Math curriculum for toddlers?

[Korrale4kq]

Ok... This is really long. Don't mind my sons shennigans. I recorded this to show my friend a typical math lesson. And to show her, toddlers don't always sit so still.  This was when James was about 27 months. He has learnt a lot since this.

You can skip to 8 mintues to see a second activity, then to 10:30 to see the third activity.

Note: I have ammended my vocabulary since this video. Numerals are called numerals, and amounts are called amounts. I seldom use the ambigiiously worded "numbers"


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/CnOaPMzYbZg&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/CnOaPMzYbZg&rel=1</a>

[Korrale4kq]

OK... I hope these links work. They are on my Facebook.  I tried to make them public so I could share them.

Matching socks based on the mathstart book A Pair of Socks by Stuart Murphy

https://fbcdn-video-a.akamaihd.net/cfs-ak-ash4/v/450201/925/3994500943481_42401.mp4?oh=4317fc670eeb4ce1c56a31abf276ea87&oe=4FD25D20&__gda__=1339186464_7fa74da45b9cf7d2c8eb0e574f36d5fd

https://fbcdn-video-a.akamaihd.net/cfs-ak-snc7/v/452820/904/3994476462869_14570.mp4?oh=b7a730bd3a834d1884933093bafcadbc&oe=4FD25D20&__gda__=1339186464_816f7ff931cce0711c3a5ee88ef7850f

First time teaching James to count. I made a counting chain for him. Until this was taken he had only be taught to subtitize, but had mild exposure to counting.

https://fbcdn-video-a.akamaihd.net/cfs-ak-ash4/v/450349/299/3992940664475_17437.mp4?oh=95bdc7f2cae5ed7d24b93ad84170b414&oe=4FD25D20&__gda__=1339186464_2387baa43c1f7523c21d7c372d9c9886


Almost 2 months ago. James doing his first equation. This is the first time I introduced it to him.

https://fbcdn-video-a.akamaihd.net/cfs-ak-snc7/v/448678/428/3686573885497_25649.mp4?oh=35a534dfa2d24492da66a4f503f4063a&oe=4FD26020&__gda__=1339187232_b03899b2504bd5ec8239ab1896229ce8

[seastar]

Korrale4kq - those videos are great - lots of ideas there. Unfortunately, the links to the videos on your facebook page didn't work. Can you try uploading them again when you get a chance please?

Sharpie - your post made me laugh, you are a kindered spirit! I feel like that too. I have Marshmallow Math but I've done very little with it also. I've ordered some of the Math Start books as we love to read so at least I know I will do that with my daughter. I'm determined to develop our maths activities though - maybe we can encourage one another!

[Korrale4kq]

Sure seastar. I am trying to put them together on my blog. So hopefully I can just link that.

I have a lot of editing to do... Just started the new blog so I can focus it more. And keep it neat and streamlined. Here are a few videos of things I do with James for math. All videos are taken between 25 and 29 months.

http://littlemanlogic.wordpress.com/math/

[marthazen]

i love the videos ....thank you so much for sharing....i will be doing this with my baby...   

[Mandabplus3]

Sharpie, I also am not all that fond of teaching math  I know how to, and what to focus on in what order BUT that doesn't mean I am keen to actually do it. I like math when the kids get to third grade counting bores me I like a challenge.
Anyway you have Marshmellow math, and I really think that is what you should start with. So it really doesn't matter that your child is preverbal. They don't need to reply, you just need to demonstrate. So read a lesson each morning ( while you have your morning coffee) the idea is to extract the point of the lesson. Is is sorting, is it counting, is it addition or one to one correspondence ( yep too big words... ) once you know what the point is spend the day showing that to your child in as many different ways as you can think of. Counting apples, Lego, birds, plates, balls.... Sorting by colours, shapes, size, weight... Just do a few short activities while your child is watching. If they are able let them join in, even if you have to tell then where to put things and give them all the answers. These first skills are critical to future success and once they have them you will be amazed at how quickly your child gets to where these kids are. So basically use your copy of Marshmellow math, wipe the dust off and be creative interpreting it. If you get to a lesson you need to adjust post here for ideas.

[Sharpie]

seastar -- glad (and oddly encouraging) to know that we are kindred spirits in the math department!  Our library has one of the MathStart books so borrow it and see if my son likes it before purchasing.  Please let me know if you come up with any brilliant ideas, and I will as well, (though I'm sure that is less likely on my part. )

Mandabplus3 -- I will indeed begin incorporating Marshmallow Math into our daily routine, beginning tomorrow.  Thanks for the ideas!  Because my son loves to read books with me, (a large part of our day), I can become easily discouraged when he doesn't seem interested in something, but I will push forth and demonstrate the lessons as you suggest, holding onto the hope (and being reminded) that even though he may not be completely enthralled, he is still learning.  And frankly, if I am able to implement what you recommend, I think he actually will show great interest.

Korrale4kq  -- great videos, thank you so much for posting!  It helps enormously to actually watch a lesson in action.  I plan to replicate your ideas with my son.

[seastar]

Well sharpie, I've started! Like mandabplus3 recommended, I dusted off my MM book and read the first lesson again. Here is a very simple idea I tried for lesson 1:

We had fruit salad after lunch and I filled her bowl little by little. I just kept asking her how many pieces of each fruit she wanted and to say the amount and show me on her fingers. Then as I added them to her bowl, I would say an addition sum, e.g. 3 raspberries plus 5 strawberries equals 8 pieces of fruit etc. I also asked if she wanted her pieces cut in half, quarters or left whole. At then end we held up our empty bowls to show zero fruit. Educational and tasty!

[Sharpie]

I have read and re-read this thread and the other one about math for two year olds and am quickly becoming excited about teaching math.

seastar – excellent -- I'm going to try that at dinner!  We're a little sluggish during the weekend, so though I fully plan to "get mathy" today, it hasn't happened yet.  Although, after lunch, my son brought a basket full of decorator fruit to the table and started emptying it methodically.  I quickly started counting each piece with great enthusiasm.  And then again as he filled it and emptied it again.  He seemed to love it, though, in part I'm pretty sure it was because he knew he was prolonging having to take a nap!  He got a good 10 extra minutes out of me.

Kerileanne99 – I aspire to do 1/8th of what you do!  I would also like to take you up on your offer from a similar thread to suggest which route(s) I might take with my two year old, considering you have so much experience with many different curricula.  I just don’t have the natural proclivity to come up with off-the-cuff math ideas throughout the day.  I definitely need some kind of structure.  Preferable structure that isn’t too expensive!  RightStart?  MEP? MathTacular? TouchMath? Miquon Math?  Others?  The number of choices is just a little bit overwhelming as someone else noted.  Perhaps try MEP first because it's free? 

mybabyian – I just fired up the laminator to make a cylinder – great idea!

[Kerileanne99]

Sharpie-
Don't fret! It wasn't until December of last year that I found BrillKids! Up until that point I was pretty much on my own, and I hadn't started any math at all! Everyone starts somewhere, and I was completely ignorant in maths for toddlers!

For the record, we had our first official 'lesson' the other day! Everything else has been completely informal and very-much play-based!

We started with 'Marshmallow Math' and it was very much our standard!!! We didn't so much go lesson by lesson as I read the whole book and incorporated as much as possible into our daily life, as well as used it for inspiration!
It was only after this that she was ready for JonesGeniuses and then RightStart, with lots of Singapore Math concepts tossed in depth, and Marshmallow Math ideas ideas throughout the day for interest!!!

So it sounds as though all we do day in and day out is math, but although we seem to weave it into every activity, it actually is not an ovwpetwhelming portion of our day!

Quite easily doable, even for those not completely enthralled in math...

One thing I would highly recommend! Instead of going through Marshmallow Math lesson by lesson? Read or skim all of the lessons, and incorporate as many as possible into your day-to-day activities! Many of them can be grouped according to topic, and thus combined....

One note...
Although we love so many of the ideas from Jones Geniuses, especially hose involving speed reading qnd memory, if you are looking for a simple, dy-to-day program? Go with RightStart as the lessons are laid out day-to-day qnd require minimal (if any, preparation!).
The material inMarshmallow math will really prepare toddler/parent for RS, although I do highly recommend buying/ perusing programs well in advance as you can greatly enhance the pace they proceed through the material with a bit of foresight!

So, in a nutshell! If you have a toddler, six months or older? Buy the Mashmallow Math book, read it in it's entirety, and incorporate as many ideas into your day as possible!

This will make the transition to 'proper math' virtually painless!!,

Remember, while we actually do little, if any, 'formal' math per day... We incorporate math concepts and ideas Everywhere!!!!
At nap time and bedtime reading! We look at the Table of Contents to read PlaceValue...we take turns reading (she reads all odd numbered pages and Mommy reads Ll even-numbered pAges,).

So many Math concepts! I don't even know how she does it!! Mostly games, and play..it is more a about training mommy and daddy to be creative and diligent n their teaching!!!!

It truly becomes away of life very quickly...

[A_BC]

This thread has been going for a while and I can't remember how many times I read it    I am still trying to find the "perfect" fit for us but I realized I may need to look at the big picture before choosing a curriculum, i.e. beyond toddlerhood. This is not easy and that's why I need your help here 

Well, I think I may go for a combination of curricula that are supposed to "work well" with each other. As I mentioned in an older post, I am looking for a mental math program with other hands-on methods that will smoothly lead to advanced math curricula (calculus, statistics, etc.)

So here is a draft of what the program looks like:

- I am now doing LM, Peter Whetherall, Your Child Can Discover, Marshmallow math with other hands-on activities and books. Also, I've recently purchased a Montessori Math kit at a bargain price and we are enjoying the sensorial material as a starter.

- I am thinking to introduce a combination of the following curricula at 24 mos: Jones Geniuses, Singapore Math and/ or Right Start Math. Can anybody let me know what would fit better my objectives?

- Around 3 or 4 y, I plan to introduce a Soroban program along with the previously chosen curricula.

- Possibly Saxon Math for later stages.

Here is an interesting comparison of homeschooling math curricula that helped me "narrowing down"  my choices:

http://www.homeschoolmath.net/curriculum_reviews/which_math_curriculum.php

[Sharpie]

Well, it's been a busier-than-expected week for us, but we've managed to get a little math in.  The other day, our son pulled out his bucket of empty water bottles that he likes to hit with a plastic bat.  As he and I would set them up, I would count each bottle, (yes, completely elementary compared to what some of you are doing, but it's a start!).  We did this a few times, and he didn't seem at all interested in my counting, so I stopped and just set the bottles up.  Then he started going through the motions of counting them!  (He doesn't say the numbers yet.)  I was so excited!

Until I have some more time to research RightStart a little more (and some of the other programs), I've printed off several pages of the MEP Math since it's free and immediately accessible.  So far, there has been great interest.  Today I am hoping to do lesson two of Marshmallow Math, (if I can pry myself away from this forum so I can read it before my son wakes up!).

Kerileanne99 --  thank you for the idea of incorporating a little of the whole book (Marsh Math) throughout the day.  As I have more time to read it, that sounds good.  Also, you mentioned that the book is a good precursor to RightStart, does that mean that I shouldn't even worry about an actually curriculum until we've finished going through Marshmallow Math?

Oh, and we received MathStart's Just Enough Carrots in the mail -- another big hit.  I ordered another book in the series too, which should arrive next week. 

As someone else mentioned (sorry can't remember who), we've done a little of this as well: http://www.ixl.com/math/pre-k.

Additionally, while reading a book about numbers this morning, I held up 1 finger, 2 fingers, etc and my son copied me!  So exciting!  I guess my own lack of interest in math has been holding him back all this time!

[seastar]

Yay, well done Sharpie! Looks like all it takes is a little inspiration from the other parents on here and a little determination on our part.

Kerileanne - thanks for the tip regarding reading the whole book. I'm about half way through and it really helps to have an overview.

[A_BC]

@ Korrale: I love your blog, not only the videos are truly inspiring but also the journal is so cute! I am trying to do the same matching activity (quantity & numerals) with slightly different manipulatives: wooden tokens and dotted cards. I have the same IKEA tray though 

[Korrale4kq]

Thank you so much.

There is so much I want to add to the blog. I love reading other blogs and getting ideas. So I want to be able to share what we do with others. I find that videos and  pictures help me a lot.
Sadly James is not very amiable about being filmed.

That Ikea tray is great! I loved the size, the look of it and the handles when I bought it. I had no idea I could use a whiteboard marker on it at the time and that has been a great bonus. It makes it easy for use to contain our lessons. And James likes it too. He even gets his tray out and sets up his own lesson and tells me to sit.

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