Rainbowballs Children Books: 2015

Tuesday, 13 October 2015

About Mathematics

Did you know...

‘Position’, ‘order’ and ‘direction’ are key ideas in mathematics. You can introduce these concepts to your children in everyday activities. For example, just by using the word ‘up’, ‘down’, ‘over’ or next to’ etc, you can teach your children about the position of something.

Activity: Play on the swing with your children and use the words ‘up’ and ‘down’ to describe the different positions.

About Mathematics

Did you know...

You can use daily activities to develop your children’s curiosity about how numbers and counting apply to their lives and the world around them.

Activity:

Ask your children to help you set the table and count the number of plates and pieces of cutlery.

“Can you help mummy set the table please? I am cooking dinner for Daddy, you, Michael and me”. Show 4 fingers and count together. “How many placemats do we need?” “Can you count 4 spoons please?” “Can you count 4 forks please?”

You can also introduce the concepts of addition and subtraction.

“Auntie Sarah is joining us for dinner tonight. How many placemats do we need?” Show 5 fingers and count together. “Excellent counting. Can you add one more placemat to make it 5 placemats please?” “Can you count 5 spoons please?” “Can you also count 5 forks please?”

About Mathematics

Did you know...

You can use daily activities to develop your children’s curiosity about how numbers and counting apply to their lives and the world around them.

Activity:

Count together the number of pegs you are using to hang out the washing. When you encourage your children to help you with household chores you are also teaching them life skills that will be beneficial to their future.

About Mathematics

Did you know...

Using words like ‘half’, ‘quarter’ is a simple way to introduce fractions to children. Activities that involve splitting things into equal amounts can help them understand fractions later.

Activity:

“Can you help daddy split the food between Oscar and Beauty please? Half in this bowl for Oscar and half in the other bowl for Beauty so they both get equal amounts.”

About Mathematics

Did you know...

‘Full’ and ‘empty’ are about measurement. Having lots of experiences using words such as ‘full’, ‘half a cup’ and ‘empty’ can help children learn that measuring how much is about capacity.

Activity: Bake a birthday cake with your children and ask them to help you measure the ingredients.

“It is mummy’s birthday, let’s make a birthday cake for her. We need two cups of plain flour. Can you fill the cup right to the top please?

“We need half a cup of milk too. Can you pour it slowly into this empty jug and stop when it reaches this line that says ½?”

About Mathematics

Did you know...

‘More’ and ‘less’ is another example of comparison you can introduce to your children. Understanding what ‘more’ and ‘less’ means will help your children know how to compare different amounts and later learn how to compare groups of things and counting which has more.

Activity: You can introduce these words to your children during meal time. “Would you like some more potatoes Simmy or is it enough?”

About Mathematics

Did you know...

‘Higher and lower’, ‘smaller and larger’, ‘taller and shorter’ are comparisons. You are introducing your children to measurement when you use these words. Later, they will learn to use centimetres, kilograms etc to make comparisons.

Activity:

“Let’s take a photo of the three of you with teddy.

“Look James, you are taller than Simmy, Chris and teddy”

“Simmy, even though you are shorter than James, you are taller than Chris and teddy.”

“Oh look Chris, you are taller than teddy.”

About Mathematics

Did you know...

When you use words such as ‘big’, ‘small’, ‘tall’, or ‘short’ you are introducing your children to measurement.

Activity:

What you need: clothes that your children have outgrown. Ask your children to try them on. Clothes that don’t fit them anymore can be donated to charity organisations. This is a fun activity and you are also teaching your children how to help others in need.

“Thank you for helping mummy try on clothes that don’t fit you anymore so we can give to the poor and needy. We are going to take this box of clean clothes to The Salvation Army to give to children who don’t have enough clothes to wear. Before we do that, can you please try a few on to make sure they don’t fit you anymore?”

“This t-shirt is too small for you. You have grown bigger.”

“This pair of pants is so short on you. Oh you have grown so much taller.”

About Mathematics

Did you know...

Cooking is about mathematics too. When your little Masterchefs measure milk to help you make pancakes and you tell them how much to pour into the measuring cup, you are teaching them that numbers can be used to describe ‘how much’.

“The recipe tells us to put in 150ml of milk.”

“How many pancakes do you think we can make with this mixture?”

“How long do you think it is going to take for all the pancakes to be cooked? Do you think it’s going to take us 10 minutes like last time? Let’s set a timer to find out, shall we?”

When your children hear and see numbers being used to describe ‘how much’, ‘how many’ or ‘how long’ you are introducing them to one of the foundations of mathematics, that numbers can be used in different ways.

Thursday, 3 September 2015

The Benefits of Choice

Did you know....

When you give your children the power to choose it shows them you value their opinions which can in turn enhance the bond between you.

Tips: Let your children choose your outfits for you but make sure you are happy to put on whichever outfit they choose.

Wednesday, 26 August 2015

The Benefits of Choice

Did you know....

When you give children a choice it empowers them to listen and follow your instructions.

Tips: Give them two choices but make sure they are choices you want them to follow.

Tuesday, 18 August 2015

The Benefits of Choices

Did you know....

Choosing is an important life skill that teaches children how to make good choices; a skill that can help them make right choices later in life, for example, choosing the right friends.

Tips: It can be as simple as deciding what to wear or whether to help you wash the car or hang up the washing.

Monday, 10 August 2015

The 5 Minutes Strategy

Did you know....

Research shows that it takes adult 21 days to form or change a habit so be patience with your children when you are teaching them a new habit.

Tips: Use the 5 mins strategy in a variety of your children’s daily routines to help them form the habit.

Monday, 3 August 2015

The 5 Minutes Strategy

Did you know....

You can teach your children about transition from an early age using the 5 minutes strategy.

Tips: Use their favourite activities to help children learn how to transition from one activity or routine to another.

Wednesday, 29 July 2015

The 5 Minutes Strategy

Did you know.....

If you are finding it difficult to transition your children from one routine or activity to another it might help by giving them plenty of warning instead of saying “Let’s go now”.

Tips: Tell your children 10 mins beforehand and remind them again after 5 mins.

Tuesday, 21 July 2015

The Benefits of Daily Routines

Did you know....

Daily routines help create an organised and predictable home environment and will in turn make your children feel safe and secure.

Tips: Write a list of daily routines and place it on their bedroom doors. Make sure the list is easily achievable for your children.

Wednesday, 15 July 2015

The Benefits of Daily Routines

Did you know...

You can use daily routines to help your children develop a sense of responsibility.

Tips: Assign a daily chore to your children. Children at this young age may not always remember so remind them and have fun doing it together.

Tuesday, 14 July 2015

The Benefits of Daily Routines

Did you know......

You can use daily routines to teach your children healthy habits.

Choose a hand towel in your children’s favourite colour to teach them to wash and dry their hands after using the toilet.

Wednesday, 10 June 2015

About Literacy - Part 2

Did you know...Scribbling helps your children learn to write.

Give your children a pen and a piece of paper and let them draw and scribble. Scribbling helps your children ‘draw’ their thoughts on a piece of paper. Writing will be like a particular kind of ‘drawing’ to them. Overtime, they will learn that writing can be a way to express their thoughts.

Tuesday, 9 June 2015

About Literacy - Part 2

Did you know...Going to the park can be a great opportunity to help your children develop literacy skills.

Ask your children what activities they would like to do in the park and write them down on a piece of paper. Read back to them what you have written down. Children like to imitate so ask them to write down what activities you would like to do in the park too. This experience can be the beginning of their story writing adventures. Your children might simply be scribbling now but it will lead to something. I will share more about what scribbling will lead to in my next Did You Know...so stay tuned.

About Literacy - Part 2

Did you know...A ski holiday can be a great opportunity to help your children develop literacy skills.

Ask your children what activities they would like to do and write them down on a piece of paper. Your children will learn from this experience that they can use writing to help them express what they want to do later.

About Literacy - Part 2

Did you know...A train ride can be a great opportunity to help your children develop literacy skills.

Checking the timetable on the screen; reading the ticket together; looking for the platform; listening to the guard’s announcement; looking out for the name of the destination on the platform. All these activities can help develop your children’s literacy skills.

Thursday, 28 May 2015

About Literacy - Part 1

Did you know...

Opportunities are everywhere to help your children develop literacy skills.

Tip #3 - When you write in front of your children and talk to them about it you are teaching them writing helps us carry information and remember things. Later they will learn that writing things down can help them express their thoughts.

Wednesday, 27 May 2015

About Literacy – Part 1

Did you know...

Opportunities are everywhere to help your children develop literacy skills.

Tip #2 - email a family friend or a relative and ask your children what they would like to add to the email. Type the message and read it back together. Later, your children will learn what they have written has the same meaning when it is read somewhere else.

Tuesday, 26 May 2015

About Literacy - Part 1

Did you know...

Opportunities are everywhere to help your children develop their literacy skills.

Tip #1 - “David, this sign says STOP and I am stopping my car”. Later your children will learn that words keep the same meaning even when they see the same word in a different place.