but also development of mental powers and abilities, building relationships with the environment. Thus, training is specifically organized interconnected activities of those who teach (teaching) and who is taught (teaching).

Training mathematics in kindergarten already in the second junior group, where they begin to conduct special work on the formation elementary mathematical concepts. How successful will organized first perception quantitative relations and spatial shapes of real objects, depends further mathematical development children.

Contemporary mathematics in justifying such important concepts such as "number", "geometric figure", etc. , relies on set theory. Therefore, the formation concepts in the school mathematics course takes place on the set-theoretic basis. Children's performance in the nursery garden of various mathematical operations with subject sets allows in further develop children's understanding quantitative relations and form the concept of a natural number. Skill highlight the quality features of objects and combine items into a group based on one feature common to all of them - an important condition for the transition from quality observations to quantitative.

Main methodology for teaching mathematics in children garden - teaching children in the classroom. Lessons in mathematics in kindergarten from the beginning of the school year, i.e. from September 1. Classes are advisable in September conduct with subgroups (6-8 people each), but at the same time cover all the children of this age group. From October to a certain day of the week are engaged immediately with everyone children.

For so that the lessons give the expected effect, they must be properly organized. New knowledge is given to children gradually, taking into account what they already know and can do. When determining the scope of work, it is important avoid underestimation or overestimation opportunities for children, as both would inevitably lead to their inaction in class.

When children are introduced to new material, lesson duration can be 10-12 minutes, as the assimilation of a new one requires from a baby of significant stress; repetition sessions exercises can be extended up to 15 minutes. The teacher monitors the behavior of the children class and when they show signs fatigue (frequent distraction, mistakes in answers to questions, increased excitability etc.) stops the lesson.

Robust learning is provided repeated repetition of the same exercises, while changing the visual material, work methods vary. Keep active and alert fatigue of children allows a change of character their activities: children listen to the teacher, following his actions, they themselves commit any action involved in the overall game. They are offered no more than 2-3 homogeneous assignments. In one lesson they give from 2 to 4 different tasks. Each is repeated more than 2-3 times.

Mathematics education in the preschool educational institution

Mathematical education in the preschool educational institution.

Modern approaches to the formation of the foundations of the mathematical culture of preschoolers.

The entry of children into the world of mathematics begins already in preschool childhood. Mathematics is a universal method of cognition of the surrounding and objective world, and its role in modern science is constantly growing. Changes in conceptual approaches to determining the content and choice of methods for teaching mathematics at school, the widespread use of modern educational technologies have also determined the requirements for the mathematical preparation of preschool children.

Today "mathematics is more than a science, it is a language".

The study of mathematics improves the culture of thinking, teaches children to reason logically, educates them in the accuracy of their statements. Mathematical knowledge and skills are necessary for the successful adaptation of the child to the processes of social communication, informatization and technologization of society. They broaden the horizons of the child. Mathematical culture is an integral part of the general culture of the individual, and in the period of preschool childhood it has its own characteristics associated with the age and individual capabilities of children.

Traditionally, there are four lines in the content of mathematical education for preschool children: arithmetic, algebraic, geometric and magnitude. Today, taking into account the renewal of the content of preschool education, a fifth content line is added - algorithmic (schemes, models, algorithms). The use of information in a symbolized form contributes to the development of the ability to act mentally, develops logical and creative thinking, and imagination.

The adoption of the Federal State Educational Standard for preschool education will require the need to provide, as a prerequisite, the possibility of a child's self-realization at all stages of work on mathematical development in the preschool education system.

Mathematical material should be revealed during excursions, acquaintance with literary works and small forms of folklore, games with natural material (water, sand, beans, peas, cereals), through game exercises with sensory standards, household items, constructive and didactic games , in problem situations. All these forms vary according to age.

During their stay in kindergarten, a graduate must learn to apply mathematical knowledge and ideas in practical activities that are significant for him: play, children's experimentation, design, work, art and visual.

And as a result of self-realization, the child will develop learning motivation. Thus, the priority tasks of continuous education of children will be solved.

The concept of mathematical education in the Russian Federation

The importance of mathematical education is evidenced by the adoption of the Concept for the Development of Mathematical Education in the Russian Federation (December 24, 2013 (No. tasks and main directions of development of mathematical education in the Russian Federation.

Goals of the Concept:
to bring Russian mathematical education to a leading position in the world.
Mathematics in Russia should become an advanced and attractive field of knowledge and activity, the acquisition of mathematical knowledge should be a conscious and internally motivated process

Modernization of the content of curricula for mathematical education at all levels (with ensuring their continuity) based on the needs of students and the needs of society in general mathematical literacy, in specialists of various profiles and levels of mathematical training, in high achievements in science and practice;

Ensuring that there are no gaps in basic knowledge for each student, forming among the participants of educational relations the attitude "there are no children incapable of mathematics", ensuring confidence in an honest and adequate state final certification for the tasks of education, providing teachers with diagnostic tools (including automated ones) and overcoming individual difficulties;

Ensuring the availability of publicly available information resources necessary for the implementation of curricula for mathematical education, including in electronic format, tools for the activities of students and teachers, the use of modern technologies in the educational process;

Improving the quality of the work of mathematics teachers (from pedagogical workers of general education organizations to scientific and pedagogical workers of educational institutions of higher education), strengthening the mechanisms for their material and social support, providing them with the opportunity to refer to the best examples of Russian and world mathematical education, the achievements of pedagogical science and modern educational technologies, the creation and implementation of their own pedagogical approaches and copyright programs;

Support for leaders in mathematics education (organizations and individual teachers and scientists, as well as structures formed around leaders), identifying new active leaders;

Providing highly motivated students with outstanding mathematical abilities with all the conditions for the development and application of these abilities;

Popularization of mathematical knowledge and mathematical education.

Basic provisions for the implementation of the concept
Every citizen of Russia, regardless of age, has the right to free mathematical education, taking into account his professional orientation and individual intellectual needs. The system of mathematical education provides equal starting opportunities and takes into account the already achieved level at each stage.
Mathematics education is carried out in educational institutions of preschool, basic, vocational and additional education, higher educational institutions, in the family, in the form of self-education, as well as in the form of public educational associations. Responsibility for the results of mathematical education of a citizen of the Russian Federation is jointly borne by the state, parents and the citizen himself.
The main customer of mass general mathematical education is society. The state forms this order at all levels, based on the needs of industry and business, the country's research base, healthcare, public administration and education institutions, and provides support, including funding for this order.