"Math" suggestion for Pre-K?

[Virginia82]

Hello!

 

I am in my 2nd year of homeschooling, and my 1st year utilizing the Classical method. My oldest (the one I am working with the most) is in 1st grade, my second child is 4.5 and doing "pre-k" work. He's doing well, recognizing numbers and such, but I'm seeking more structure with him. He is weak in the writing area, and we're working on that at a pace which he can handle so as not to overwhelm him. However, most numbers activities I can find require extensive amounts of coloring or writing...neither of which he is fond of. He likes to build and create things, is very hands on (and coloring/writing is too abstract for him). I just switched my 1st grader over to Math U See - Alpha, and it's going well. It's very hands on which is what she needs. However, the Math U See - Primer level is a bit over my son's level (at least from watching videos on it).

 

He's counting well, he's just not recognizing numbers on sight (same with letters to some extent).

 

Can anyone suggest a method for him?

 

Thank you all!

[Sherry in OH]

Try MEP Reception. It has a lot of hands-on and pre-writing activities. You can go as fast or slow as you need to.

[Farrar]

We didn't do anything specific for pre-K, though for K, we just set aside a time for math activities and found that was enough, if I had things on hand. We had lots of manipulatives: abacus, pattern tiles, Cuisenaire rods, play money, etc. We played a lot of the first games you play with the Cuisenaire rods. One book I found useful was The Idea Book for Cuisenaire Rods. We also used Peggy Kaye's Games for Math. And we had games like Bzz Out, Crazy Eights (which is good for number recognition), Rat-a-Tat-Cat (we played a slight variation back then) and others. And we also had a lot of math picture books out from the library often. We used the Stuart J. Murphy mathstart books as well as the book Math Fables by Greg Tang and Anno's Counting House and Anno's Counting Book. We also really liked doing number mazes back then - you can find them here and those are good for number recognition.

 

Anyway, I don't know if that's enough of a method for you. I don't personally think kids need a formal program for pre-K. We just kept things on hand in a single place ready to go and that was enough to get us to do it.

[Aurelia]

How about Kitchen Table Math or Beginning Mathematical Reasoning?

[Crimson Wife]

Try MEP Reception. It has a lot of hands-on and pre-writing activities. You can go as fast or slow as you need to.

 

:iagree:

I started my DS in Right Start A in August but he just wasn't ready yet. A month in, he had only completed 10 lessons and he simply didn't "get" the main concept of visualizing numbers as 5 + __ . So I shelved RS and switched to MEP Reception. He's flying through it and will most likely be done by Christmas. Then I'll have to decide whether to try RS A again or continue on in MEP Yr. 1.

[LittleIzumi]

Try MEP Reception. It has a lot of hands-on and pre-writing activities. You can go as fast or slow as you need to.

:iagree: My 3-year-old loves "school"/workbooks and she adores MEP Reception. I actually need to laminate one of the mini games in it as she wants to play it EVERY day when it's her turn for school.

[Devotional Soul]

Living Math has reader lists of library books you can use to teach math concepts:

 

http://www.livingmath.net/ReaderLists/tabid/268/language/en-US/Default.aspx

[Virginia82]

Try MEP Reception. It has a lot of hands-on and pre-writing activities. You can go as fast or slow as you need to.

 

What is that exactly? I"ve never heard of it

[Spy Car]

What is that exactly? I"ve never heard of it

 

It is the introductory (Pre-K) course in the Mathematics Enhancement Programme (MEP). The materials for this British/Hungarian math program can be downloaded without a fee at the link below:

 

http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/primary/default.htm

 

"Reception" was not available when we started, so we stretched MEP 1A/1B through Pre-K and K together with other math programs.

 

I will always be profoundly grateful we started Miquon and Cuisenaire work used in a Miquon-like fashion as our math introduction, as I saw it inspired an on-going love and understanding of math in my son. Miquon is not everyones cup of tea, but it was the perfect thing for this father and son combo.

 

Bill

[TracyR]

You could try the PreK Touch Math. I found it inexpensive on Ebay. My daughter Loves it. It doesn't require any writing(use of manipulatives) and it includes addition and subtraction.

I may try the MEP Reception for something more for my 4yr old to do. She seems to be really loving math.

[redsquirrel]

another vote for MEP Reception and Miquon. Two great programs that work great together!

[kalanamak]

However, most numbers activities I can find require extensive amounts of coloring or writing...neither of which he is fond of.

Can anyone suggest a method for him?

 

Thank you all!

 

Early Bird does not have a lot of writing or coloring. I started on his 4th birthday and took a year to do book 1, but did book 2 in 6 months. My son didn't protest it AT ALL. The early Kumon books are pricey, but very visually appealing to that age. We played a lot of "dice bingo". Make a card with a 9 square grid with 1-6 printed in the squares. Use one large, easily seen dice. Take turns throwing and putting a chip on your square. A colorful abacus to count with is nice. Kiddo also enjoyed a set of measuring bugs (inch worm, two inch worm) and a set of three-sized plastic teddy bears for relative size games.

[2_girls_mommy]

I didn't do super formal math for preK either. We had a giant dry erase type book for early math. So there was some writing, tracing, circling involved, but it was all in fun in a giant colorful preschool book and easier because it was a marker that glides on the book, kwim? We also had a set of early math books that had activities like matching sets in pictures in the books and then had suggestions for other activities to do with your toys : http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/browser.php?all_ti=Counting+Book+2+QEB+Start+Math

 

That link goes to one of them. We have the set of 4. We would read these as fun books, and play the games in them and do the activities for fun. When it came time for writing and more official school work we had the Rod and Staff counting w/#s and their other preschool ABC workbooks. The counting with #'s and the Going on Eagerly are the math skills ones in the series. The Counting one is obviously counting and learning the #s. Going on Eagerly continues with patterns and other early math skills in an arctic themed book that teaches about arctic animals. My dd loved this book. Not a lot of writing, and does have some cutting and coloring and we used these into K before starting 1st grade work. http://www.rodandstaffbooks.com/item/1-10020-GH/?list=Rod_and_Staff_Preschool