No matter how old you are now, adults associate the word “mathematics” with school. Many people remember school lessons, and perhaps their teachers, but few parents can remember math classes in kindergarten. Namely, children from preschool age begin to form elementary mathematical concepts.
Many parents will think, “Why teach a child mathematics from the age of 3?” In our article we will try to explain in detail why a child needs math classes and what he should learn at 3-4 years old.
Learning to count from the age of 3
Taking into account the age characteristics of preschool children, mathematics classes differ significantly from lessons at school. For children attending kindergartens, learning is carried out in a playful way and in specially organized classes; children can reinforce the material with the help of didactic (developmental) games. There are specific tasks for each age group.
Mathematics classes develop children's logic and thinking. What ideas and skills should a 3-4 year old child acquire?
Quantity
At this age, children should understand that many objects consist of separate or homogeneous objects. For example, an adult asks children to find among the many rabbits the same one as he has in his hand.
Next, exercises are offered in which children select and group objects according to certain characteristics, for example: “Put all the blue balls in a basket, small mushrooms in one box, and large ones in another.” By completing tasks, children understand that all objects can be combined according to a certain characteristic.
Learn the concept of quantity from a picture
In order to teach 3-year-old children to understand the words “one” and “many,” the following exercise is proposed: in accordance with the number of children, apples are placed on the table. The adult draws attention to the fact that there are a lot of apples on the table, after which he asks each child to take an apple. The kids see that each time there are fewer and fewer apples, and as a result, “a lot” disappears. The adult says that each child has one apple, but there is not a single one on the table. After the adult invites the children to put one apple back on the table, they get a lot of apples again.
By teaching children 3–4 years old to compare groups of objects, an adult introduces the concepts of “equality” and “inequality.”
The game “Catch the fish” with a certain number.
For this, the overlay technique is used. For example, the card shows 5 kittens. The adult offers to “put” each kitten in a basket, placing a picture with the image of a basket under each kitten. Then he draws attention to the fact that there are “as many” baskets as there are kittens, which means “equally”. By removing one picture of a basket, children understand that there are “more” kittens and “fewer” baskets.
About counting on fingers
At the first stage of learning to count on fingers, you need to firmly grasp all possible combinations. The child should not think about the answer within one hand.
Quickly learn the multiplication tables for a preschool child
Attentiveness and memory develop, including tactile memory, because counting takes place in the head. You have to hold several data in memory at the same time. A quick solution depends on intelligence and speed of perception.
Child counts on fingers
Before learning to count on fingers, the child is already familiar with the concepts of “more,” “less,” and “also.” Can count objects in order within five.
Further:
- You need to start with 1+1=2. Children put two fingers together and get 2.
- Then add another finger = 3.
- Add one more to three and get the fourth result (four).
- Add one more finger to four and get five.
Now you can master subtraction:
- Subtract one finger from five and it becomes four.
- Subtract one finger from four and it becomes three.
- If you take away one finger from three, there will be two left.
- Subtract one finger from two and one remains.
The lesson should not exceed 20 minutes. Children get tired quickly. You can diversify the lesson by changing activities - warming up, singing something, solving riddles, and so on.
Important! You can't force it. It is always easier to “lure” someone somewhere than to force them. Elements of play, competition and reward will do more and better than anything else.
Magnitude
Children 3–4 years old learn to compare different objects (blocks, strips of paper, ribbons) in width, length and height, and use the words: “longer - shorter”, “same in length”; “wider – narrower”, “equal in width”; “higher - lower”, “equal in height”; “more - less”, “equal in size”.
Cards for studying quantities “more and less”
At first, children learn to compare objects according to some specific characteristic. So, for example, by placing one ribbon on top of another, the children understand that the red ribbon is longer than the blue one, and the blue one is shorter than the red one.
After children learn to compare quantities and denote them in words, they can play the didactic game “Order”. An adult, on behalf of the doll, asks to bring a tall Christmas tree, a long path, a short ribbon, find a carrot of the same height...
Games on the concept of “more/less” can be bought in the store
Geometric figures
Children 3-4 years old are introduced to the square and circle. To do this, an adult gives each child different colored silhouettes of a square and a circle. Showing, for example, a blue square asks children to find the same figure in themselves. He does the same with a red circle, but does not say the name of the figure. Further examination of geometric figures takes place tactile-motor. The children repeatedly run their fingers along the outline of the figure and say its name.
The easiest way to study shapes is through play.
To reinforce the material, you can exercise the children and offer, for example, to put all the squares on the bottom strip, and the circles on the top; pick up the figure in your hand and name it; put the circles in a tray and the squares in a box or play the games “Guess what’s in the bag”, “Find the house”.
Orientation in space
At this age, children learn to navigate space “from themselves” and learn concepts such as: right (right), left (left), forward (in front), behind (behind), above, below.
When learning orientation in space, parts of the child’s body are taken as a basis: below is where the legs are, above is where the head is, behind is the back, and in front is the face, on the right is the right hand, and on the left is the left. The following exercises will help kids learn to navigate in space: “Wave the chicken with your right hand, then with your left”; “Where did the bunny jump” (up, down the hill); “Pull the flags forward (in front of you), hide them back (behind your back).
Orientation in space using cards
It should be borne in mind that when performing all exercises, all children should face the same direction, and the adult’s movements should be performed in a mirror image.
Time orientation
In everyday life, children learn to navigate time. A good helper will be strict adherence to the daily routine.
An adult introduces children to the parts of the day - morning, afternoon, evening, night. In the process of performing routine tasks, the adult says that it is morning, you and I woke up, washed ourselves, do exercises and have breakfast. Before lunch, you need to say that it is daytime, moms and dads are at work, and you and I are studying, walking, and having lunch.
Toy clock puzzles
To reinforce the parts of the day, you can invite children to look at pictures that will allow them to answer the questions: “What are the guys in the picture doing?”; “When we walk, do we sleep?” When reading works of art, you can invite children to point to a picture that is typical of people’s activities at a certain time of day (day, night, morning, evening).
We hope that all of the above exercises will help adults navigate correctly and contribute to high-quality mathematics classes with preschoolers.
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Didactic games for mathematical development
The presented card index of didactic games in mathematics is recommended for preschool teachers and parents. During classes, preschoolers become familiar with counting, learn to work with numbers and geometric shapes, compare, contrast, and list.
Objectives of the games presented in the catalog:
- gaining skill in using numbers;
- improving the ability to count and distribute numerical values;
- familiarity with numerical and conceptual designations of time, days, months;
- development of spatial and planar orientation, the ability to determine and explain the location of objects relative to each other;
- expansion of ideas about geometric shapes;
- development of memory, ability to think logically, reason, analyze, make assumptions, sum up, concentrate attention;
- development of creative thinking and imagination.
Do-it-yourself didactic math games
To enhance the cognitive interest of preschoolers, it is recommended to create bright, varied and exciting material for games. It’s not difficult to make math games with your own hands, here are some interesting examples:
- Apples cut out of paper with different numbers of seeds - from 1 to 10. Children attach cards to them with the corresponding image of the numbers.
- Mathematical rosary - a cord with stringed beads. When solving an arithmetic example, the child moves the beads: counts the first number, then the second. And then he adds or subtracts and determines the resulting number of beads.
- Continue the series. The paper strips have different curved lines on them. At the beginning, geometric figures are glued along these strips in a certain sequence. The child’s task is to continue the row using additional figures from the box.
- Catch a fish. The paper buckets show numbers from 1 to 10. The fish show arithmetic examples. The preschooler solves the example, looks at which bucket shows the answer, and places the fish there.
- Cardboard sheets of a certain color have several different geometric holes cut into them. Geometric shapes are also cut out to match these holes in the shape and color of the sheet. The game task is to correctly place the pieces in the holes.
When making materials for games, you can use any available and natural means. The main thing is that they must be harmless to the child.
Didactic games in mathematics in the preparatory group
The preparatory group prepares preschoolers for entering school. Children already have a lot of knowledge, so games become more complex and provide the development of mathematical concepts sufficient for trouble-free learning in primary school.
Decorating the Christmas tree
The teacher attaches to the flannelgraph and also distributes to the pupils images of a Christmas tree and New Year's balls. He attaches 4 toys to the Christmas tree on the right side, 2 on the left. Children do the same with their Christmas trees. The teacher suggests adding up the balls: 4 + 2 = 6. Then he swaps the balls, it turns out 2 + 4 = 6. And so on several times with different numbers of toys. The game creates the idea that changing the terms does not change the sum.
Path for Little Red Riding Hood
Attached to the flannelgraph are images of grandma's house, Little Red Riding Hood, and forest trees. Under each tree is a simple arithmetic example that a preschooler can handle. The students take turns approaching the flannelgraph, solving an example, thereby moving Little Red Riding Hood closer to grandma’s house.
Yes or no
The teacher writes arithmetic examples on the board. Then shows the children pictures of numbers. If the number matches the solution to the next example, the children shout out: “Yes!” If the answer is wrong, they shout: “No!”
Make up a word
The game is competitive. The teacher displays arithmetic examples in two columns. Members of each team go out to solve them. The player who has solved the example approaches the table on which there are pictures of numbers corresponding to the solutions. He chooses his number, turns the picture over, and there is a letter there. Having solved all the examples, the team gets the floor. Those who complete the task faster win.
