ENTER BELOW FOR ARGOPREP'S FREE WEEKLY GIVEAWAYS. EVERY WEEK!
FREE 100$ in books to a family!
Kindergarten math curriculum is more important than many may realize. It’s not all about colors and the alphabet in those early years. While they are the simplest concepts, the math skills that your child will become familiar with will prove crucial in the years following.
They will learn the concept of numbers and counting from 1-10 through games and physical examples, such as on their fingers, or groups of objects. As a teacher, I’ve learned that the best kindergarten math curriculum is usually preschool heavy early one. This means that having those foundational skills is a must.
Kindergarten math curriculum expands upon what your child has already learned. Teaching will become slightly more rigid; however, much of what your child will learn will still be through play and hands-on activities.
Remember when your child counted like this? “One, two, three, seven, eight, four, three…” As cute as it was, this should no longer occur. By the end of kindergarten, they should be able to count from one to twenty fluently. They will understand the order and relationship between these numbers. Your child will also be taught how to count in groups, such as in fives and tens.
They will not be taught about multiplication at this stage (this does not begin until after first grade). Rather, they will be familiar with patterns in number grouping (for example: “Five, ten, fifteen…”). They should also be comfortable with written numerals.
Your child will not be writing equations in kindergarten, but they will have a base concept for addition and subtraction. These ideas will be introduced with word problems and simple, situational examples. For example: “James has five shirts. John gives him two more shirts. How many shirts does James have now?” Or, “John has five shirts. He gives two shirts to James. How many shirts does John have now?” Comprehension of these types of problems will come largely through illustrations and physical representations.
Two-dimensional knowledge of shapes will be cemented in the kindergarten math curriculum. Basic three-dimensional shapes will also become familiar. Your child will learn their names and relationships to their two-dimensional counterparts (for example, recognizing that a sphere is similar to a circle, but that they are not the same shape).
Your child’s ability to count is vital for their future studies. Understanding the way that numbers are written, their relationships to each other, and patterns in them will correspond with every aspect of math that they will face.
Addition and subtraction are introduced in the first grade. Symbols (like the plus sign and minus sign) are applied to encompass previously formed ideas. Without a grasp of the concepts laid out in kindergarten, your child may fall short of their peers.
Counting in groups is the doorway into understanding multiplication. “Five, ten, fifteen” gives way to “Three groups of five is fifteen,” and so on. Counting coins will be incorporated as well; group counting comes in very handy here. For example, if your child is comfortable with group counting and knows that a nickel is worth five cents, they can solve this problem: “Tom has four nickels. How many cents does Tom have?”
Get up to 70% off on Yearly and Lifetime plans.
15 minutes a day keeps your child’s brain sharp!
There is a myriad of ways to help your child get ahead at home. Using physical items around the house to represent math problems is an excellent way to start. This way, your child will be learning with multiple senses, which is extremely beneficial and effective. Encourage your child to count on their fingers, on groups of items (such as toys, crayons, a handful of Skittles, whatever’s handy!) and ask them to speak the numbers out loud as they go along. This will reinforce their ability to count; at the same time, they will practice naming and ordering numbers correctly.
Play a drawing game: take turns drawing shapes and quiz your student on the name of the shape. Ask them to count the number of sides and corners each one has. Write out the name of the shape and the number of sides and corners as you go along. Gather up some pocket change and have your child count out each group of like coins. Don’t be afraid to get creative! Hands-on learning is ideal for your kindergartener.
If you are still searching for a way to boost your child’s kindergarten learning, ArgoPrep’s comprehensive, engaging, and fun learning platform is a sure way to help.
Shipping calculated at checkout.