Today, I am going to share a quick and fun way you can support your child as a mathematician in the kitchen. In kindergarten and first grade, there are math standards that focus on counting, cardinality, and place value (understanding the importance of ‘ten’). One of the beauties of being home, is that you can use your kitchen as a learning space. Inviting your child to cook or bake with you is a great way to start conversations about fractions. Being able to experience math in everyday life really helps put context to important concepts. I always love when a student says, “I was baking cookies with my mom and saw that 1/2 cup is MORE than 1/3 cup.”
Today’s quick teacher tip focuses on an easy counting activity you can try in the kitchen. Be sure to check out the IGTV video clip by clicking here.
Counting in the Kitchen
- Use Cheerios, pretzels, or animal crackers to practice counting. Depending on your child’s age, interest, and ability, scoop out some animal crackers. *If you child is PreK or K, start with 20 or less. If you child is entering second, try several dozen or the entire box.
- Begin by asking your child to estimate the number of items you have set out for him.
- Invite your child to count the total number in a variety of ways- by ones, groups of 5, 10, or even 20.
- Ask you child questions like, “Which way was most efficient? Why?” “You said there are XXX number of animal crackers. How do you know?”
Other Math in the Kitchen Ideas I Love…
I pinned tons of ideas on Pinterest. You can access that board by clicking here.
