math for a 4 yr old obsessed with numbers/math?

[ktgrok]

I do NOT normally do math with a 4 year old. But my son is all day long spouting out "3 +1+1+5=10" or yesterday, "three fours is twelve!"  

 

He wants to know about numbers...how fast the speed limit is on every rode, how far things are, and more and more math facts. We have some math workbooks he can play in, including an MCP kindergarten one he's flying through when I'm working on math with his sister, and I always encourage his questions, but is there something more I should be doing, keeping in mind I have a newborn as well, so time is limited. 

 

 

[Arcadia]

What had worked for my oldest when he was a preschooler was plain old pencil and paper and lots of living math books. However both my kids did read on the early side so I didn't need to do the reading.

 

My kids didn't like Beast Academy books because they don't like curriculum to be in graphic novels format but if your son can read or someone can read to him, BA2 might work.

 

If you don't mind screens, we watched all the PBS Cyberchase episodes.

 

For games we basically bought most of the ThinkFun games and let our boys entertain themselves while learning logic.

 

My youngest had a lot of gastrointestinal issues at that time so my husband would do the math "Q&A" after dinner. We skip math before 2nd grade level though and we could have skip 2nd grade workbooks as well but the 2nd grade workbooks were a good babysitter.

 

He (ETA: my oldest) did go to public school for "free childcare" because our local elementary schools have no homework and quite a bit of social.

Edited April 21, 2017 by Arcadia

[purpleowl]

DD#2 is 5 and loves to read mathy books from the library - juvenile nonfiction, call numbers beginning J 513. :) She also loves to read the Beast Academy guide books. 

 

DD#1 likes to make videos explaining mathematical patterns she has discovered. I help her use correct terminology when she figures out a new concept. She's also explained things to her stuffed animals before.

[Ms.Ivy]

I have a 5 year old like that right now and she loves working in Singapore PM 1a. I have to help her with Singapore though, since she can't read, but when I am not available she enjoys the math sections on Starfall.

[ktgrok]

he can't read, but I don't mind reading to him some. And cyberchase is great!!! Good reminder about it. 

 

I may get Singapore PM 1a, and let him work on Starfall, I totally forgot about that!

[Zoo Keeper]

C-rods and Miquon workbooks would be something he could do well at his own pace (with minimal input required from you).  My math lover had a blast with Miquon.  Even at the ripe old age of 13, he won't leave the rods alone when his younger brother gets them out.  ;)

[Sarah0000]

My young son also liked to do Miquon independently.

[featherhead]

Another vote for Miquon!

 

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[Jackie]

The MathStart series from Stuart J. Murphy kept my kid entertained for a while. Penrose the Mathematical Cat is good for quick introductions to a lot of mathy topics as well.

[Grover]

I'll add a vote for Miquon

Also the Sir Cumferene books, Penrose mentioned above, The Number Devil and a beautiful book I wish I'd bought instead of borrowing from the library approximately 1.7 billion times is "You Can Count on Numbers"

[lilajoy]

Mathematical Reasoning (Critical Thinking Co.) is a good series for math-minded kids. Your son is probably ready for the K or 1st grade levels. They are bright, colorful books with a variety of math topics and activities, often conversational, and they emphasize problem solving and mathematical reasoning (as the title states). They're less "workbooky" than other workbooks.

[SilverMoon]

My little one really liked the Gattegno math books with C-rods around that stage.

[Lori D.]

Kumon math workbooks

[fralala]

Well, my 4 year old isn't doing multiplication, but she's definitely at that stage of being curious about numbers and obsessive about counting things-- I have a box for her filled with Snakes and Ladders, playing cards, different kinds of dice, a hundreds chart, coins, Singapore Math textbooks (because they're colorful and more interesting to look at than the b&w workbooks), dominoes, a few of the Anno paperbacks and books from the "I Love Math" series (The Case of the Missing Zebra Stripes, How Do Octopi Eat Pizza Pie)...she can occupy herself with these things while I'm busy with the other kids, and when I get a break I can play a game with her or read to her.

[CadenceSophia]

My 4 year old is doing the same things. He did Singapore Essentials A in 8 days, now Essentials B will take him maybe 3 weeks but I think it is worth it. Then on to 1A He LOVES the books because his big siblings have books. He's begging for BA so whenever 2A comes out...

 

Miquon actually didn't work for him because he doesn't have the dexterity to line up the rods well or quickly so it got frustrating when he would bump something and mess up his work. We also tried wrap-ups, which are a math fact toy that seems fun,-but again he doesn't have the motor control.

 

Monster Math Squad (Netflix) started him dividing a couple weeks ago. I haven't seen any of the episodes myself but I am pretty impressed with the effect.

[ktgrok]

With Singapore at that level (1)  what do I need? Workbooks/textbook/instructors manual???

[Sarah0000]

With a young boy I did Singapore 1 with just the textbooks. I also added Greg Tang's picture books and free worksheets and flashcards on his website for number bonds. All his stuff goes well with Singapore and is funner than standard worksheets. I used both the RS abacus and c rods for manipulatives.

[Farrar]

Another vote for Miquon.

 

If he's really bound for math, it's more gentle than starting Singapore now but just as meaty in a very different way. And you'll have plenty of time to do Singapore or MEP or another really good program in a bit. I don't always agree with Bill about math... but he always says something like that Miquon + Singapore is more than the sum of its parts. I think you should do Miquon now and start Singapore when you're ready to get a little more formal, whether that's in a few months or a year.

 

I'd also say that the Right Start card games and that math games in general would be good - I'll bet he'd love Rat-a-tat-cat and Sleeping Queens and Knock Out. And maybe even Zeus on the Loose (you have to add to 100 for that one though).

[Tumbatoo]

We did Singapore Essential Math K when DD was that age, followed by Singapore 1A. If you've got a mathy one, you may need to add in several resources to keep from going too fast and hitting walls. Monster Math, Peg+Cat, Cyberchase,and Team Umizoomi​ have been hits here. Dreambox was fun for awhile, and Starfall. We've also tried Life of Fred, which wasn't really a hit here, but some love it! And Miquon was a good supplement too.

[Vernal]

I'll add another vote for Miquon for a 4 year old. Watch the Education Unboxed videos. They are great. Miquon will let him "discover" all the facts he wants by himself. Miquon was great for my mathy DD.

[Guest]

The games Mille bornes and blockus

A box of legos, including gears

[Um_2_4]

I started the twins on CTC's Mathematical Reasoning and it seems to have helped(plus you get some lap cuddle time). Abacus and the Math u see blocks were also hits with my mathy DS when he was that age. Also timers and clocks.

Also the Dragonbox apps (and there is a new one for #s I think by the same company).

 

[Ellie]

The Wonder Number Game.

[MyLife]

Miquon! My oldest is a mathy kid. He loved Miquon when he was 5 and 6 years old. He doesn't like it much anymore but it was FABULOUS in K and 1st.

[keirin]

I recommend going ahead and doing MEP reception with a mathy 4 year old. Even though it seems deceptively easy, I think it was a great introduction to a math curriculum for my boy/girl twins this year (we did the whole year in the fall semester of Kindergarten) and they could have handled it when they were 4 (maybe even 3.5).

 

Pretty much all of the following suggestions are going to require $$ but are more independant:

 

If you have an ipad:

Osmo

Dragonbox Numbers (also available on android?)

 

Ipad/computer:

Dreambox

 

Just purchase:

Inchimals

Denise Gaskin's Let's Play Math book series 

[CadenceSophia]

For those who say Miquon, have you actually used it with a 4 year old? I think my son has average fine motor skills but he was so frustrated by the dexterity needed. Lining up 17 white rods to measure in the teens was his last straw.

[Grover]

For those who say Miquon, have you actually used it with a 4 year old? I think my son has average fine motor skills but he was so frustrated by the dexterity needed. Lining up 17 white rods to measure in the teens was his last straw.

 

yep, used it from 3.5 with DS, more like 4 with DD.  I provided a ruler or other straight edge to line up against, or we did it as a team if it was really too much.  Both kids when right through Miquon in about 2 - 2.5 years.  It's the best start I could have hoped for for them.

[bltex]

Have you tried the KUMON math workbooks?  I wouldn't consider them a full curriculum, but they are something that can satisfy fairly long periods of time with minimal parental direction.  My 4 year old daughter is somewhat mathy and she also loves their maze workbooks (which require no parent instruction at all).

[Farrar]

For those who say Miquon, have you actually used it with a 4 year old? I think my son has average fine motor skills but he was so frustrated by the dexterity needed. Lining up 17 white rods to measure in the teens was his last straw.

 

I didn't do Miquon with my boys at that age because we didn't do a formal math program until first grade. But we used the rods extensively.

 

For something like lining up that many white rods, I'd just happily help them. And the whole goal is to move away from seeing the rods as being individual counters. The vast majority of things we did at that age were more about staircases and trains with just a few rods. My kids could (and, in their own way, still can be) really challenged as NT kids go for things like that and they never significantly struggled with them. I'd say if you're spending a lot of time lining up white rods that maybe you're not using the C-rods well? We did, as we got into bigger numbers, sometimes use the rods to create some big numbers with lots of orange rods. And sometimes that took some more skill... but my kids were also older by then.

[lovinmyboys]

My 4yr old who is a little numbers obsessed has enjoyed math seeds online. I don't necessary love him being on the computer at this age, but he loves it and he can do it independently. He also likes osmo and DragonBox on the iPad.

 

When I "do math" with him we usually read books and play games.