Hi Patrizia,
I love all of this!!!
And in addition something I find that's really wonderful and helps children focus, engage and is a whole lot of fun and play when counting is integrating some of the basic elements of sound which are volume, length and pitch.
For example you can start with volume:
1 is loud, 2 is quiet as a whisper, 3 at a medium volume, 4 back to a whisper and 5 loud again, etc..
And after they get the hang of volume you can play with the length of how long you say the numbers:
1 is short, 2 is really long - like 3 seconds worth), 3 is really short, 4 is medium, 5 is really long, etc..
And then after they get the hang of length you can add volume to length so:
1 is loud and short, 2 is long and starts out at a whisper and gets louder, 3 is really short but very quiet this time, 4 is medium length and medium volume, etc..
And finally add in pitch from a low sound to a hi sound and everywhere in between.
The beauty and elegance of infusing creative sound play with counting is that along with teaching children numbers, counting and math skills, it helps them develop their active listening skills, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, working memory, and their awareness for how they can make a difference. They also don't have to learn anything new, can gain mastery quickly and take agency almost immediately.
I hope you will find this helpful. If you have any interest in learning more about Creative Sound Play and how working with Sound and Silence can be beneficial for you and your children please email me personally.
Thank you!
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Hayes Greenfield
Founder
Creative Sound Play
Brooklyn, NY
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-13-2021 12:37 PM
From: Patrizia Sicilia
Subject: Math Is Everywhere
Math is everywhere. I try to encourage parents to DIY it and utilize what you have available to assist with math skills specifically for the moment. Counting socks whether they match or not is a great way to count, match and help with laundry. Both in the classroom and at home with my three year old, I enjoy to use what we have from crayons, hair barrettes, and toys. We count, we identify colors, match what physically looks the same (n animals, cars, etc.) and the best part is...l IT WORKS!! I like to encourage parents to do what you can with what you have and it is just as meaningful, don't worry about trying to keep up with commercials and others.
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Patrizia Sicilia
Assistant Teacher
BMCC Childhood Center, Inc.
New York NY
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