Getting Ready for Kindergarten

Kindergarten Math Practices and Strategies to Support Your Child

O Number recognitionO Basic arithmeticO Simple math tasks (problem solving)O ComparingO ProbabilityO GeometryO MeasurementO Patterns

What Will My Child Be Learning in Math?

So….how can I help my child?

Number Recognition and Counting

O Counting with your child is one of the single most beneficial things you can do to help them build strong number sense.

O Start by counting to 10, then 20, then 50, then on to 100 and up.

O Play around with skip counting (5s, 10s, 2s)O Count Forward and Backward – turn them into games.O ESTIMATE – “About how many…..are there?”

O Help your child to identify numbers in their environment.

O Represent numbers by using objectsO Talk about numbers in terms of: more, less, greater,

equal, about

Compare MORE vs. LESS

• Allow your child to play with coins and understand they each have more and less value.

• Point out groups of objects to your child and identify which has more, most, less, little, etc.

Geometry StrategiesO Play with Shapes puzzlesO Allow your child to attempt to draw

shapes with multiple tools (marker, pencil, glue and glitter, tracing)

O Ask your child to name their shapesO TALK about them: “Hmm…what is the

difference between that square and that rectangle?”

O Point out shapes in the environment – turn a shape search into a game!

Measurement Strategies

O Help your child to understand bigger, smaller, smallest, shorter, heavier, taller, etc.

O Measure with small objectsO Use noodles or paperclips to measure

the length of the table, for example.

Have FUN With Patterns

O Make patterns out of everything: food, toys, anything!

O TALK about patterns and have them explain it to you.

O Notice patterns in daily life.

O SORTINGO Have your child sort by size and color and

then create fun, colorful patterns that they can explain.

O For example, have them help with sorting laundry, silverware, crayons, etc.

Probability and Statistics

O Art! Simple charts and graphsO Start using vocabulary: likely,

probable, uncertain, impossible, unlikely, etc.

O Play Board Games! Cards, spinnersO Start a chore or responsibility chart

Helping Your Child’s Success in MATH

O MAKE MATH MEANINGFUL!O Point out math in the world around you.

O Grocery StoreO Compare pricesO Allow handling moneyO Weigh produce

O NeighborhoodO Count mailboxes, notice patterns

O Make numbersO Finger paint numbers, write numbers in the

sand

(continued….tips)O Cook/Bake together

O Measuring/talking about the amountsO Road Trips

O Put a pencil in their hand and keep track of things (number of cows, lights, signs, etc.)

O Keep a calendar!O Mark certain days of the week, special

dates, weekends,O Today, tomorrow, yesterday, two days from

now…

(continued…tips)O Make “missions” for math fun

O Number of doorknobs in 20 secondsO Find all the circles you can in 5 minutesO Number of steps in the houseO Number of table legs in the house in 2

minutes etc.O Games

O Chutes and Ladders (2009 CMU/Univ. of Maryland study)

O Trouble, Classic card games, Memory, Dominos, “I spy a shape”

Build a LOVE of MathO Set aside your own distaste for Math –

they will hate it too (“I’m not a math person.”)

O Attitude has EVERYTHING to do with learning!

O You are what you believe.O It doesn’t matter if they are great at it, it

matters if they like it. They WILL improve with practice.

O Daily life/Daily conversation – “See any good Math today?”