Wonderful! Thanks so much Heather!
I'd love to hear about the math manipulative you are developing, as well as how educators integrate math into their infant and toddler classrooms!
We tend to focus on preschoolers, but so much can be done with infants and toddlers too! There are lots of language rich opportunities to talk with very young children about the math all around them--what kinds of activities have you tried?
We play a game that starts, "Numbers, numbers, one, two, three, how many fingers do you see?" and then we hold up fingers in different configurations and have the children either say or try to imitate the teachers' finger configuration. With little ones, teachers could then count each little finger! Of course, so many songs for young children have lots of math in them as well.
Any favorite songs little ones love that also emphasize math? I can think of "5 little monkeys" others?
Thanks!
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Jessica Young
Senior Research Scientist
EDC | U.S. Division
43 Foundry Avenue
Waltham, MA 02453
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-18-2019 10:34 AM
From: Heather Saunders
Subject: How do you encourage family math?
Absolutely love this thread and your dot card game! Thank you so much for sharing.
I have just started working with the founder of an early math inspired educational toy and have been absolutely fascinated with all of the research about how important early math is to future all around academic success! Compared to how little it is discussed and taught in the 0-5 age range especially. The founder of the math manipulative I'm working with used a lot of snack math with his toddler. It's so important to be able to implement math language with little ones. Thanks again for sharing!
Looking forward to reading more!
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Heather Saunders
Kontu Inc.
Ancaster ON
Original Message:
Sent: 06-06-2019 11:56 AM
From: Jessica Young
Subject: How do you encourage family math?
The literacy movement has reached great success encouraging families to read aloud to children with programs like Reach Out and Read. We believe this idea has a similar potential to transform the way families interact with children around math-making it a common, and doable, everyday family activity.
What are some ways that you have found to promote family math?
We have been using games to support playful ways to learn math. Here is a game that uses dot cards: http://youngmathematicians.edc.org/dotcard/
(see also the attached article we wrote for NAEYC's Teaching Young Children)
What do you think of this game? Would you try it with your families?
If you are looking for more resources on how to encourage families to play with math this summer check out this resource also on the Early math interest forum page! https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/dec2018/backpack/play-math-home
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Jessica Mercer Young, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist
EDC | U.S. Division
43 Foundry Avenue
Waltham, MA 02453
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