I'm not sure if this is the right forum to post this on - help with 4 year old and math.

[AimeeM]

Nico turned 4 last month.

His pedi seemed surprised that he could count past 5 (he can count to 70; though he tacks a "ten" to the end of every set of ten (forty-ten, fifty-ten). He doesn't just recite the numbers, he counts objects and manipulates numbers. At home we are working on addition and subtraction using manipulatives (informally). He recognizes written numbers to 10 (I haven't really tried beyond 11 and 12 - which he insists is "1-1" or "1-2"), but isn't yet writing himself. He knows his colors and shapes very well.

I don't think this is abnormal for these boards, but it appeared to surprise the pediatrician. Lol.

 

Okay, my actual question. I have Miquon for him this fall. I had planned on it being his main math; however, it seems that most use it as a supplement, or supplement it with something else. Is this necessary? Seems like an odd question, I know, considering my next, lol:

 

Other than counting, shapes, colors, and patterns, what would we be missing not using another pre-k or kinder text beside Miquon?

 

Areas that need work: calendar, the concept of time... he still counts days according to how many naps he will need to take before we do x, y, z. Lol.

[Arcadia]

I didn't use a text for kinder. Hubby and I just use paper and pencil to teach informally. Being able to add, subtract and write to 100 is considered end of 1st grade here.

My opinion is that you use what you already have and don't worry about getting another kinder curriculum. You can always supplement with games like mastermind, monopoly, soduku if you want to.

[CrunchyGirl]

Totally sounds like LegoMan at that age. Everything I've seen suggests that Minquon can be used as a primary or single curriculum but a few people do combine it with something else. I haven't used it (have it but didn't make it that far). I started LegoMan on RS and that didn't last long, we ended up accelerating and Singapore worked best for us for that. I'd say just start working on stuff. If I had it to do over I'd have used Minquon or just taught the concepts in RS A and then moved to Singapore.

[Eagle]

We've just switched to Miquon as a fun summer math and we like it so much we are sticking with it as our curriculum. I think calendar is the only thing missing. We have the Melissa and Doug magnetic calendar, so we have that covered.

 

We use Life of Fred, not because it is necessary to supplement anything, but because ds LOVES Fred.

 

The best thing we've been doing recently is playing math games together as a family before and/or after dinner every night. Ds is learning so much from them and we are all having a lot of fun. We have one deck of cards per person with the face cards removed. There are so many games to play that just require cards (or dice). We use the Peggy Kaye books "Games for Math" and "Games for Learning" for game ideas. They are wonderful books.

 

Before you start Miquon, allow your ds to play with the rods. Let him build things with them. My ds didn't want to use them for math until he had played with them for about 8 months (he insisted they were for building mini-golf courses, not math). Also check out the simple c-rod games here:

http://www.nurturedbylove.ca/resources/cuisenairebook.pdf

Most are simple enough to begin with a 4yo.

[AndyJoy]

We were part of a small, in-home preschool co-op this year. Just getting together twice a week and starting with "circle time" including a calendar helped cement the months and days of the week. Now that we're on our own we just look at the calendar each morning ourselves.

 

For learning days of the week, sing them to the tune of the Addams family song! I was bored by most of the ideas I found online, but this one is fun. DS picked them up quickly with this and I find it amusing enough that I don't mind singing it over and over again at his request.

 

There's Sunday and there's Monday,

There's Tuesday and there's Wednesday,

There's Thursday and there's Friday,

And then there's Saturday.

 

Days of the week *snap, snap*

Days of the week *snap, snap*

Days of the week, Days of the week,

Days of the week *snap, snap*

 

For the months, we tried several tunes (including the Battle Hymn of the Republic--what a contrast to Addams family!), but the one that was easy and stuck was "10 Little Indians"

 

January, February, March and April

May and June and July and August

September, October, November, December,

These are the months of the year.

 

I really like the Kitchen Table Math books for giving an overview and a jumping-off point for less structured "lessons." My son can count to 30, recognize 1-12, and do simple addition & subtraction with fingers or other manipulative (and a few small ones in his head), but we're not ready for a formal curriculum yet. With his late Sept. b-day, we still have 2 years before "official" kindergarten. These books give me ideas of what concepts to cover and I can bring them up casually with its ideas or use it as a springboard for my own ideas.

[UrbanSue]

I think most people use Miqon as a supplement because it is so different from so many other math programs out there. Either people love something different but also really want what Miquon has to offer, or they feel funny committing to something off-beat so add in something traditional. But there are definitely a few families here who use only Miquon.

 

Your 4yo sounds just like mine. Normally I don't rush school and don't do anything except learn to read for kindergarten but he's so bright and just begging for school already so I'm going to do Miquon with him. We actually already started and my older kids are liking it as well. You really don't need to worry about any gaps with a k'er, especially a young one. Just have fun with it and move at his pace and then you can add in something down the road or switch programs later.

[shawthorne44]

My suggestions aren't really curriculum.

The book "Games for Math" and the Critical Thinking Mathematical Reasoning books

[ladydusk]

If you wanted other things and fun ideas, MEP Reception is a lot of fun and free to print. It does a lot of things including seasons, calendar, cardinal and ordinal numbers, right and left, etc. There are some fun little games and it is designed so you could pick and choose. Any writing is tracing (which was great for my 4year old).