Kindergarten Math Skills

In order to help your child succeed in school, parents need to know which skills need to be mastered first. Initially in kindergarten, basic math skills are not centered on numbers. Mastery of these skills early on will help your child understand the concepts of math and numbers.

Identifying Shapes: This skill relates to math by helping kindergarteners grasp the concepts of spatial relationships. This simple concept is the initial building block for geometry and even art.

In kindergarten, the first few weeks will be spent on identifying, drawing, coloring, and counting a variety of shapes. It may seem that these skills are below your child's math level, however in order for your child to grasp the next concepts, it is crucial that your child masters shape identification.

You can help your child master shape identity by sorting shapes. You can also identify shapes throughout a routine day. Point out boxes in the grocery store. Shape identity is fun while driving. Identify the shapes of the signs you pass. You may also want to try an "I spy" game to help your child identify shapes in different forms.

Recognizing Patterns: Pattern skills will be taught very soon after shape identification. As a matter of fact, the first patterns that a kindergartener works on are shape patterns. Patterns help your child make predictions by observation. Later in your child's math classes, these pattern skills will help them understand algebra.

You can help your child develop his pattern recognition skills using household items. Patterns are everywhere. Point out patterns in wallpaper, on clothes, in floor tile, and even on a calendar. You can create pattern play by drawing a shape pattern on paper and having your child identify or draw which shape comes next.

Positional Words: You will find that your child's homework will keep repeating the shape identity and pattern recognition throughout the first half of kindergarten. Positional words are words that describe where an object is in relationship to another object. Positional words add to his understanding of spatial relationships.

In order to help your child understand positional words you can give him directions. Tell him to get his shoes that are under his bed. Have your child identify what the characters are doing and where they are in relationship to other objects in his favorite books. Homework in kindergarten will have your child circling objects that are over, under, in, and out of pictures.

Numbers: Early kindergarten number learning is counting. Children are evaluated on counting by rote and counting objects. Kindergarten math includes recognizing numbers, arranging numbers in a sequence, and finally writing numbers.

There are many opportunities to help your child learn how to count. You can have him count just about everything he sees throughout the day including cars, trucks, forks, toys, or coins. This helps your child to connect the sequence of numbers to the number of objects.

Flash cards can help with numeral recognition. You can give your child a reward, such as a piece of candy, for getting so many correct. The final step in number recognition is identifying the numerals in order. Draw a number line and label it. Then ask your child to circle the number before six, or after ten. This connects the positional words with numbers.

Writing numbers helps with fine motor skills and solidifying kindergarten math. Have your child start out by tracing the number then have them write it independently.

As with every aspect of school, practice is the path to mastery. Early math skills in kindergarten are not any different. Make learning fun with shape identification, pattern recognition, counting objects, and recognizing numbers.

Sources:

Personal experience

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/brochure/earlymath/index.html

http://betterkidcare.psu.edu/AngelUnits/OneHour/Math/MathLesson.html