I. Math activities for preschoolers offer opportunities to improve the following skills:
A. Quantitative skills
B. Sequencing
C. Patterning
D. Numeral recognition, shape recognition, visual discrimination
E. Developing reasoning, problem solving, thinking skills
F. Concept of measurement, comparison, understanding relationships
II. Acquisition of mathematical skills is best accomplished by hands-on situations that are both meaningful and fun, open-ended and successful. For example:
A. Sorting objects
B. Counting
C. Matching, pairing, one to one correspondence and matching sets
D. Shapes/shape recognition games
E. Numerical recognition games, writing
F. Relationship concepts of opposites: hard/soft, left/right; spatial relationship: over, under, next to , behind, in front of.
G. Sequencing of objects, comparisons: longest/shortest
H. Developing thinking skills through estimating, observing, memory games, following directions, patterning
I. Measurement concepts: linear measurement, yardstick ruler; weight: scales, balance; volume: water, sand, rice, beans; temperature: hot/cold, warm/cool; time: calendars, sand timers, class routine, clocks, graphs, fractions through puzzles, money, addition and subtraction.
All of these activities can be enhanced through many different types of manipulative materials: blocks, counting cubes, puzzles, geometric shapes, cash registers, games, and more. In addition, math concepts can be incorporated into the daily routine through snack (counting food, etc.), science, playground (hop scotch, shadows), language activities, music (beat), art (bead stringing, collages), games, transition activities (clean-up toy sorting) lining up.
