One of the most interesting and, hopefully useful aspects of the Early Math Counts website are the lesson plans that were designed to be easy to use and simple to execute with materials found in your manipulatives area or simple materials you probably already have at home.

Today, I wanted to take a look at that part of the website.  If you click here you will see that there are drop-down boxes that will help you narrow your search for an appropriate lesson plan.  You can choose your lesson by age group, material, or concept.

Let’s say you went to the Dollar Store over the weekend and while you were there you found a large set of boxcar-type cars that you know that your kids will love, but you also want to connect to a math activity.  You could go to the drop-down list called “Find Math Lessons that Use” and when you click on the drop-down list you will see cars as one of the items.

The lessons can be printed on one page (all of the colorful details are taken out so they are easy and cheap to print) PLUS there is a “Letter to Parents” included with each lesson that can be adapted to suit your particular needs.

We would love to hear what you think about the lesson plans in general, or if you have tried any of them specifically.

I also like a KWL as a means of communicating with parents/families about what has been happening during their child’s day in child care. It provides a format for children to talk to their parents about their school, what they do, who they do it with and what they learned.  A KWL can be the basis for a conversation at home.

If you have never completed a KWL with the children, it is quite easy.  Using a topic of inquiry (this can be anything the children are interested in exploring and learning about) have the children brainstorm things they already know about the topic.  These may be broad ideas  or very specific concepts.  You write down all of their ideas under the “K”.  You then ask the children what they want to know more about the subject.  You write all of these ideas down under the “W”.  This list provides a detailed map for exploration.  Once your have explored all of the ideas on the list, the children can tell you everything they have learned.  This list is put down under the “L”.

Usually, a KWL is written on a large piece of tag board that is left in the classroom for the duration of the exploration.  All you have to do is copy it down on a regular sheet of paper and copy it for the families.  If parents have never seen one before, you can write a simple cover letter that explains the goals and purpose of a KWL with a few talking points for families to use with their children.  You may find this to be a great way to communicate with families in another meaningful way.

We do what we always do when the children bring their ideas into the room; we honor them and we support them.  If, during free choice time, a child asks if she can create something to hang on her Christmas tree at home, you respond positively and ask her what she needs to get her project rolling.  I think of this as a perfect example of “emergent curriculum.”  If the ideas emerge from the children themselves, then they are meaningful and important and worth exploring.

Truth be told, I don’t think many children themselves have ideas about holiday projects.  They primarily come to child care to play with their friends and have their regular day.  Since time is an arbitrary concept and dates are hard to wrap young minds around, they won’t be expecting too many special activities.  They may not expect any at all.  Try it.  You’ll see.