There are all sorts of ways you are probably already incorporating money into your classroom.  I assume you have a play cash register with different kinds of currency and a variety of ways to set up your dramatic play area that includes these items.  Just as you would label items in your classroom with words, so too, can you label them with symbols.  On the back of the cash register, tape a large $ sign, and reinforce the concept that this symbol stands for money (dollars).  If you ever collect money for class trips or donations, be sure to put that $ symbol on the envelope or on the collection can.  Be sure to tell the children that when they see that symbol, it always means money.

The symbolic representation of money – $ – is a very fundamental notion of “this means that.”  As children begin making the connections between symbols and their meanings, they are developing the skills required to read and compute.

But what is an Amerpsand? You know it when you see it but you may not know that it is called an ampersand.  It is the sign that means “and” and it commonly looks like this – &.  There are strange and historical explanations to its usage and its name, but it is primarily used to indicate a the conjunction “and.”  Sometimes, a plus (+) sign is used in place of and as well, but more often than not, that is only in the case of enjoining items that are numerical in nature.

Back in the day, we called the hashtag a number sign.  If you saw this – #14 – you said to yourself, “Number 14.”  Now, that same small phrase translates as “Hashtag 14.”  This change has only come about since techies began using the hash sign as a way of highlighting something significant in computer language.  Small children may recognize the # sign as a Tic-Tac-Toe grid or symbol as well.  In the coming years, we may even hear our youngest children saying things like,

“I don’t want to take a bath. #unfairmommy.”

I hope not, but stranger things have happened.

I was then reminded that children also know this symbol as “pound.”  When I asked my kids how they knew that the hashtag is also called a pound sign, they reminded me that we are often asked to press the pound sign on the telephone.  I.e., “When you have finished listening to this message, press the pound sign to hang up.”

The exclamation point (!) s also (over)used at the end of a complete sentence to replace a period and signifies excitement, comparative emphasis, or even heightened volume.

I like the idea of introducing these interesting symbols to children as they will most likely encounter them and begin to wonder about them anyway.  However, until children are able to identify letters and numbers as symbols, they won’t be able to differentiate between any of these marks.  I encourage you to use these (and others) when you model writing with children.  If you write a question – be sure to put the question mark at the end and explain that it means that those words ask a question.  Put an exclamation mark at the end of a sentence that is exciting and then tell the children when you write that symbol, it tells us that those words are special and we should be excited about them.  Make posters with Hashtags on them and open a cafe in your housekeeping corner called “Guys & Gals” Diner.  There are all sorts of ways you can introduce these symbols to the children in your care.

Write and share you ideas.

The addition sign (+) shows that one number is to be added to the other.  If children have concrete examples of items in front of them and they are asked to count how many items there are all together, they are adding.  If you were to put 3 apples on a table top and then draw a large + sign and put 3 apples on the other side of it, the message is that the two sets of apples should be added together.  The representation of the equals (=) sign lets them know that the total number equals both sets all together.

The same is true for the minus (-) sign.  Children tend to understand the concept of take away more readily than subtraction, so I encourage you to use take away when you ask children to subtract.  You can add the word subtract so they can become familiar with it, but take away provides a concrete and visual description of the concept that supports the preoperational and the concrete operational child.

Try and add these three mathematical signs into your classroom.  When creating visual cues for children, use these signs to support the message you are communicating.   Find ways to incorporate the language of “addition,” “take away,” and “equals” into your conversations with the children.

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 can be rolled at group time in the center of the rug.

Roll one of the dice with numerals on the side and let the children figure out what number comes up.  Then roll one of the dice with signs.  Use this as an opportunity to “teach” what each of the signs mean.  Next roll one of the dice with pips.  Let the children figure out “how many” pips are shown.  Now, have them compute the number sentence.  This is going to be very difficult for most children, but if you make it fun, and game-like, they will enjoy getting involved.  Be sure to let the children choose which dice to use and let them have turns rolling them.  For some, this will be the focus of the activity rather than the math.  That doesn’t matter.  These dice will provide additional exposure to signs and numbers in a fun and engaging way.

All symbols are signs.  Not all signs are symbols. 

A symbol is a kind of sign.  A sign is something that represents something else.

A symbol represents something that may or may not be visible. 

A symbol is a socially constructed sign.

A sign may be conceptual.

Did that help?

So rather than twisting myself up into knots over it, let’s keep it simple.

Math is language of signs and symbols. So, in addition to learning each of the symbols that represent number (0,1,2,3..) children eventually learn all of the signs that indicate mathematical operations.  This month, I am  going to write about interesting and easy ways to bring mathematical signs and symbols into the classroom.

This set has plus signs, minus signs, and equal signs.  Assembling these into coherent math sentences is not the goal for young children.  Playing with the numbers and symbols simultaneously will reinforce the concepts that these symbols are mathematical and go with numbers.  They have names, which can be learned, and meanings, which can be introduced.  These explorations will eventually lead to correct use and readings of these symbols.