Sunday, February 25, 2018

Preschool Math: "Rocking" Out

We journeyed to Ayers Rock this week.
Have you ever heard of it?  I hadn't until our Mother Goose Time curriculum introduced me to this stunning red rock in Australia.


Using our monthly manipulatives, Avaleigh "rocked" out her math lesson on Ayers Rock day :)
Check out this 20 second video and catch some highlights of our day!


So much of math is understanding abstract concepts.
In order to make it concrete, especially for young learners, you need to use manipulatives.
Each month, we receive a new set of manipulatives in our box, and this month it was little colored game people (with smiley faces!)  Avaleigh used these people and a bowl turned upside down to help her reenact what her math card stated.  


Each card was about hikers doing something with the rock.  Some hiked, some went around, and some even left.  By reenacting the scenario on the card, Avaleigh was practicing adding and subtracting just through playing!



By incorporating the rock (bowl), Avaleigh also practiced prepositional phrases 
(around the rock; to the top; ect) and moved her game pieces accordingly.
Below you can see how she started taking her  manipulatives and making them go home.


I was really impressed with her math skills!
The manipulatives make such a difference.  
If I asked her what 5 minus 4 was, she would NEVER be able to tell me 1.  However by bringing out the manipulatives and actually acting out the problem, she could tell me 1 and understand why.
At this age, it's all about teachers and parents making math concrete and 
kids can do so much if we just give them the opportunities.

What are some of your favorite manipulatives?

Have fun learning this week!






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