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5yo Math
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My DS5 turned 5 just today and wants to begin lessons because, in his words, 5 year olds go to school. Ha! So, fine, I thought I’d try starting to see if he’s really ready. He already gets outside play and I read to him off suggested book lists. We also do habit training and Bible study. So I feel like those basics are covered. I’d like to start reading, writing, and math. I have Delightful Reading and Delightful Handwriting for the first two. I’d like to use Math on the Level but won’t be prepared to buy it until the Fall. He can do basic adding, subtracting, some multiplication – all in word problems, not written. Do you figure that he knows enough for now andd I can do something more later? I’m basically wanting to ignore math as a school subject completely for now. Does that seem okay to you?
Thanks!
Dana
It’s totally okay to not specifically do any math for a 5yo.
On the other hand, if he really wants to do math, you can do very simple things, without needing a curriculum. There are so many other skills in math other than basic computation. You can spend 5 or 10 minutes ‘doing math’, or just introduce these concepts in daily life. This is what MOTL will have you start with as well.
Patterns (have him copy patterns you make with blocks or other objects, find patterns in the world around you),
Measurement (learn how to use a ruler, read a thermometer to check the weather, weigh objects on a kitchen scale, using measuring cups in water, sand, or to help in cooking)
Geometry (find shapes, including 3D shapes such as spheres and cylinders, in all you see),
Counting money (dimes and pennies are a good background for learning place value later)
Reading a clock (start with just hour and half hour, figuring out which hands are which, then eventually practice counting by 5 to find the time),
Directions and comparing words (left, right, heavy, heavier, heaviest, tall, short, long, light, wide, narrow, etc.)
This page from IXL gives a good list of things you could just casually explore at this age: http://ca.ixl.com/math/kindergarten
Do as much or as little as you feel like.
Joanne
Oh that’s fantastic! That’s a great list of fun things to do! I’m a math person so I guess I feel a bit more casual about that and nervous about – well – everything else. Haha! 🙂
Thank you so much!
Dana
I’m not big on K math…most of it is learned through play or daily discussions. I think Joanne’s list is pretty thorough for what K generally covers…and much of it is repeated again for 1st! I started my K’er with a first grade book and we are taking it slow. We also do lots of hands on math. If you have cuisinaire rods, the videos at Education Unboxed are really nice.
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