Math can be one of the toughest subjects for young children to master. Lack of self confidence quickly becomes a problem unless kids are able to achieve early success in math skills.
For some kids of course, math comes naturally, but for the majority of students math takes a little longer to grasp. So, a primary objective in teaching early math skills and giving kids good math help is to make sure they succeed often and early.
- Start with some easy-to-do logical thinking activities like these:
- Have students try to classify blocks by their size and/or shape
- Let kids try sorting common objects like crayons, markers, or pencils into different containers
- Have children work on comparing sets with more or less items
- Give them anything to sort into sets; buttons, keys, coins, pasta, cereal, fabric or paper scraps, marbles, balls, stamps, postcards, jar lids, leaves, shells,
- Have kids try to sort common farm or zoo animals using flash cards
- Try playing a fun shape or color hunting game with your child or students
- Play matching games with children. Use number small flash cards and larger numbered cards on the floor. Give each student a numbered flash card to hold, and then have them jump and hop until they find the matching number on the floor and then place their card on the matching number until everyone has matched the correct numbers.
Singing songs that incorporate numbers is another great math learning activity. Word problems are always a good tool for teaching math skills, as are learning-based math activities.
Read on further in the Teacher’s Corner Math section, you’ll find plenty of great ideas, activities, tools and other information on how to help young children succeed in learning math skills!
