How frequently do you engage the parents in your program about math? This is one of those things that seems so simple, but in practice really hard. Parents are usually in a hurry, dropping off or picking up – trying to get somewhere else. The time for conversation is limited so are we really going […]
Over the past few years I have thought a lot about math anxiety. Before the Early Math Counts project and this blog, I never gave it much thought expect to acknowledge that it is a real thing and it matters. I wrote about a friend whose life was forever changed by a teacher who told her […]
I can’t help but look through each classroom I visit to see what kinds of materials make up each center. Sometimes it feels like snooping as I try to ascertain whether or not the math center is also the science center or if there is a math center at all. In some rooms, there are […]
The easiest way to make rain stick is to use paper towel tubes, rice and tape, but if you want to create rain sticks that really sound like falling rain, try this. Rain Sticks Materials Needed: Paper towel tubes (1 per child) Corrugated Cardboard (enough to fill each tube) rice (the lease expensive possible) Small […]
This one requires a really big storm one with thunder and lightning but it is a nice way for the children to think about “how far” the storm is. If you are inside and the skies get very dark and the rain is coming down hard, bring the children to the window to look for […]
An abacus is an ancient counting tool that has been used all over the world, for centuries, primarily in Asia. The frame is traditionally made of wood with wire or small wooden rods running through it. On each of the rods there are beads that move from one side to the other. Children being using […]
I’m sitting at my dining room table watching the rain pour down so hard that I can’t see out of my windows and although it is 4 o’clock in the afternoon, the sky is as black as the night. My kids used to love to play in the warm rain and they especially loved to […]
I like a good old bucket balance in a preschool room. Even though there are all sorts of scales available and they each have their place and their use, the bucket balance engages children in ways that some others might not. The bucket balance asks children to figure out which side is heavier, which side is […]
On Monday, I wrote about a really interesting estimation activity that one of my students worked on in her student teaching classroom. Today, I want to show you another estimation activity that is an example of what I see much more frequently. For this activity, the teacher put marbles in a large glass vase. The children […]
I had the great good fortune to observe a very interesting Estimation Activity the other day at a local child care center. Before the observation took place, my student and I discussed how estimation can be a pretty engaging activity for young children because it feels like a game – a guessing game. We talked about […]