Way Treasures Hunting – Let’s learn and practice some Maths at home today.
In our Montessori classroom, our children’s Maths journey starts with recognition of number symbols 1 to 9 (0 comes later) by tracing Sandpaper Numerals, followed by learning quantities via counting Number Rods.
Subsequently, we combine symbols and quantities together through activities and games, such as Spindle Box, Cards and Counters, and Memory games, to consolidate their learning and prepare them for further learning of the decimal system.
Many children at an early age are capable of recognising some numerals or all of them.
It is always beneficial to keep practicing and reinforce this fundamental knowledge. The more time they count and practice, the faster they can count.
In addition, repeated practice will prepare them for mental maths, so that they will be able to manipulate numbers in their head in various ways in order to do calculations.
So, let’s play some games at home with numbers.
GAME 1 – Way Treasures Hunting
Materials needed:
1. A marker for writing
2. 10 small pieces of paper to write numerals on
3. An empty space, such as on the table or floor
Preparation:
1. Ready to have fun
Steps:
1. Write numerals from 1 to 10 on paper, 1 number on 1 piece of paper. Children can write them themselves or get help from siblings or Parents.
2. Choose a piece of paper with a numeral as a start, for instance, “2”, then go around the house to find two similar items as the treasure (eg., bananas), bring them to the table or floor, and put the numeral 2 next to the 2 bananas.
3. Repeat step 2 till you find all treasures to match 1 to 10. Count them again, and make sure the numerals and treasures match correctly.
4. Take a photo and share it with everyone online. Please check out an example of our treasures below:
GAME 2 – Match Your Treasures
Steps:
1. Collect all numeral paper, shuffle them, and put them face down.
2. Draw one numeral paper at a time, and put it next to the corresponding treasures you collected.
3. In the end, count each one to make sure the numerals and treasures match.
PS: A sibling or a Parent playing with our children by taking turns would be more fun.
GAME 3 – Bring Your Treasures
Materials needed:
1. An empty bucket or tray – for carrying treasures
Preparation:
1. Ready to have more fun
Steps:
1. Collect all numeral paper (leave the treasures), carry them and the empty bucket to another room, and stay there with your children.
2. You can draw a numeral paper, check the number, leave the paper in the room, carry the empty bucket back to the treasures to collect them, and bring them to the numeral paper to check.
3. Now it is our children’s turn.
4. Repeat the steps till you bring all the treasures hunting to the numeral papers.
5. Can repeat the game.
GAME 4 – Keep Your Treasures Safe
Steps:
1. Collect all numeral papers, shuffle them, and put them face down.
2. You draw a numeral paper, check the numeral, and bring the corresponding treasure back to where you got it.
3. Now it’s our children’s turn.
4. Keep going till you put all the treasures back where they were stored.
Have fun and keep us informed on how you go with them!
Montessori Program at Hoppers Crossing
Maria Montessori said that every human being is born with a ‘Mathematical Mind’. We all have the ability to calculate, measure, and estimate.
Generally, we often think maths is hard, and it’s because it is often introduced in a very abstract way, and we start remembering it rather than having a clear concept in mind. Finding patterns makes life easy.
At Hoppers Crossing Montessori Centre, mathematical exercises are presented in a logical sequence, and systematic progress is made from the concrete to the abstract and from simple to complex.
To know more about our program, schedule your centre tour today, or give us a call at (03) 8742 2349 or book a tour.
We look forward to meeting you!
We are located at 483 Sayers Road, Hoppers Crossing 3029.
Hoppers Crossing Montessori Centre serves the local communities in Tarneit, Truganina, Werribee, Werribee South, Williams Landing & Wyndham Vale.
The blog is written by
Xiaofang Shang
(Kindergarten VIT Teacher & AMI Montessori Educator)