Thread: A serious question for you teachers

My daughter has just turned 5 and i was wondering what is the best way for me to teach my kid some basic maths, as in some simple addition and subtraction, this may sound a stupid question but i'm serious as i know f-all about teaching.

How did you learn?

Get some wall charts with colorful pictures and numbers. Shit, if I was in Thailand I'd send you mine. My kids are past that.

Since you don't have those now...use objects they know and that you have in the house. Write the equation on a piece of paper; 1 + 1 and then take one apple and pick up a second apple. "How many apples?" Kids answer 2 and you write that answer on the paper so they can see the relationship.

It's the same way your parents taught you (I'm assuming they did). Don't make this harder than you have to.

^I struggle to remember last week never mind 30+ years ago, so i have no idea how i was taught, cheers for the good advice though and i'll have a look for some wall charts next time i'm out.

I prefer objects, small things she can count, and important as well, she'd be using her sense of touch. The more senses one uses in learning the better the recall.

Take some tooth picks (for example) and hand her a sum of them. Then tell her to give dad five, now give mum three, how many do you have? Take three from mum and give them to dad, how many does dad have now, how many does mum have now, etc.

Then maybe incorporate colours into the mix. M&Ms are good for this because you can reward her with them when she does it right.

Then add sizes to the mix .. give mum four big ones, give dad two small ones (but not with M&Ms obviously).

Then you could also do comparatives and superlatives: You take the big one and give dad the smaller ones, give mum the biggest three and me the smallest two, etc.

I presume the best way is to make it fun to learn.

camel toe's method has merit.
I learnt with wooden blocks.
Demo 1 then add them 2, 3, etc.
repeat with different combinations, thousands of times.
Once the child can count them and understand when you add some or take some away progress to the written form

here are some good worksheets etc as well.... counting animals and so on.

Preschool Math Printables: Counting, Matching, Ordering, and much more

Free printable preschool worksheets to help prepare your child for school. Preschool worksheets are great for busy teachers, parents, homeschoolers

Free Worksheets and Awards

Originally Posted by Camel Toe

Take some tooth picks (for example)

Yes, lets give a preschooler sharp objects!

"Can you count how many toothpicks you've stuck in my forearm?

But the Toe's advice is sound...don't only teach counting...but give the child objects that also help teach colors, shapes and sizes.

How many square, red blocks? How many round, 10B coins? If I have two red blocks and you have 3 red blocks how many blocks are there?

Will little one's you want to integrate at least two different things in each exercise..color/quantity, shape/size, etc and then do the math from that. The idea is to introduce the concept of what makes something unique. When the child understands grouping concepts then you can start teaching math.

Yes, lets give a preschooler sharp objects!

I can't believe someone would be so petty to post that.

Yes indeed, every one of my 1150 6-year-olds would be in the nurse's office after counting toothpicks on a table with their father's sitting across from them.

But the Toe's advice is sound...don't only teach counting...but give the child objects that also help teach colors, shapes and sizes.

Already said that.

And I rightly gave you credit for the information and then reinforced the advice you gave.

lets not bicker.
The advice was good and was agreed upon!

Originally Posted by kingwilly

here are some good worksheets etc as well.... counting animals and so on.

Preschool Math Printables: Counting, Matching, Ordering, and much more

Free printable preschool worksheets to help prepare your child for school. Preschool worksheets are great for busy teachers, parents, homeschoolers

Free Worksheets and Awards

Good one Wally, I don't know why everyone thinks you are a COCK.

Lots of good stuff there, but how do you organise it, so there is more than one of those large worksheets, on a page when I want to print them out.

Ever see that Beavis and Butt head where Beavis throws a pencil across the classroom and catches Butt head in the eye? Then he says, Jeez it is true, sharp things can put your eye out!

THE best site I've ever seen for the articles King mentions is: atozteacherstuff dot com. The place is huge, like 500 teachers online any hour of the day. Has giant archives. They will email you updates on resources too. In case anyone is interested.

Originally Posted by CSFFan

Originally Posted by Camel Toe

Take some tooth picks (for example)

Yes, lets give a preschooler sharp objects!

"Can you count how many toothpicks you've stuck in my forearm?

But the Toe's advice is sound...don't only teach counting...but give the child objects that also help teach colors, shapes and sizes.

How many square, red blocks? How many round, 10B coins? If I have two red blocks and you have 3 red blocks how many blocks are there?

Will little one's you want to integrate at least two different things in each exercise..color/quantity, shape/size, etc and then do the math from that. The idea is to introduce the concept of what makes something unique. When the child understands grouping concepts then you can start teaching math.

Oh yes, don't forget the shiny little round things.
" Oh I think I had 4, no, I had 3. Oh my tummy hurts,
" Dolly did it, honest!"

So this is the serious teacher question thread...good cos I got some to ask.

But as for the original question, my son has been doing a lot of math this year since starting in grade 1 at a new school. He did it at Kinda also, but just so much more here and he is 6yo.

To be honest, try to teach using the fingers, thats how he does it and the blocks also. Start easy, counting up to 5 etc, presume your child can do this already at 5 and higher. Count to 5 and take 1 away etc, then count how many fingers left. Easy to do and you can do it anywhere, in a taxi, anywhere bored for a few minutes.



Now, my questions....should a 6yo be bringing home piles of homework at thia age. I never remember having homework at that age. I feel so bad for the poor kid as they are up at 6.30am to get ready for school, they leave at 7.15am, home at 4pm and then he has at least an hour of homework to do almost every day.

What time for play as a child and fooling around ? They eat at 6ish, then ready for bed at 7ish so asleep at 8 for a good 10 hours sleep.

Also he brought home math the other day that I tried to teach him how to do it, bugger me, I taught him, but not the right way, seems I taught him the hard way and teach then showed him the easy way only yesterday.

Like.... 238 + 436 - 235 =

and.... 325 + ??? = 436 (find the missing number)

I think at 6yo I was still learning the ABC.... and still am.

Games.....
It's all about games.

Maybe building towers of blocks, which can then be knocked down, but counting the blocks.

There's loads of stuff on the net but keep it a game.

Involving colour etc. as mentioned above is good. Number sense comes slowly so don't panic.

Originally Posted by Nawty

should a 6yo be bringing home piles of homework at thia age.

NO. And you're the boss so YOU decide how much is fair. If the kid enjoys it, and seems happy, fair go. If not NO.

Originally Posted by Nawty

What time for play as a child and fooling around

As much as possible. Play is learning (unless you're Japanese - poor little buggers) Play is good.

Originally Posted by Nawty

Like.... 238 + 436 - 235 = and.... 325 + ??? = 436 (find the missing number) I think at 6yo I was still learning the ABC.... and still am.

Cos they didn't have calculators in those days. Sounds like he's being swamped with "Rote learning" by a lazy teacher with no understanding on pre-teens.

Start asking questions and don't let them baffle you with science.

But then how do you deal with that when all the other kids are doing it, or at least told to do it also. Will he fall behind ?

Already at times when he has not done his homework he has been told to stay in at lunch time and finish it.

To be a little fair I guess, he does have a somewhat bigger workload than some others. He is now at a bi-lingual school and the amount of Thai compared to at his previous int kinda school is huge. But he has to play catchup as while his speaking thai is fine, he never learnt to write it or read it before.

I would say his thai homework is twice as much or more than his english homework.

what is 'rote' learning...already baffled.

Yes, have planned to go and talk to them about it.

Originally Posted by Nawty

But then how do you deal with that when all the other kids are doing it, or at least told to do it also. Will he fall behind ?

A very good question. Have you spoken to his teachers?
Be assurred that other kids are not completing their assignmernts.

Originally Posted by Nawty

what is 'rote' learning...already baffled.

OK "Rote Teaching/ learning" is best explained by using the example of the Koranic schools.

i.e.

Sit down, shut up and learn by heart.
Constant repetition of words, sums, programs or what ever. Just learn it all off by heart and regurgitate it later for an "exam"

shite.

Maria Montessorri knocked it all into touch years ago.

The main thing is that the kid "understands a. what he's doing and b, WHY.

Without this understanding the whole exercise is pointless.

It's also the easiest cop out for the teacher.

Rote learning. Please don't write those words again

Yes games are always good, so is song; one little two little three little indians ...

At present I'm giving my speaking/listening exams to P-1s. When I ask the questions: (flashcards) Can you name this animal. What colour is this banana, about 25% of them will answer by repeating my question, word for word.