How to Use Preschool Math Activities to Make Your Preschooler Enjoy Math
Updated on January 11, 2024
Preschoolers have short attention spans and easily get distracted. These wide-eyed babies are getting used to many things and activities around them at that age, so the more enjoyable an exercise is, the more attention they pay to it. We already know that learning math can be challenging, especially if the teaching method is not creative. That is why you need preschool math activities to make it easier for kids at that level to enjoy and understand math.
How to introduce math activities to preschoolers
Before teaching preschoolers math, you must first get the activities to make your job easier. Some teachers like to start with the straightforward approach first, then jump into the fun activities later, but that may be counterproductive. You see, with these kids, first impressions matter and, in some cases, cannot be made twice. You have about a few minutes to make them think that math is intriguing, or they will welcome you with a snooze fest every time you show up with numbers.
What is the best age to introduce math activities for preschoolers?
‘Teach them young’ is not a random saying coined by some do-gooder; it is a proven technique to make children understand complex concepts as they age. There is no specific age for you to introduce math activities for preschoolers. If they are old enough to enter preschool, they are old enough to engage in math and science activities for preschoolers. The earlier you start with these activities, the easier it will be for them to understand math concepts as they grow.
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How often to practice math activities with preschoolers
There is no time limit on how long you can practice a math activity with a preschooler; there is, however, a time limit to how long a child can spend on a math concept. So, you can practice a math activity repeatedly, just as long as you stop when it is time to move to a new one. The more you repeat an action with a child, the easier it is to learn that activity and the accompanying lessons.
Preschool math activities
Mathematics activities for preschoolers are, without a doubt, the easiest ways to teach children math concepts. Each activity is attached to a math concept that you want the child to learn and understand. Here are five math concepts and the math activities that would work for them.
Counting
Counting math activities for preschoolers are numerous, all of which are activities that preschoolers are bound to enjoy. There is the domino match, which involves using number cards and dominoes. The kids can flip open a card, see a number, then look for the number of domino dots that match the numbers they picked.
Other counting math preschool activities that you can try out include building a tower, which is attractive as the kids count the blocks as they stack them. Another game involves filling a ten frame with flip cards. All of these are essential preschool hands on math activities that will help your children learn math concepts faster than you expected.
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Shapes
A math activity for preschool that would do the trick is dough making when teaching shapes. The process of creating things using colorful dough is one of the most engaging ways to pass a lesson. Other pre kindergarten math activities for teaching shapes include creating a shape photo book and building shapes with craft sticks.
Measuring
Teaching measurements to kids requires a more visual approach than most, so you can try the big apple, small apple activity to help them understand the concept of Size. They can even eat the apples after class, as long as they are clean. Other math preschool activities for teaching measurements include the “Mother/ Father may I?” instruction game to teach lengths in steps.
Sorting
Sorting is an activity-based math concept, and a sorting game you can try is the Cereal Bracelet Game. Here, have preschoolers loop cereals with the same color into a bracelet using a pipe cleaner or a string and wear it. Other math activities for sorting include sorting stones, number orders, and clothes spin drop.
Literacy
For literacy and possibly numeracy concepts, you want kids to learn to read and remember what they’ve read. There are no limits to the literacy activities they can do. You can use exercises like nursery rhyming and singing to improve their literacy. In fact, having simple conversations with your preschoolers can also qualify as a literacy activity.
Conclusion
Using pre k math activities will simplify your teaching process in math class. If you find it hard to get preschool math activities, printable options exist on the internet. Simply search for the math concept online and see the best exercises for them. Your goal is to ensure every kid in your class understands the basic math concepts for preschoolers.