How to teach pre-school maths at home

[abhcbl]

I don’t really use number cards or any fix way in teaching my son. He can count while he was about 2 and shortly after that, one day, he just came and told me … daddy, 1 cow has 4 legs and 2 cows have 8 legs. He is now going to 5 … and is studying primary 2 math because he enjoy maths. He is able to solve simple problem like "strawberries and apples added up to 13 and there are 5 more strawberries than apples".


My experience (may not be best practices) is that you have to play games with them. We uses anything from the big abacus, children monopoly, animals figurine, ben 10 (his favourite toys) … and etc. We always started with just purely playing … and slowly incorporate some maths into the game. Like snake and ladder, we started off with him just rolling the dice … then slowly, I started to wish for a number in front of him (and explaining briefly why … and cheer loudly when I get it) … he soon wanted to learn how to do it. Even with his Ben 10 figurines … I may suddenly start saying I think mine figurine is strong because it has more hands … and after awhile you can see us starting to count all the hands, wings, legs, etc. There are so many games that we played together … and each time I add a bit of maths in the game. For minus, I started off with his treats … taking few from him and etc.

Don’t push them at the beginning … play with them (have fun vs trying to really win them) … they will want to learn more themselve when they enjoy it. Yesterday, I were playing cards game with my son … finding the pairs (I started off with 6 cards … and tell him he could promote to the next level if he win me more than 3 times in a row). This teaches him number, focus, memory, etc… so have fun

[abhcbl]

by the way … if anyone has specific question … I am happy to share with you the games that we played … just pls remember to tailor it to your kids interest … what my son enjoys playing may different from yours.


Also sometime you need to use a bit of imagination to create games for them to teach them a specific idea … I have a game that teaches my son simple algebra … and he loves it.

For example, on the minus problem … there are a few games that I used to play with my son:

1. He love strawberries … so when he asked for strawberries I will ask him … how many does he want? If he said 10 (for example, I may just gave him 6, and asked him how many more should I gave him). After he got 10, when he start eating, we started counting how many left and how many had he eaten.

2. He like balls … again we started throwing the balls and counting them. Then I may asked him to throw me 2 balls, and asked him how many balls does he left with … and so on.

3. He like his ben 10 figurines … so he had about those 10 small little figurines. We usually started of by sharing 5/5 each … again I will show him how we share and how we get 5/5 (without telling him divide at all … as I am working on minus). We will play with it his way … then I may just give him 2 figurines and ask him to guess how many do I have.

You will be surprise … when I first introduced division to him, I told him division is like sharing and splitting … like you have 10 ben 10 figurines and you share equally with your daddy … how many does each of us has. He told me 5 straight away … and I act amazing asked him to teach me … he started doing you have one, I have one … and show me the whole process of how he get 5. Then I told him thanks for teaching me.

So most important fact, remember to praise a lot … and act stupid (sometime) … like tell him … how you think about this so fast? can you teach me?

[Hifive]

Hi abhcbl


Thanks for your sharing. Will try out on those games you mentioned.

[SAHM_TAN]

Hi,


Just a quick check. 2 X 3 means

2 groups with 3 items (I can’t think of what is the correct term) in each group?

How to teach odd and even numbers to pre-school kid?

[buds]

Heyya friend... if you're keen to try this hands-on method out.. check this out, ya?

> http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?p=16584#p16584

And for the early multiplication introduction, by 2nd half of P1 it is explained
quite clearly in the textbook (step by step) how the school is teaching it...
err.. that is if your children using the same book as my girls that is.

My girls used the Shaping Maths books in their ol' school.
The introduction started with children adding equal no.
groups.. yes like 2, 4, 6, 8, 10.. Here's one example.

There are 3 plates.
There are 2 curry puffs on each plate.
How many curry puffs are there altogether?

The first equation goes like this : 2 + 2 + 2 = 6

Next one goes like this : 3 twos = 6

Finally as our math culture is here, it wouldn't be
right if the child didn't end the workings with the
number/answer statement, which in this problem
sum should read...

There are 6 curry puffs altogether.

They will then move on to number stories like
this one. Here's an example..

There are 5 equal groups of balloons.
There are 3 balloons in each group.
5 threes make 15.
There are 15 balloons altogether.

The book follows up by introducing the sign.
x stands for multiplication. It means putting
equal groups together. Multiply 5 and 3, the
answer is 15.

Number sentence : 5 x 3 = 15

We read it as : 5 times 3 equals 15

So, to answer your question... yes, it is right to say that 5 groups of 3
or 5 sets of 3 makes/equals 15. For more teaching multiplication ideas
you can also read over here at these threads..

> http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/content/multiplication-through-play-ladybird-pegging-game

> http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?p=46214#46214

[SAHM_TAN]

buds:

Heyya friend... if you're keen to try this hands-on method out.. check this out, ya?

> http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?p=16584#p16584

And for the early multiplication introduction, by 2nd half of P1 it is explained
quite clearly in the textbook (step by step) how the school is teaching it...
err.. that is if your children using the same book as my girls that is.

My girls used the Shaping Maths books in their ol' school.
The introduction started with children adding equal no.
groups.. yes like 2, 4, 6, 8, 10.. Here's one example.

There are 3 plates.
There are 2 curry puffs on each plate.
How many curry puffs are there altogether?

The first equation goes like this : 2 + 2 + 2 = 6

Next one goes like this : 3 twos = 6

Finally as our math culture is here, it wouldn't be
right if the child didn't end the workings with the
number/answer statement, which in this problem
sum should read...

There are 6 curry puffs altogether.

They will then move on to number stories like
this one. Here's an example..

There are 5 equal groups of balloons.
There are 3 balloons in each group.
5 threes make 15.
There are 15 balloons altogether.

The book follows up by introducing the sign.
x stands for multiplication. It means putting
equal groups together. Multiply 5 and 3, the
answer is 15.

Number sentence : 5 x 3 = 15

We read it as : 5 times 3 equals 15

So, to answer your question... yes, it is right to say that 5 groups of 3
or 5 sets of 3 makes/equals 15. For more teaching multiplication ideas
you can also read over here at these threads..

> http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/content/multiplication-through-play-ladybird-pegging-game

> http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?p=46214#46214

Thanks buds. Great help. Popular now sales, great time to stock up on the supplies to prepare for the props

[buds]

Yah i know.. lazy to go cos got no car.

Imagine 3 kids on public transport from
North to East! :faint: Then the issue abt
how to lug the loot bag home again too!
Then again, i just might.. never know.. :lol:

[SAHM_TAN]

buds:

Yah i know.. lazy to go cos got no car.

Imagine 3 kids on public transport from
North to East! :faint: Then the issue abt
how to lug the loot bag home again too!
Then again, i just might.. never know.. :lol:

The distance is too far to EXPO, going to use the 20% vouchers from the POP mag at one of their bigger stores. Time is more valuable to me. Hopefully, the year end sale will be at Suntec. This venue will be nearer to my home

[buds]

Thanks for the heads up. Been some time since i went to Popular,

so i'd make a special point since got 20% in the POP mag which i
don't have yet.

[SAHM_TAN]

Happy to share cost saving infor. Is there a club on cost savings tips? Like vouchers, discounts, warehouse sales, etc?