Game playing is in and of itself, one of the great ways young children make sense about the world. They learn how to take turns, test rules, negotiate conflict, work cooperatively, and practice early reading and mathematical skills. I have written about game play over the past couple of years (board games, noncompetitive games, gross motor […]
I couldn’t stop looking at these photographs of the Most Amazing Playgrounds in the World. They are a great reminder about how important play is and how we need to ensure that children have safe, clean, inspirational, and engaging places to play in. I just love thinking about all children having access to playgrounds […]
I’ve written about dice in the past on a couple of occasions but this set has not only pips, but cardinal numbers and signs as well. 6 and the ways those numbers are represented by pips on a die, you can add the dice with signs, just to liven things up. These are large enough that they […]
Teaching isn’t Rocket Science. It’s Harder. Love this. Read it.
This week I thought we could think about ways to encourage families to support early math concepts at home with some simple ideas that anyone can do. Everyday chores may be horribly boring to the adults who do them (ME!) but children can find joy in the same tasks if they are approached as fun, […]
This time of year always brings “Top 10” lists and “the Best and Worst” of the past year. We often get a glimpse into the year to come as well. My personal favorite is always “The Year in Pictures.” This one comes from the Children’s Defense Fund. Really lovely and a lot to think about. […]
When I started thinking about signs and symbols as a possible theme for January, I realized that I wasn’t quite sure what the difference is between the two. I googled the question and discovered that I had every right to be confused. All symbols are signs. Not all signs are symbols. A symbol is a […]
Don’t forget to visit the Early Math Counts table when exploring the Opening Minds Conference this year. Come see us in person and receive a small token of appreciation from Early Math Counts. See you there!
When last I wrote about Kamii’s Number in Preschool and Kindergarten book, I was exploring Chapter 4 – School Situations to “Teach” Number. In the first half of the chapter, Kamii described several ways that teachers can use everyday activities to teach number. The second half of the chapter focuses on group games as a […]