In order for any one to master MATH they must first master NUMBER SENSE.

Number sense seems so basic, but really it is the core to which ALL mathematics is based. 

So what is number sense exactly? 

Number Sense
A person's ability to use and understand numbers: · knowing their relative values, · how to use them to make judgments, · how to use them in flexible ways when adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing · how to develop useful strategies when counting, measuring or estimating.

(taken from: http://www.mathsisfun.com/definitions/number-sense.html)

In order to better help you teach your children this basic, but most important skill I have posted some ideas below. The most important element to this learning process is to HAVE FUN while doing it and make sure your child knows that they are learning MATH at the same time!

1. Celebrate the Date!

For example: Today's date is 2-15-2011. 

Use these numbers in ALL different ways! Starting with the number 2. Write the number, create the number, count the number on your body (find everything on your body that you have 2 of), look for the number, eat the number, etc. Use ALL the 5 senses and be creative! Be careful not to cover too much material at once. Start with baby steps. Remember MASTERY is KEY! Maybe just focus on the day of the week or the month. Be sure and review what you have taught each day before going on to teaching a new number. 

2. Use a TEN's FRAME!!!

This is one of my favorite tools when teaching math! My 2nd graders had one in their desk and we used it ALL the time. It looks simple and it is. The POWER of the TEN's frame is something that I will refer to often when talking about teaching the basics of math. The POWER of TEN is something that is critical for our mathematical minds to understand. More on this topic later.

1. It is easy to create a ten's frame. Using a piece of paper draw a rectangle and divide it into 10 squares, 5 on top and 5 on the bottom.

2. Next give your child something fun to use as counters: cheerios, pennies, marbles. Then explain to your child that there are 10 squares on this paper. Count them together. 

3. Place one cheerio in the first square and ask your child, "How many cheerios do you see on this paper?" (Depending on the ability level of your child you can proceed to ask more difficult questions about number sense.)

4. Next bring to the table the written number on cards and explain that you are going to play a game. You will show your child the number card and have them represent that number on their Ten's Frame using their cheerios.

Let your imagination run wild with this one. The ten's frame is the best! I will be showing 

several other ideas using this awesome too!

3. Number Sense Treasure Hunt

This is a great game to play with kids! 

1. Explain to your kids that it is time to go on a Number Treasure Hunt around the house, at the park, in the car, really wherever you are!

2. The rules of the game include:

- I will tell you a number and you must find something that represents that number.

-For example if I say the number 4 and we are in the car then I want you to see if you can find something that is represents that number.  Like a STOP sign that has 4 letters in it, or the number 4 setting on the radio dial in the car, or 4 crackers on the back seat of the car. 

- Encourage your children to think outside the box and make sure that they can explain their reason for choosing that object.

3. It is important for your children to learn that numbers are EVERYWHERE they just have to recognize them. 

Have fun teaching NUMBER SENSE!

Please post any other ideas that you might have to teach your kids number sense at home or on the road!  

Letter Cards and Pictures

There are ENDLESS possibilities with letter cards and picture cards. 

You can purchase letter cards and picture cards from any teacher supply store or I have seen them at the dollar store and grocery stores. If you'd rather not purchase them, you can easily make them by printing off pictures and making letters on a word document. Either way works great!

This activity can be effective for a wide range of ages/grades. Below I will give you some ideas of ways you can use this activity to help your child gain a better knowledge of letters and their sounds. This activity builds phonemic awareness; a key component of becoming a great reader and writer.

1. Match the letter to the beginning sound of the picture.

2. Play memory. This game is so versatile, easy and fun. I used it all the time with my first graders to practice vocabulary skills, spelling words, reading and writing skills, and math. You can play it however you want! Below is an example of matching the letter to the beginning sound of the picture. You can also match letters to letters (i.e. b and b) or letters to the ending sound of the picture (n to the picture of a hen). Have your child say the letter and it's sound 3 times when she turns over the letter card and have her say the name of the picture when she turns over the picture card. Have her do this each time she turns over a card so she is ALWAYS learning.

3. Verbal practice. You can simply point to the picture and have your child tell you the beginning sound it makes, or the middle, or the end, or all three!

4. Match the letter to an object in the house. 

(B for Book)

5. Writing. While you are cooking or cleaning or just hanging out with your child, have him write (on paper, with paint, on a white board, using magnets on the fridge) the letter of the beginning sound of objects that are around you. As you're cooking you might point to the Stove and ask your child to write the beginning letter of Stove. It is helpful to point to the object so your child can see and hear the word you are saying. For more advanced children, you can have him write the entire word, write the middle vowel, or ending consonant. You can always switch things up by having your child use different methods of writing (as mentioned earlier) to make it fun and exciting. 

Lastly, with any of these activities, you can switch roles and have your child be the teacher and you be the student! Children LOVE this and they continue to learn as they teach you! 

This activity can be adapted to children as young as 3 years old and up to children as old as 10...or older! Have fun creating new ways to help your children become better readers and writers, as they continue to LOVE to learn.

Teaching your toddler

Many of you moms out there have toddlers at home...not quite ready for preschool, but they still have the urge to learn. One of my friends has a 2 1/2 year old little one at home and she wrote me asking for ideas on how to keep him busy, engaged, and learning at home. I have been brainstorming these past few days and have compiled a list of hopefully FUN, ENGAGING, & FREE activities that you too can do at home with your toddler!

WAYS TO HAVE FUN & LEARN WITH TODDLERS

(at home or on the road)

1. When it's time to clean up toys or clutter make it into a game! Have some music ready to play (Mama J and I are working on a fun playlist of songs that you can sing, dance, and listen to with your kids. We will be sharing this soon!) Ask your child to sort his toys by shape, color, or size into different areas (baskets, spots on the floor, bins, etc.) Tell him that when the music starts you will begin sorting the items together. *You can make it into a race if your child is motivated by that or just have fun doing it together. After he has sorted the items ask him questions about the toys, "Why did you make this pile?", "How many things are in this bin?", or "What other ways can we sort our toys?".  This can be a GREAT learning experience and a fun way to clean up.

2. What child does not love to go on TREASURE HUNTS?! Take a trip to the park or even a ride in the car (really this activity can be done anywhere). Today we are going to the park with a 2 1/2 year-old Laura. I explain to Laura in the car that we are going to go on a treasure hunt for all different things while we at the park. This is a treasure hunt with our EYES & HANDS, that's all you will need! Sounds fun, huh? When we get to the park I proceed to ask her to find the following by running around and touching them with her hands and seeing them with her eyes.

1. Anything that is ROUND.

2. Only things that are the color RED.

3. Touch all the things in the park that are the shape of a square.

You get the idea. 

To make this game even more exciting you can switch up the body parts that she needs to touch things with. Or rather than use the sense of touch, use the sense of smell! There are SO many ways to make treasure hunts fun. 

Those are two ideas for now...many more to come! 

Manipulatives

Mama J here! Whenever I use the word "manipulatives" I usually confuse at least one person. However after using it every single day in my classroom, my first graders started using it themselves. Although it would sometimes come out as "manputives" I knew what they meant. :)

A manipulative is basically any "thing" you can use to manipulate. I ALWAYS used manipulatives in my classroom to provide a more hands-on learning experience. Research has proven that children learn much better through hands-on activities.

So here is an easy way to help your child work on writing, spelling, reading, vocabulary, math and many other subjects at home. First, I always like to have a place to "work" with our manipulatives. This is where your creativity comes in. It really can be ANYTHING! A plate, a white board, a blanket, a magnet board, a bowl, anything. This is your child's workstation. Now come the manipulatives. Once again, use your imagination! It can be any kind of food item (your child's favorite candy, marshmallows, raisins) or, marbles, magnets, pennies, shaving cream, etc. Now the activity: for example, for spelling you can have your child (instead of writing their spelling words a thousand times over and over) write their words using the pennies....and then have them add up how much money is on their plate! For a preschooler, have her practice making each letter of the alphabet on a different day/week by putting shaving cream on a surface of your choice, and then letting her use her finger to make the letter. After she makes the letter she can tell you what sound it makes and maybe think of a word that begins with that letter. I use manipulatives such as rocks to help my one year old with his gross motor skills. We put rocks from one bowl to the next and back and forth while singing the song "one little two little three little (instead of bubbles we say rocks) four little, five little, six little rocks, seven little, eight little, nine little rocks, ten little rocks go CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK (and we tip over the bowls of rocks).

Those are just a few examples of how you can use manipulatives with ALL ages and in many fun ways. If you need more ideas/options on how you can use manipulatives with your child, feel free to leave a comment with your question and I will gladly get back to you!

Have fun learning!