Hey everyone!
Wanted to share this short little video I made on using grouping to teach division and fractions! As you can see in the video, I used poker chips. My three year old son and his four year old friend quickly caught on to the idea of grouping large numbers into smaller groups, and the amounts that resulted. Surprised to see a three year old figuring out division? It's easy this way! Check out the video and try at home!
How to do this:
Put objects out and show child how to make groups of 2, 3 and so on.
When you put the total chips out, say, "Let's divide (9) by (3). Make groups of three."
Then, when you are done, count the total groups and repeat to the child, "9 divided by three equals three. Three groups of three make nine. Let's count each chip!"
Repeat this process frequently and with different numbers to sharpen math skills!
Hello everyone! Just popping in to give you a few quick ideas for some fun Halloween themed art and math, and also a few recycled play ideas and book suggestions!
Hope you enjoy and have a safe and fun Halloween!
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Paper Plate Pumpkin
It's a no brainer! Take some orange (or red and yellow if you'd like to include a lesson on color mixing) paint, white glue and shaving cream and mix some neato "poofy" paint.
Paint your paper plate and glue black triangles and mouth shapes to make a jack o' lantern.
I cut a spiral out of green paper for the vines, which my son wanted to glue on as "arms". :)
The added idea for motor strength would be to have your child cut their own shapes out of black paper with child safe scissors! Fun and easy, plus cute to display!
Candy Corn Math
Something yummy always makes math fun! As you can see from the picture, what I did was take a ziploc bag, and place 10 dots on the outside, along with the number "10" using a permanent marker. I then put 10 peices of candy corn in the bag.
Have fun counting all of your peices, adding and subtracting peices, and learning math in this "sweet" way. The best part is that you get to eat it when you are all done! Kids love it. Try this activity with larger numbers, multiplication or fractions for older children!
Recycled Cereal Box Play Houses
I got this idea from a great book I have called "365 TV-Free Activities (You Can Do With Your Child)" (Bennett, Bob Adams Inc, 1991).
Check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/365-TV-Free-Activities-Your-Child/dp/1558505857.
The idea is to take your recycled cereal (or mashed potato, cracker, etc.) and cut doors and windows in them, to create play houses! I turned mine inside and taped them back up out so that we could draw on them. This is an awesome open ended project--get out the scissors, tape, crayons and markers and have a blast! Not only do they look neat when you are done, but it is a free and creative activity that your child will love.
The play houses are as elaborate as you'd like them to be...we even made steps for ours! They look neat when lined up into a little "neighborhood". Try it!
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In closing, a few book suggestions that we've enjoyed reading! These should be available at your local library:
Bats at the Library
http://www.amazon.com/Bats-at-Library-Brian-Lies/dp/061899923X
Bats love to read too...and they've flown in through an open window at the library!
Too Many Pumpkins
http://www.amazon.com/Too-Many-Pumpkins-Linda-White/dp/0823413209
An overgrowth of pumpkins!
Pumpkin Soup
http://www.amazon.com/Pumpkin-Soup-Helen-Cooper/dp/0374460310/ref=pd_sim_b_7
A story of friendship and tasty pumpkin soup!
In our adult years, calculus and trigonometry put a damper on passion for math...for many of us, anyhow. :) A college math professor of mine said something very profound about this passion for math. "At some point in your life, someone ruined math for you. Don't be the teacher that does this to another child." How true!
As parents and teachers, we need to be the inspiration for our child's math skills. Know that math and pre-math skills do NOT start at the elementary level...it starts NOW! I'd like to outline in this blog some ideas for you, from infancy until preschool, on how to incorporate lessons into your young child's life--and along with it, a passion for mathematics!
INFANTS AND VERY YOUNG TODDLERS
Math isn't just about counting--it's about reasoning, logic, and matching as well. Activities that you can do with your baby all the way into toddlerhood include:
-Counting simple objects at every opportunity
-Matching things: Pairs of shoes, flashcards, two of anything you can find. Start with small amounts and then work your way into more objects and more subtle differences. You will be amazed at how your young child can match!
-Measuring: scoop, pour and spoon. Use water, rice, peas, sand, cereal, or whatever other material that your child can safely use. For the young baby who is still "oral", try edible items like cheerios.
Here is a great printable just in time for Halloween--goofy teeth matching! :)
Goofy Tooth Match
Also, here is a great article on turning "bath time" into "math time"!
Bath Math
PRESCHOOLERS
The preschool age child will enjoy all the activities above--but you can take it to the next level with more exposure to numbers, more advanced concepts, and more opportunities to count.
-Seriation and patterning: Simple activities can promote these ideas. Seriation is the successive patterning of objects, such as small to large. Even making something as simple as a snowman--three white circles, small, medium and large--can help facilitate these ideas. A caterpillar with successively large or small circles as the body also works. You can cut out shapes of any kind and ask your child to arrange or glue them to paper in the order of small to large, or large to small. Patterning, ofcourse, is trying a different pattern. Try a very simple pattern to start, for example: red circle, blue square. Preschool age children will catch on very quickly. Take things slowly and add more pattern peices as your child is ready. This is also a great way to introduce shapes!
-Time as a math concept: Count calendar days with your child each day to help them understand how numbers relate to time and our everyday lives. Try using a kitchen timer to help them understand concepts of time. You can say things like, "Let's see if we can pick up these blocks in one minute, by the time the bell rings." Not only is is an effective tool for transitioning and directing children, but it helps to cement the idea of minutes and the concept of time. Point out the hands on a clock to your child and talk about your daily schedule--what happens when. Not only is this directly relative to numbers, but it is also a part of patterning.
-How math relates to the individual: How old is your child? What is their birthday? What is their address? Phone number? Not only this is information important for them to learn for personal safety, it is basic MATH!
-Make counting fun: Try different themes for counting. For example, Halloween is around the corner. This week, for my son, I took a plastic baggy and marked it with the number "10" with a magic marker. I told him he could have a treat if he could count 10 candy corn and put them into his bag. He was more than happy to comply! =)
Make counting cups--recyled plastic applesauce cups or baby food jars wtih permanent marker dots on them to signify numbers. Use beans, candy, or other small objects like paper clips to count things out.
-Ask how many. Use each opportunity to help your child classify, count and identify objects. Ask them to be descriptive.
Dont waste any teachable moment, and you will be on the road to creating a little math wizard!
Check out these additional resources for great preschool math ideas!
Preschool theme: Counting and Numbers
PreK Smarties
Hundreds of themed preschool math ideas on PerpetualPreschool.com
Preschool Math Printables (Worksheets)
And finally, one book suggestion that has a CD with songs and also manipulatives graphics to print! I own this book and let me tell you--kids LOVE it. It is so wonderful!
"Math Magic" for ages 3-7
111 pg book with CD
Burton and Campbell
Order here: Order Math Magic at Songsforteaching.com
Your Baby Can Read
Should you spend money on this product? Not sure if you've seen the commercials or not, but the idea is that you can teach your infant or child to read. Is it a scam? No way! This is totally possible. But know two things: 1)This is sight reading (the first stage of reading) and not phonetic reading and 2)You can do this at home for free!
I've been working on words with my son since before his 2nd birthday. Simply being consistent with flashcards or writing on paper can do the trick! But here are some free ideas to get you started on early reading skills!
WORD BOX: I took a diaper wipe box and filled it with cardboard squares. Each square had a simple word written on it, and I used 4-5 different permanent marker colors to provide variety and help my son distinguish/memorize the words. What words did I use? Words that are meaningful to him. Things that are in his world, or things he enjoys, along with simple basic words that any child could learn to recognize (like cup, or mom). I even tossed in bigger words that had special meaning to him.
NAME TIP: In teaching your child how to read or recognize their name, make up a song that spells the word. I used the tune of Old MacDonald for my son. "E-M-M, E-T-T. That spells Emmett." He sings this song to himself and now recognizes what word is spelled with them, all because of the tune!
BE A TECH NERD Use your digital resources! I love using Microsoft Office's "Power Point" to teach my son because it is colorful, easy to use, and he can also utilize basic computer skills (like pressing the arrow buttons) to control the slide show himself. Here is an example of a Power Point file with some of the words Emmett has been working on (feel free to save and modify for your own use!):
"First Words" Power
Point Presentation
*please note, you will need Mic. PowerPoint application to use this file
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FUN STUFF
Sensory Ideas
Salt Tray:
Take a shallow tray or cookie sheet and cover with plain old table salt! Practice drawing and making shapes and letters in the salt. It provides the neatest texture that might surprise you! Holds shapes well and gives kids such a neat sensory experience.
Water Tray:
You don't need a large water table or a bathtub for water play! Even a shallow dish of water will provide hours of fun. I'm always talking about water play but it's so wonderful for the young child. It's not just about splashing and making a mess! Provide animals for dramatic play. Provide pitchers, spoons and cups so that your child can learn about problem solving, and spacial concepts--all while honing their fine motor skills! Put out the dish towels and expect a little mess....it's fun!
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THE ARTIST'S PALETTE and SPONGE PAINTING
Put out a plate with dabs of rainbow colors. Provide your child with small sponges in different shapes and show them how to make prints on their paper. You can buy precut shapes but it is just as easy to buy a pack of Cello sponges yourself and cut out your child's favorite shapes!
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GAME SUGGESTION
Red light, Green light
Does your child know what traffic lights mean? Bet you've forgotten about this fun, simple game that is so much fun for kids! You don't need to use a prop for this game but it is fun to make and kids can help! I simply printed out two identical pictures of traffic light clip art and stapled it to a cardboard rectangle. Here are two great (and free) pieces of clipart for you!
Red Light | Green Light
How to play: Your child can be on foot or on a bicycle, scooter, etc. Show them a starting point and make sure they understand the concept of "Red light means stop, Green light means go". Shout "Green Light" and encourage them to move forward to the goal (where you are standing) and "Red Light" to stop. My students in the past enjoyed when I turned my back to them for green, and jumped around suddenly for red. If you have a sign, it provides a great visual!
Expect a lot of giggles and a little cheating. You will get requests from now on to play this in the driveway. Free and fun! :)
Sometimes, to have REAL fun, you've got to get dirty. Don't be afraid to try some of these very fun activities at home...even if it makes a bit of a mess, it will also make a permanent memory in your child's mind. It's ok to get dirty sometimes! Hands can be washed, floors can be vacuumed, and countertops and tables can be scrubbed...so let go of your inhibitions and HAVE A BLAST! 
CONSTRUCTION TIME Get all of your scoopers, pourers, loaders, dumptrucks and backhoes together and get ready for a great time! Any substance can be used for filling and dumping but with younger kids I like to use cereal and edibles! Here we used cornflakes. It was so much fun to scoop, pour and drive the trucks around. Clean up was a breeze because we did the acitivity on a blanket.
Think this activity isn't for your little girl? THINK AGAIN! ALL kids will love to do this activity. What are we learning here? Problem solving, measuring and pre-math skills, cooperation, and even spatial development. Do expose your little girl to activities like this to help her work on these skills!
Rainbow Recycled Crayons
Have a ton of broken and discarded crayons rolling around the bottom of the art box? Try this fun activity!
You'll need:
-Some play hammers or perhaps a meat tenderizer (mom needs to help a bit on this one)
-two long sheets of wax paper
-broken and discarded crayons
-muffin tin
Set your oven on a low temp, around 200 degrees or so.
Remove ALL paper bits from discarded crayons. Break crayons into smaller bits. Hammer for extra fun! Peices can be large and small--variety is fun with this project! Do not break peices any smaller than the size of a fingernail, for lack of a better comparison.
When you are done, fill muffin trays and place in oven. Kids can help choose special color combinations they might like! WATCH CAREFULLY! You don't want the crayons to melt all the way--too high of heat or too long in the oven will produce a completely melted wax, which ruins the rainbow effect. Similiar to a chocolate chip cookie, you are looking for the different color peices to have just melted together.
Remove from oven and let cool completely. When cool, disc shaped recycle crayons will pop out from muffin tin! Tin will need to be scrubbed well with soap and hot water before using for food again.
Crayons will make neat rainbow colored marks on paper! Easy for young toddlers/preschoolers to use and earth friendly! :)
Bird Seed Table
Don't forget about sensory play! We have a homeade water table (search my blog for how to make one of your own!!!), but you don't need that--all you need is a tub, large pan, or even box! Fill with bird seed or another substance like cheerios, popcorn, or colored macaroni (see recipe below). REMEMBER: These items will be a choking hazard for children under 2 1/2, or those who are still "oral".
Colored Macaroni
Here's how to make your own colored macaroni--for sensory table play, sorting or art projects. It's great to have on hand for a rainy day!
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Materials:
uncooked pasta (macaroni or other shapes)
rubbing alcohol
food coloring (drops or paste)
In a ziploc bag or bowl, pour in enough rubbing alcohol so the noodles are lightly covered but not soaking (about 2 to 4 Tbsp)
Add a lot of food coloring to each bowl Use a separate bag/bowl for each color
Add the desired amount of macaroni (this depends on how many kids/crafts you're making).
Mix them up (or shake the ziploc bag) and let sit a couple of minutes.
Once the noodles have reached the desired color, remove them from the baggie or bowl and lay them in a single layer on tinfoil or waxed paper to dry.
Making the colored noodles is messy and food color doesn't come out of clothes well... the shaking part can be done by kids (if you use a ziploc bag), but the rest should be done by an adult.
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Channy's tips on this one:
-Crack a window, this gets stinky! Haha!
-Drying on paper towel is ok, as long as you place on cookie sheet or something else. Don't place these noodles on a paper towel to dry on your counter...because they WILL most likely stain it.
-Find neat pasta shapes, like wagon wheels, in the ethnic areas at your grocery.
-Browns, blacks dark blues and purples can be tricky...don't make you dye too dark. One thing I've learned from dying lots of pasta over the years is that green, red, yellow, orange, turquoise and pink always come out beautifully! A lighter dye is usually more successful.
Once you've made a large stash, you won't need to for quite some time again. Colored noodles are actually quite beautiful and vibrant...perfect to keep on hand for jewelry making, art or many other purposes! Enjoy!
St. Patricks Day fun!
I'm an irish gal born the day before St. Patty's day...so I love the holiday! :)
It can be so much fun with young children!
I'd like to share some early childhood ideas that I've used every year in my classroom and with my son!
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Shamrock Shakes:
Make your own shamrock shake with milk and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. Blend in a blender and for extra color add a bit of green food coloring!
Minty Water Play
Water play is always fun...but it is especially arousing for the senses when you add essences! In a tub or bowl of water, add a few drops of mint oil and allow your child to play with their favorite water toys or measuring utensils.
Pot Of Gold
It is so much fun to collect rocks outside and spray paint them gold for counting. After gold paint has dried, mark nuggets with permanent marker (1, 2, 3) or with black colored dots for a fun, St. Patty's day inspired math activity!
Blue and Yellow Make Green
St. Patrick's day is a perfect opportunity to discuss colors! Try squirting yellow and blue tempera paint on paper, or a smooth surface with shaving cream, and allow your child to smear them together to understand this effect on their own!
Suggested Reading
Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Leoni
The perfect book for a precursor to discovering green...and one of my favorites! A story of two "color friends". :)
Green Pepper Printing
Cut a green pepper directly down the middle to make a shamrock shape! Place on a shallow tray of green paint and make Shamrock Pepper Prints!
Lucky Charms Sorting and Counting
Buy a box of lucky charms and sort all of the different marshmallow shapes. Count and graph them! Older kids will LOVE this activity.
Two Cute St. Patty's Day Songs
Song for St. Patrick's Day:
To the Tune of The Bear Went Over the Mountain
We're wearing green for the Irish We're wearing green for the Irish We're wearing green for the Irish On this St. Patrick's Day
We'll dance a jig for the Irish We'll dance a jig for the Irish We'll dance a jig for the Irish On this St. Patrick's Day
Me Mither and Fither were Irish Me Mither and Fither were Irish Me Mither and Fither were Irish And I am Irish too
We kept a pig in the parlor We kept a pig in the parlor We kept a pig in the parlor And he is Irish too.
And if you like the leprechaun concept...
I'm a little Leprechaun
To the tune of I'm a Little Teapot
I'm a little leprechaun dressed in green
the tiniest man that you've ever seen.
If you ever catch me so it's told
I'll give you my pot of Gold!
Large Motor Idea
Get some exercise and gross motor practice--great for any age! Trace green footsteps on paper and tape to the floor. Use for a treasure hunt, or just to walk and follow. Toddlers learning to walk will have so much fun following the prints. Older kids can "dance a jig" and follow more advanced footstep directions!
Better yet and if you dare...
Stretch out a large sheet of butcher paper, paint or stamp feet green, and dance to irish music. Make sure to display your fancy footwork afterward! :)
EXTRA RESOURCES
Printable St. Pat's maze for your older child
Maze
Lots of St. Patrick's Day Coloring Pages
Coloring Pages
I hope you've enjoyed these activities and have fun with your little one on St. Patrick's Day! :)
Your Preschool and Daycare Questions Answered!
Hello everyone!
Almost all of us with young children have questions concerning daycare and preschool! I've compiled some forum member's questions to help address some common issues. Thanks for your responses and questions!
Q. "I am having potty training issues with daycare. I don't know how to ask about it though. Basically when Ky started in the toddler room they said that when I decided to start PTing they would help. Well Ky is nearly fully PTed at home (minus night time) and has no problem. But with 11 other kids to play with and take turns using the potty with, they seem like they are too busy to help her PT. I keep getting "oh well she'll start asking us eventually, she's still so young yet". I know WHY she doesn't tell them at school, but what are some ways I could get the daycare teachers to help me? There's only 2 other girls in there that use the potty at school! So it's not like ALL 12 kids are needing to be asked if they have to go potty or needing extra potty trips. I want them to work with me but they don't seem to be. They let her try to use the potty at every diaper change, and she typically pees in the potty, but still has a wet diaper. So basically, I want to know how I can get the daycare to help me and how I can help Ky recognize and be more vocal about pottying. NONE of the kids there are completely PTed. Most of them are under 2.5 yrs except for 2 of them. Any tips and tricks??"
A. From working in a toddler room, I know firsthand that potty training can be hard. Children are at different levels, and different systems at home. This is a typical concern from parents and it's very normal to see children doing better with PT at home--not only because parents can give more individual attention, but also because children are distracted at school and wait/choose not to go, so they won't miss something!
My suggestion would be to change the system. Not just at daycare, but at home. This way Kyliana will know exactly what to do. A great way to do this is to buy or find two kitchen timers that are exactly the same. You can almost always find them at the dollar store!
Set a time limit that is realistic. Teachers won't have time to ask Ky every thirty minutes, nor probably each hour. I think every 90 minutes-2 hours is a reasonable request, beyond the normal potty times/diaper changes they are doing at school.
When the bell rings, say, "time to potty" or use the sign for bathroom. Do the exact same routine every time. As Kyliana gets older and better with holding it, the time inbetween asking can be elongated until the system isn't needed at all, and she self regulates.
Write this system down, and bring the second timer into the daycare. Explain how it is working for you at home, and that you would really appreciate it if you would help with consistency.
Finally, from a daycare/preschool teacher's perspective, doing this while watching 12 other toddlers really is hard work! If your teachers are willing to work with you and you see improvement, make sure you "grease" the wheel by offering a heartfelt thank you or maybe even a quick thank you card or note. Hope that helps!:)
Q.
What kind of questions do you ask when you are going to veiw a daycare?
A. There are so many! I'll cover a few of the main ones, and offer a few good printable links that you may want to bring with you when shopping for a daycare.
1. Is this center licensed? Unless you have a family member or other arrangement made, this answer should be yes--even if it is a home center!
2. Are teachers and staff first aid certified and trained in CPR? What are their educational requirements? In most states, centers are required to have a certain number of staff (including lead teachers and the program directer) educated with, minimally, a child development associates degree (cda) or an early childhood development bachelors. There are several different forms of degrees but the minimum is usually a two year degree.
3. Are lesson plans and classroom events made available to parents? Where can parents access this information and learn about what is being taught to their children? This is often a joint effort. Sometimes when parents don't ask, they don't recieve--although in my opinion, a good teacher will work hard to make these things very accessible.
4. What is the staff or caregiver ratio, per child age group? The answer to this varies by state, but you can visit goverment websites or call your local family indepence agency or children resource network to ask about local licensing centers. They can give you the numbers per age group. When asked, ALL staff should know the answer for the age group they work with.
5. How is discipline handled? This is important. Ofcourse, we always want to know that corporate or physical punishment is never used. This is especially important to ask in home settings where it may not be as obvious/public what is being done to discipline children. But beyond that, as a parent, I like to hear that redirection and positive guidance are used. Do some reading on what you believe is right, and make sure your daycare complies with that!
Other things to ask about: The food program, how children are discharged, how holidays are handled, etc! Check out these great resources for more answers:
Daycare QuickTips
Daycare Qs
Q. Is preschool absolutely necessary?
A. Well...in a nutshell....no. But what kind of stimulation will you provide for your child? Be honest with yourself and ask yourself these questions:
For at least a year or two before kindergarten starts, will I provide ample time for my child to socialize with other children and adults, so they may build social skills?
Will I provide regular stimulation through reading, art, sensory, science, etc. at home?
Will I teach my child self help skills (one of the most important things pre-k) such as how to dress, put on shoes, follow directions, and listen?
If you know that you may not have time or the drive to do these things with your child (which doesn't make you a bad parent! Maybe you are a working parent, or you are unclear as to what you should be doing), then preschool is probably a great option for you, should you be able to afford it!
If you answered yes to all of these questions, then preschool probably isn't necessary. Would it still benefit your child tremendously if you enrolled them in a quality program?
YES YES YES!
Kindergarten teachers won't expect your child to have serious academic skills when entering kindergarten. But they will be expecting social and self help skills, and some basic other things as well.
I am 100% a full advocate of preschool at an early age--a part time two's program, and 2-3 day per week 3 and 4 year old program.
So, as you can see, this topic is quite complex! But I hope I've helped shed some light. :)
Q. Meredith has started going to Sunday school now that she is old enough, in fact today was her first day. I wanted to sit in on a couple of classes just to observe and see how Meredith behaves around the children and everything. The teachers were suggesting I leave so that she can get used to being in the class alone and won't get distracted. Today she didn't even notice I was there, I don't think she looked for me once. I think it would be okay for me to watch from behind, but they seemed insistant that I leave. Do you think it's a good idea for me to sit in or should I just leave the room every sunday? I know it is good for her to be separated from me every now and then so she can get used to it, but if she doesn't know I'm there then I don't think it really matters. What do you think?
A. I personally don't think you observing a few classes is anything that will cause ill effect, especially if your daughter is uninterested that you are there!:)
Teachers need to remember that seperation is hard for the parent too. Your teachers should work hard to provide you with comfort and knowledge about how your child's day will go, and observing is all part of that process.
I've always had an "open door" policy with parents. I think it is a good thing. Ofcourse--there is a flip side. If you always wanted to be there, and it became a habit--yes, that would be negative for your daughter because it might distract her, but also, might make teachers feel uncomfortable an unable to do their job. A constant observer makes us all a little uneasy at times.
Perhaps what you are really craving is more info on what types of activites Meredith will be engaging in, and how the classroom in general is run and operated. Ask your teachers about this and hopefully, they can produce something for you to help you understand more about their program.
Ultimately in Sunday school, daycare or preschool, the object of the game is parent/teacher communication. If that is constantly a problem, it may be time to check out some new facilities. Hope that helps to answer your question.
Thanks again everyone for your great questions about childcare. I will look forward to another Q&A style blog in the future!:)
