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Elements of math, science and literacy surround us in our daily lives.
One of the best ways to strengthen these skills is in a meaningful, teachable moment approach.
We can highlight these moments and demonstrate to children that academic experiences do not always need to take place in the classroom. They are a part of our daily lives, and they can be exciting and inspiring!
Whether it is a walk in the city, in the neighborhood or in a forest, there is ample opportunity to strengthen foundational mathematical skills.
Here are some fun and simple ways to help build foundational math skills such as measuring, comparing, and counting.
Measure
Bring a measuring tape or a ruler!
Watch them become excited to measure anything and everything.
Before your walk, show them how it works:
Have they seen this before?
Why do we need to measure things?
How does measuring help us?
Can they find an identify the numbers?
Where do you start measuring
What do the numbers tell us?
What are units of measurement?
2. Counting Collections
Bring a collection bag!
It can be a plastic ziplock bag that you can continue to reuse.
Create agreements that we can only collect things that have already fallen.
Here are some suggestions of things to collect:
Sticks (create agreements on sticks: only for building, art, and counting)
Rocks (create agreements on how to handle rocks safely)
Acorns or other Tree Seed Pods
When you return to the classroom or home, use something underneath (table cloth or paper towel) to count.
Model careful counting (1:1 correspondence), that we touch and count each object, and the last number counted represents how many there are all together.
Other counting strategies can involve counting in groups of five or ten.
Rigorous based questions can include:
Why are there so many rocks?
Why do branches or sticks fall onto the ground?
Why are there so many acorns or other tree seed pods? Why are the trees dropping them?
Create counting collections using clear cups or containers. Have children help create labels that show how many there are in each collection. Use these collections to help as representational objects in math stories or for building with in loose parts or in the block area.
3. Compare
Comparing is an important skill in both math and science.
It encourages careful observation and critical thinking.
Asking children to compare sets the foundation for understanding smaller, greater or equal to. This is a mathematical skill that they will explore throughout elementary school.
Nature asks us to compare: the bark on a tree, leaves that vary in shape, color and size.
Take a moment to notice the differences in common objects in nature (mushrooms, trees, leaves)
Which are the largest?
Which are the smallest?
Are there some that are equal in size?
Why are some larger or smaller than others?
What does size reveal to us about living things?
Can you measure the length of this branch?
How many inches is it?
Can you find two sticks that are equal in length?
Place sticks in varying sizes in the building area. Add rulers and measuring tape. Show them how they can create small stick structures by creating the outline of a square and continuing to build up!
4. Look for Shapes and Patterns
Shapes and patterns surround us, whether it is noticing the spherical shape of planets, the repeating patterns in coding, or the cylindrical trunk of a tree.
Understanding the variation of shapes and the features that make the shape are the foundations of geometry.
Observing and discovering patterns invites children to focus and discover, and encourages them to explain their thinking.
Are there rectangles in the bark of a tree? Squares on the sidewalk? Lines in a leaf?
Can they find circles, squares, triangles or rectangles?
What is a pattern? Discuss what a pattern is and how we can identify it in nature, shapes and numbers
Are there patterns in the bark of tree? Patterns in a leaf? Patterns on an insect?
5. Create Math Stories Based on their Experiences
A math story is a mathematical teaching strategy that integrates word problems with both real and imagined components.
It helps them identify the problem and analyze their thinking.
Use their names or pictures in both small and whole group math instruction to make them more a part of the math story experience!
Integrate real world problem solving opportunities that can involve building structures or even food.
Problem Based Learning Opportunities
If you were going to build a tree house, how tall would you make it? What materials would you use to build it?
Have them design and label their drawing, and invite children to present their ideas to their peers
We are finding so much trash on our nature walk. What solutions can we create to help reduce the trash in our neighborhood?
Math Stories with Equations
The woodpecker we saw earlier today was so hungry! First it ate two insects, then it ate three more, how many did it eat altogether?
Noah brought four apples to the potluck at Fort Reno. Maya brought three oranges. How much fruit did Noah and Maya bring to the potluck?
Use drawings and math symbols to help illustrate the math problem
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