How to teach pre-school maths at home

[tulipgarden]

I would like to suggest to parents using Pattern Blocks which is a wonderful manipulative to teach young children to

1) recognise shapes
2) recognise and develop the skill for pattern continuation (which is a topic taught in lower primary schools)
3) encourage creativity in young minds when they trying to form new patterns using the different pattern blocks)
4) understand tessellations (a topic taught in upper primary school)

[learningstore]

tulipgarden:

I would like to suggest to parents using Pattern Blocks which is a wonderful manipulative to teach young children to

1) recognise shapes
2) recognise and develop the skill for pattern continuation (which is a topic taught in lower primary schools)
3) encourage creativity in young minds when they trying to form new patterns using the different pattern blocks)
4) understand tessellations (a topic taught in upper primary school)

http://www.postimage.org/

here is a pattern block activity set from Learning Resources .

Encourage geometric exploration! Set includes 36 design cards, varying in complexity, and ¼ Plastic Pattern Blocks in six shapes and colors. Great for patterning and reasoning practice.

http://www.learningstore.com.sg/product_info.php?products_id=134

[buds]

soomum:

I want to teach my 3yo dd maths. I tried on and off when i have time to count 1-3 with her using concrete objects. However it seems like she can only understand up to quantity 2. What is the frequency like to introduce 1-10? All at one go or break into 1-3 then progress to 1-4, 1-5 and so on? I feel that her tcher is not working much with her on maths and i'm anxious to want her to be able to count (desperately in fact haa!).

It's almost impossible that the teacher won't work on everything in
tandem for a Montessori school. Usually there's a checklist of what's
to be introduced to children within a term... do check with da teacher
if you can, yah? Clarify your doubts..

soomum:

Reading your above post, I would like to use the Montessori method to teach so it means i need to start off with this concept?

Yes.

soomum:

if yes, i do not quite understand how i can use vanguard sheet to replace as the wooden rods? because the vanguard sheet although hard is not as 3D as the wooden rods right?

The vanguard paper in this instance works more 2D instead of 3D.

soomum:

Thus how do i build stairs without them flying off the floor?

It can be laminated for lasting effect.
Yes, definitely won't be as hard as wooden rods.

soomum:

Can i use mega blocks to do this but thats higher cost?

Yes, you can and yes... higher cost.

soomum:

Why must it be alternate red & blue color?

Montessori materials are colour coded. The colours on the rod alternate
the quantity the child has to count one at a time... from left to right...
patterning the sequence as they go along... plus when it's time for
them to learn the number bonds, they will be working with other
materials with similar colour code.

soomum:

Is there a book i can get so that i know how to conduct this concept step by step?

I'm gonna spoon-feed you very soon.
I'm gonna give it to you. :lol:

soomum:

Also, do i have to make sandpaper numbers for tracing too? Or can i just print out the numbers (bold in black) & laminate it?

You don't per se \"have to\" make them... it's a matter of choice mah.
If you have had success with the sandpaper letters, you may want to consider
making the sandpaper numerals as well.. Otherwise if you're not in a hardworking
mood, you can also just print them and have them laminated so that your girl can
trace over the numbers... if still not that hadworking enuff just get transparent
folders also can.

[jedamum]

buds,

ds2 don’t really have number concept. while he can count concrete objects, he can’t imagine adding (or subtracting) them up. ie, he can look at the concrete objects while adding and just count the added up qty to get the answer, ie he see 4 pencils and sees another 4 pencils and he count to 8, but he cannot understand 4+4 is 8.
how to ‘teach’ understanding of addition and subtraction?
when to progress from concrete objects addition to abstract number addition? TIA.

[tulipgarden]

learningstore:

here is a pattern block activity set from Learning Resources .


Encourage geometric exploration! Set includes 36 design cards, varying in complexity, and ¼ Plastic Pattern Blocks in six shapes and colors. Great for patterning and reasoning practice.

http://www.learningstore.com.sg/product_info.php?products_id=134

Nice pattern blocks
Indeed pattern blocks do help young children in Maths, one of the must have recommended manipulative in Preschool Training.

[learningstore]

Thank you

Pattern blocks are used in primary schools as well

[learningstore]

jedamum:

buds,

ds2 don't really have number concept. while he can count concrete objects, he can't imagine adding (or subtracting) them up. ie, he can look at the concrete objects while adding and just count the added up qty to get the answer, ie he see 4 pencils and sees another 4 pencils and he count to 8, but he cannot understand 4+4 is 8.
how to 'teach' understanding of addition and subtraction?
when to progress from concrete objects addition to abstract number addition? TIA.

maybe base ten will help?

Interlocking Base Ten - Starter Set

http://www.postimage.org/

It is interlocking and could be joined together and also comes with an activity book.

Base Ten are also used in primary schools

http://www.learningstore.com.sg/product_info.php?products_id=874

[jedamum]

will base ten help? it looks like a big block of lego to me. :?

maybe you can share with me one of the eg in the activity book....

[learningstore]

they might look like lego but they are not.


the small units you see inside represents one , the rods represent 10 and the hundreds is represented by a flats and a thousand is represent by a cube.

For example illustrating 4 + 8

you will put 4 units one side and 8 units one side.

Using the tens concepts - you will remove 6 units to form a 10 and left with 2 units to illustrate the answer is 12.

[phankao]

learningstore:

Thank you

Pattern blocks are used in primary schools as well

I use these with my toddler too - but we have the Melissa & Doug one. Very similar to this. Very easy to download patterns from the internet too as template, but I need to put a very thin white non-slip mat on top or else his blocks will shift too much as he's working on it.

Without the templates, he has figured out making shapes like rhombus using 2 triangles and making hexagons and trapezoids with triangles as well.

I really find that it's a matter of exposure.