Mathematics is a universal language which we use to learn about and understand our world. Children of this age group generally have a lot of fascination with all aspects of it and are enthusiastic when exploring mathematics in many different situations. We are encouraged to find ways to explore a child’s interest in the subject and challenging them further. There are some great mathematical focused websites such as youcubed.com that contain many engaging and interesting problem-solving tasks. It creates opportunities for creative mathematical thinking in things you already enjoy with your children.
Using The Right Tools
Baking gives plenty of opportunities to explore numbers and measurement. Recipes are full of quantities and numbers. They can be measured with children taking the lead on reading the scales they can and the ones they cannot can be read and explained to them. This provides opportunities to think about values and figures. Ingredients are measured out using standard units of measurement such as grams, milliliters etc. with tools and emphasizing the fact that reading the scale accurately is very important for the recipe. Using the oven demonstrates the usage of numbers on temperature and time as well.
Mathematics Can Be All Fun And Games
Another way of exploring mathematics is through board games. Classics like snakes and ladders develop lots of skills such as subtising (recognizing small quantities without counting), numeral recognition and addition when you play the game with a dice. These games allow for addition, subtraction, counting and subitising. Players also need to visualize their moves, reason what the best strategy is and eventually problem solve. After learning the basic game-play children will grasp its concept and you’ll soon come to see that they will even outwit you.
Learn more about our curriculum at EtonHouse International School Thomson.