MATHS & SCIENCE

FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

CHD1338 - Diploma in Primary Teacher Training

LEARNING TARGETS
2.1 Apply the concepts of matching and comparing
2.2 Demonstrate an ability to plan activities involving number,
counting, shape and space
2.3 Describe activities involving parts and wholes
2.4 Explain methods of demonstrating math words and concepts to
the young child
 MATH IN THE
CLASSROOM
Children begin to develop emergent math skills at a very young age. Even babies understand
cause and effect, “If I shake this rattle, it makes noise.” Toddlers begin to classify toys. “These
toys roll” (balls, trucks), and “these toys do not roll” (dolls, blocks). During the preschool
years, children recognize patterns, enjoy sorting objects and classify objects into groups. “His
cars are small, and my trucks are large.”
According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children Position Statement
on Early Childhood Mathematics, “Mathematics helps children make sense of their world
outside of school and help them construct a solid foundation for success in school.” Children
have a natural and spontaneous interest in math as they wonder which items are bigger and
sort different toys by type. Additionally, numeracy experiences provided by parents at home
are predictive of children’s numeracy skills (ordering, classification) in the classroom.
 MATH IN THE
CLASSROOM
Children can develop an understanding of numbers, spatial concepts (shapes, measurement) and
the ability to sort, classify and solve problems. Early childhood teachers support children’s
cognitive development by offering intentional opportunities for children to gain a variety of math
skills.
Teachers can promote math in the early childhood classroom throughout the day by building on
everyday activities. Preschool math is about playful exploration and meaningful experiences.
Include items in the classroom and at home that promote mathematical thinking, such as
manipulatives, measuring tapes, scales and rulers. Children gain an interest in mathematics by
participating in hands-on experiences. It is also important for children to hear language focused
on math concepts. Engagement in mathematical experiences helps children gain abilities in
making predictions, solving problems, thinking, reasoning and making connections with their
world.
Here we focus on the math skills of classification, matching, seriation and patterning.
 MATH IN THE
Classification
CLASSROOM
Classification is the skill of sorting or grouping items by similar characteristics, such as colors,
shapes or sizes. Children naturally classify toys by type and sort crayons by color. Children
between the ages of 3 and 4 years old enjoy sorting and classifying objects usually by one
characteristic (color, shape or size). If preschoolers do not know the names of colors or shapes, it
may be helpful to ask them to find something that is the same color or shape as a specific item. As
children develop, they can classify by more than one characteristic, such as sorting the green
square blocks.
benefit from exploring a variety of materials and making discoveries. When selecting materials
for young children, avoid any small items that could pose a choking hazard. As children explore a
bin of rocks and leaves, they can learn which items are big, little, rough, smooth, thick, thin, hard,
soft, wet or dry. Children are learning to classify items by similarities and differences.
 MATH IN THE
Ideas to try:
CLASSROOM
Sorting Pom-poms: Provide children with a variety of pom-poms in different
sizes and give them tongs to sort the pom-poms into a small, medium or
large container.
Sorting Graph: After sorting items such as leaves, large sea shells or post
cards, have the children record the information on a graph or chart. You can
create a bar graph by listing the types of objects on the bottom and the
number of objects on the side. (See example.)
Button, Button: Children can classify or sort large buttons by color, shape or
size. They can sort by the type of button (metal, plastic or cloth) whether
the buttons are shiny or dull, or how many holes are in the button. Children
could also create a graph to illustrate the different colors or sizes of buttons.
 MATH IN THE
Matching
CLASSROOM
Matching is a simple form of sorting. It is finding items that are the same or alike, such as a pair of
gloves. Matching can include finding items with the same specific characteristic (color, size or
shape). For example, children can match two items that are the color blue.
Ideas to try:
Match the Socks: Mix up pairs of different colored socks in a basket. Invite children to find pairs
of socks that match and hang them up together on a clothesline.
Matching Game: Trace the outline of common objects onto a sheet of paper. Have the children
match the object to the corresponding outline on the paper. You could also take pictures from
magazines of common items, such as a spoons and cups, and have children find the real object in
the kitchen area.
Bunny Tails: Create different colored bunny shapes and use pom-poms for bunny tails in
corresponding colors. Children can match the bunny tail to the bunny shape of the same color.
 MATH IN THE
 Seriation
CLASSROOM
 Seriation is arranging objects in order by size, location or position. Ordering requires the ability
to see differences and compare multiple objects. For example, children in the classroom could
be arranged from shortest to tallest, or story picture cards could be sequenced in the order the
events happened in the story.
 Ideas to try:
 Car Race: Children can race cars down a track and then arrange the cars in the order they
finished the race from first to last.
 Which is Longer?: Give children several crayons of different lengths. Have them put two crayons
side by side and then tell you which is longer. Try it with another pair of crayons. Have children
put all of the crayons in order from shortest to longest.
 Story Time: Using books such as the Three Bears or Three Billy Goats Gruff, children can line up
the characters from smallest to largest. They can arrange the Three Bears’ porridge, chairs and
beds by size.
 MATH IN THE
Patterning
CLASSROOM
Children observe patterns at school, at home, at play and in nature. They notice patterns in
clothing, songs, nature and even their daily routine. Patterns are sequences that repeat. The
ability to recognize patterns supports math skills. It helps children make predictions about what
will come next.
The most common pattern is the ABAB pattern: red, blue, red, blue. Other patterns include the
ABCABC pattern and AABAAB pattern. For example, circle, square, triangle, circle, square, triangle
(ABCABC). Children can create patterns using colors, shapes, sizes or other characteristics that
are repeated multiple times.
 MATH IN THE
Ideas to try:
CLASSROOM
Pattern Blocks: Children can create a pattern with different colors of interlocking blocks. You can
also give them picture cards with sample patterns, and children can try to recreate the pattern.
What is Missing?: Create examples of patterns on a piece of paper with fun foam shapes. Leave
missing spaces in the pattern and have the children fill in the missing parts with extra fun foam
shapes. For example, triangle, rectangle, circle, triangle, __________,circle, and have the child fill in
the blank. As children become familiar with making patterns, you can increase the complexity of
the pattern or the number of missing parts.
What Comes Next?: Ask children to tell you what comes next as you create a pattern. For example,
horse, cat, dog, horse, cat, ________________.
Sound and Movement Patterns: Invite children to create physical patterns, such as clap-clap-hop,
clap- clap-hop, or dance a pattern, such as shake, spin and wiggle (repeat).
 PLAN AN ACTIVITY INVOLVING
NUMBER, COUNTING, SHAPE AND
SPACE.
Numeracy is the ability to recognize and apply Math concepts in all areas of life. Numeracy skills
involve understanding numbers, counting, solving number problems, measuring, estimating,
sorting, noticing patterns, adding and subtracting numbers, and so on.
Children and adults need numeracy and Math skills to do everyday things like:
 solve problems – for example, have I got time to walk to school?

 analyze and make sense of information – for example, how many wins does my team need to
get to the top of the competition?
 understand patterns – for example, what number would the next house in this street be?

 make choices – for example, which bike is the best value?

Your child’s everyday experiences are full of learning opportunities that lay the foundations for
numeracy.
 HOW YOUR CHILD STARTS
LEARNING NUMERACY SKILLS
Children start learning numeracy skills from the time they’re born. This learning happens from
watching and experiencing numeracy in action, especially in everyday play and activities. For
example, it happens when your child:
 Hears you counting their fingers and toes

 Starts to recognize numbers and shapes on objects like clocks and phones or in books

 Decides how many slices of apple they want.

 HOW YOUR CHILD STARTS
LEARNING NUMERACY SKILLS
As children get older, they learn more numeracy and Maths skills, including size and
measurement. For example, this happens when your child:
 compares things of different sizes – ‘big’, ‘small’ and ‘medium’

 groups things together and talks about ‘same’ and ‘different’

 uses words to describe where things are – ‘over’, ‘under’ and ‘next to’

 helps set the table with the right number of plates, forks, spoons and cups

 fills a water bottle

 helps with the shopping and uses money to buy things

 divides food into equal shares.

 HOW YOUR CHILD STARTS
LEARNING NUMERACY SKILLS
And when you talk with your child about Maths concepts in your everyday activities, it helps your
child understand how and why Maths is useful. For example, this happens when you point out:
 big and small (size)

 high and low (height)

 heavy and light (weight)

 fast and slow (speed)

 close and far (distance)

 first, second and last (order).

Tips for building numeracy skills
Talking, everyday activities, play and reading help your child develop communication, imagination
and other skills for understanding Maths concepts. Here are some ideas.
Ideas for talking
Use Maths concepts to describe what you and your child are seeing and doing together. For example,
‘Look at the fast cars’ or ‘This bag is heavy’.
When you’re preparing food, talk about what you’re doing. For example, ‘I’m cutting this orange in
half’ or ‘Let’s share these sultanas – one for me and one for you’.
Point out and name the numbers you see, like the numbers on mailboxes, buses and road signs.
When you’re out and about, talk about what’s near or further away. For example, ‘Let’s sit on that
bench nearby to have our snack’ or ‘It’s quite far to the lake. Would you like to ride in the stroller?’
Talk about activities that happen at certain times of the day. For example, ‘We eat breakfast at 7 am’,
or ‘Let’s go to the park before we have dinner at 6 pm’.
 CONCEPT OF WHOLE &
PARTS
When a child understands the parts-whole relationship, she acquires a foundation for
mathematics, language and scientific discovery. Beyond addition, subtraction, fractions and time,
this essential early concept opens the door for piecing words together to form sentences. Its
applications in science include the biological understanding of body parts and chemical mastery
of elements and compounds. Interactive lessons are an engaging way to teach the parts-whole
relationship to Children.
Body

Adult humans have 206 bones, 32 teeth, two arms, two legs -- well, lots of parts that make up the
whole body. Using the body to teach the parts-whole relationship is not only easy, but also free in
most cases. Hold up a hand and point out the fingers, palm and knuckles. You might even talk about
how these parts work together to make the whole hand grab, clap and do other actions. Introduce an
art lesson where students draw the parts of their face or their favorite body part. Sing and dance to
“Dem Bones” to demonstrate how various bones connect to form the human skeleton.
Self

Each student is a social part of different whole groups: family, the preschool class and, perhaps, a
play or church group. “The Family Book” by Todd Parr introduces young children to various families.
Students will enjoy acting out animals they might see in groups at the zoo, such as schools of fish, a
pack of wolves or a herd of elephants. To demonstrate parts-whole group relationships in the
classroom, point out that everyone together makes up the preschool class and that each student is a
part of the whole class. Then, divide students by gender or shirt color, explaining that each of these
smaller groups is part of the whole class.
Toys

Ask each student to pick out her favorite toy in the classroom. One by one, allow the students to
name parts of the toy. For example, a car has wheels, doors and bumpers, while a block has sides and
painted letters. Speaking of blocks, they can be used to build any creation students can dream up, so
let students stack them as an additional parts-whole lesson. Puzzles are another effective example of
how parts join to create a whole object. You can also talk about books. Present the parts-whole
relationship by drilling down from the whole book to pages in the book, words on a page and letters
in a word.
Food

Cakes, fruits and pizzas are foods that students have likely seen cut and shared among family and
friends. That makes them prime tools for teaching the parts-whole relationship. Cut large circles of
paper into slices of pizza for each group of six to eight students. Set the whole pizza in the middle of
each group and then instruct each student to take a part (a slice) to decorate with his favorite
toppings. If school rules allow it, do the activity with real food.
 STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING
CHILDREN MATHEMATICS
Math can be a difficult subject area for many kids to grasp. While some children may understand
math concepts more intuitively, it may not be easy for others. This is where your role as a parent
comes in. There are several ways parents can help their little ones practice and improve their
math skills in order to succeed in this subject area.

Start with counting

Learning math begins with counting. Believe it or not, you can start teaching your little one how
to count and other simple math concepts from a very early age.
For example, if you have three apples, put them on the table and invite your child to count them
with you. This type of activity helps young children begin to grasp the concept of numbers in
their simplest form.
 STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING
CHILDREN MATHEMATICS
Use pictures
Pictures are helpful tools when teaching children math concepts. Incorporating visual aides and
pictures can make concepts easier to understand for kids who are just beginning to learn how to
count. In addition to helping children learn what each number looks like, pictures can also be used to
teach kids about addition and subtraction. If your little one is having trouble grasping these types of
basic math concepts, pictures can make all the difference.
Make math fun
Learning about math doesn’t have to be a dull, boring experience for kids. There are plenty of ways to
incorporate math concepts into your daily life in ways that make learning more exciting and engaging.
For example, if your little one is learning about fractions, you can cut up an apple into two equal sized
pieces so your child can see what “half” looks like. Kids are often able to grasp the concept more easily
when teaching is woven into their everyday lives rather than from a textbook or in a traditional
classroom setting.
 STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING
CHILDREN MATHEMATICS
Make flashcards
Flashcards are also effective teaching tools when teaching kids mathematics. They provide a
hands-on learning experience, and can be made easily at home with everyday items you might
have on hand.
For example, if your child is struggling to remember what number five looks like, there’s no need
to go out and purchase expensive flashcards from the store. Instead, grab some index cards and
write numbers one through five on each card with a marker. Then use a dry erase marker or
crayon to draw the corresponding amount of objects on each of the dots representing that
particular number. In this case, draw four stars on four dots and five stars on the fifth dot. Do this
for each of the numbers one through five.
 STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING
CHILDREN MATHEMATICS
Use hands-on teaching tools
There’s a variety of ways you can teach your child about various math concepts by incorporating
hands-on teaching tools, many of which you can find around your home or at school. While these
teaching aids are primarily intended to teach children how to count, they can also be used to help
them learn other basic math concepts as well. Give some thought to how your child might learn
best before introducing any of these teaching tools. Otherwise, they can prove to be more a
distraction than an asset for both of you.
Play math games
Math games are a simple and fun way to help kids learn how to solve math problems while
they’re having fun. Games like Yahtzee, Baffle, and Dominoes all use the process of addition. To
make learning more accessible for your little one, you can teach them how to play a variety of
math games at home with everyday items you have on hand.
 STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING
CHILDREN MATHEMATICS
Use everyday objects
Teaching kids about mathematics is even easier when you use everyday items.
For example, you can always use a ruler to teach kids about measurements, and an egg carton is a
great tool to demonstrate the concept of multiplication with small groups of objects.

These are just a few of the easy ways you can use to help reinforce basic math concepts with
children. Follow these tips to start teaching your little one about math quickly and effectively.
Math concepts are an integral component of your child’s academic journey, as they are needed in
order to succeed in school and beyond. Follow these tips to make learning math more fun and
engaging for your child.