Math

We spend a lot of time in preschool working on early math concepts: counting, number identification, matching, patterning, sorting, shapes identification... These early skills are essential for students to build a strong mathematical foundation that will help them succeed in math, science, and technology throughout school and the rest of their lives. We count throughout the day: counting to 20 (or 10 two times) while we wash our hands, count objects in the classroom, counting the days of the month, playing counting games and more.

When Hannah, from VINS, visited in the fall, we counted apples.

Learning one to one correspondence is one of the most important principals of counting.

Counting AND identifying what each number looks like are skills that we work on every day.

5 Counting Principals

Stable Order: Understanding the verbal sequence of counting; being able to say the number names in sequential order
One-to-One Correspondence: Understanding that when saying the names of the numbers in sequence, each object receives one count and one only one count
Cardinality: Understanding that the last number spoken in a counting sequence names the quantity for that set
Abstraction: Understanding that it doesn’t not matter what you count, how we count stays the same. For example, any set of objects can be counted as a set, regardless of whether they are the same color, shape, size, etc. This can also include non-physical things such as sounds, imaginary objects, etc.
Order Irrelevance: Knowledge that the order that items are counted in is irrelevant—left-to-right, right-to-left, in a random fashion—as long as every object in the set is given one count and only one count -Gelman and Galistel,

Sorting

"Sorting is the next step in the process which begins with matching. When a child puts two objects together according to a particular feature they are matching. Once they group a number of objects together they are sorting.

When children sort objects they are learning that some of those things are alike and some of those things are different. Once they move onto grouping according to a number of different attributes they learn that a single item can have many features by which it can be sorted.

This process of looking at an item, assessing it’s various characteristics and then organizing it with other items of the same characteristics is the first step in applying logical thinking to objects. This skill can then be applied to both mathematical concepts as well as to daily life."

Taken from: The Importance Of Sorting for Children in a Special Education Classroom

Patterning

"Current research shows students' ability to pattern has a positive impact on their mathematics achievements in later years and is a precursor to generalizing mathematics." See the link below for the article that this quote is taken from.

Why is Patterning so Important to Your Child’s STEM Fluency? | STEM Education 4 Children

Shapes

Shapes and the Early Years

Kids are able to notice and manipulate shapes long before they begin to draw them or even learn their names. One of the earliest things that children learn is shapes. From the day they are born, they begin to learn about the shapes of the objects around them and the spaces in between. As children grow older, they learn more about shapes and their attributes, or characteristics. This is an important process, as shapes play a big role in our everyday lives.

Providing toddlers and preschoolers with lots of practice with shapes helps them create a foundation for future learning and provides them with an advantage in many other areas of learning as well. Shape learning is a significant skill that lends itself to fundamental literacy, math, and science concepts that children will encounter throughout their schooling. Helping your child think and talk about shapes at an early age will have a profound impact on their education in the early years.

Taken from: The Importance of Shape Learning in the Early Years – ABSee Me