How to teach pre-school maths at home

[buds]

Heyya mamii, you're getting me all excited with your enthusiasm! Jia-you!

[sean wife]

I have taught my girls addition and subtraction using the counting up and counting down method…problem is when the question involves 2 single digits, one of them is still insisting on counting upwards from 1 (for addition) or downwards from 10 (subtraction). She does know the sequence well – for e.g. when asked what is the number after and before, she knows (but sometimes need to use fingers to check), and when the question involves bigger numbers like 42+8 etc, she knows what comes after 42 and start counting up from there….To me, it seems like she is ‘lazy’ to think of the number before and after for small digits and just use the very regimental method of starting from 1 or 10. Even for very simple ones like 2+3 or 3-2, she will still ‘religiously’ use her usual method instead of trying to commit to memory…When I tell her to try using other way, she starts to whine and become unwilling to continue….


How to help her be more willing to 1) start counting from the number before/after instead of 1/10 and 2) commit addition/subtraction facts to memory?

Thanks for any suggestions!

[buds]

Addition & Subtraction Games you can play to reinforce concepts and also work on their memory skills are :


1. Snap cards
http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Resources-Snap-Math-Card/dp/B0009K6K46%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJ35QFXL672XWSOOA%26tag%3Dbest-educational-toys-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB0009K6K46

*I bought Multiplication Snap cards from Growing Fun*
> http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?p=46214#p46214

OR

you can also easily DIY your snap cards with this template.
http://www.shirleys-preschool-activities.com/support-files/snap-card-template.pdf

You will need :

> Card
> Marker
> Scissors

Instructions

Print out about 24 of the number bond cards using the template provided and cut them out.

http://i48.tinypic.com/2j0nx92.jpg\">

Using a marker write number bonds on half of the cards and the answer to each calculation on another card, as shown on the examples above.

Activity

Shuffle and deal the cards between you and your child and play \"snap\" or \"pairs\" with your child. As your child progresses, you can make new cards with more number bonds on them.

2. Math Puzzles
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?p=37168#p37168

3. Magic Triangles (Number Bonds)
http://growingfun.com/product_details.cgi?PROD_ID=1069

4. Number Bonds Chart/Activity
http://fivejs.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/number-bonds.pdf

5. Small Number Rods (Montessori Math Material)
http://i49.tinypic.com/2ni8api.jpg\">

6. Addition & Subtraction Boards (Montessori Math Material)
http://i50.tinypic.com/6z90f9.jpg\">

The Montessori Math materials are very easy to DIY as well,
just by using thick cardboards or foam boards which are
now easily available at Popular too.

[Laura02]

I used to teach my dc maths by using actual objects, so it for numbers of less than 10, it would be 1 pencil, 2 pencils, etc. For numbers of more than 10, first I taught the numbers in sequence, eg 41, 43, 43… then I’d put 10 pencils in a case and bring out say 3 cases and teach dc the idea of 30. From there it’s 1 case (containing 10 pencils) plus another case (10 pencils) = 20pencils. BTW, when dc sank into temper tantrums, I’d count backwards with dc. First from 10, then, 20. I found it was a good way to get the child’s temper back under control, where we could talk sensibly on the subject of contention.


From simple addition and subtraction, I taught multiplication. Essentially, I taught 2+2+2=6. 23 is 2 plus itself 3 times, so also = 6. And 32 is 3 plus itself two times is also = 6. So 23= 32= 6. And so on. Then you can point out beautiful number patterns like for the nine times table, the digits always add up to nine. 3*9= 27. 2+7=9. I didn’t insist on dc memorizing the multiplication tables, but by doing enough ad hoc multiplications, dc was able to memorize certain numbers, then add up the rest.

For money, my dh always threw the coins in his pocket into dc piggy bank at the end of the day. Every week, dc had lots of fun counting coins with Papa, and seeing how much richer was by the end of the week. He’d group the 10 cents into one pile, 20 cents into another pile, and so on. Then it’s 10 ten cent coins make up 1 dollar … Etc after a while, dc was able to add up different combinations of coins into different amounts, and able to tell us how much two stickers cost if one sticker was x amt. Now, I look out of sales and discounts (as I usually do) and get dc to calculate the amt I’d have to pay after discount.

Same for time. That old child refrain "when will we reach there" was answered by "what is the time now?" Once that was mastered, the question became "If we take 20 min to reach there, and the time now is … Then what time will we reach there?" And "if we reach there at … and the time now is … then how long did we take to reach there?" Now, I ask "If uncle A’s car leaves there now and travels at 60kmh and we are traveling at 80kmh towards there, when will our cars pass each other?" It’s a good mental diversion for boring car journeys.

[Imami]

Wah… Got such a thread! Excellent! 妈妈找到宝！

[starz]

hi,


Can anyone share how to teach a series of 5 cents and 1 cent coins?
1 cent is fine but when come to 5 cents, my child does not really how to count. like four 5 cents and two 1 cent =??

Do i need to teach like counting of 5s (5, 10, 15, 20 n etc) to enhance?

Care to share?

Appreciate your advise.

Thank you.

[jedamum]

starz:

hi,


Can anyone share how to teach a series of 5 cents and 1 cent coins?
1 cent is fine but when come to 5 cents, my child does not really how to count. like four 5 cents and two 1 cent =??

Do i need to teach like counting of 5s (5, 10, 15, 20 n etc) to enhance?

Care to share?

Appreciate your advise.

Thank you.

i taught my boy to add up and convert.
(4x5cents)+(2x1cents)=20+2=22cents

i also taught him to group two 5 cents into a 10cent and add on.

by k2, kid should know how to step count by 5s. you teaching K2 kid?

[starz]

jedamum:

i taught my boy to add up and convert.
(4x5cents)+(2x1cents)=20+2=22cents

i also taught him to group two 5 cents into a 10cent and add on.

by k2, kid should know how to step count by 5s. you teaching K2 kid?

hmm my child is in k2 n hv not learn timetable yet.
M i too late? timetable helps money counting?

My child knows step count of 2s and 10s but not 5s.

Wat is your advise n wat should i teach the very next step to hv more understanding of $?

thank you very much.

[jedamum]

starz:

jedamum:

i taught my boy to add up and convert.
(4x5cents)+(2x1cents)=20+2=22cents

i also taught him to group two 5 cents into a 10cent and add on.

by k2, kid should know how to step count by 5s. you teaching K2 kid?

hmm my child is in k2 n hv not learn timetable yet.
M i too late? timetable helps money counting?

My child knows step count of 2s and 10s but not 5s.

Wat is your advise n wat should i teach the very next step to hv more understanding of $?

thank you very much.

times table helps to speed up counting. it is not necessary for money counting. but 5x table is useful for reading time...the minute hand.
my boy's teacher taught them the 5 times table using left hand right hand ten...left hand right hand twenty..they say as they jump on left foot right foot. lol. he learnt that in school.

i am also just recently teaching my boy concept of money. basics he needs to know how to recognise the coin and what forms $1 eg how many 20c, how many 50c, mix of coins. once they are familiar with the value of how many coins make up $1, addition will come easier. my boy adds up cents to 100cents to convert to $1. then slowly i ask him if canteen food costs $1.80 and he has $1.50, how much short, or if he gives $2 how much change.

take out your stash of coins to play! kids learn faster through games.

[Blue Pearl]

Tks Laura02 for your sharing. Very inspiring.