Rainbowballs Children Books: 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.

Tuesday, 13 October 2015