Math Concepts in Kindergarten     

by Amy Ryan | Math Strategies, Parenting Blogs

What math concepts in kindergarten do your kids learn?

Our children learn various math topics throughout their many years of schooling. For parents, keeping up can be overwhelming.

However, it is essential that we understand the major a concepts and ideas that they are tackling in school since this will provide us the means to help or guide them with their work.

Here are some of the major math concepts in kindergarten and some exercises to help your children reinforce their learning:

• Counting

As simple as it seems, kindergarten students will begin learning math through counting numbers.

They will begin to recognize written and spoken numbers and even begin writing them on their own.

Also, they will also learn to count objects and compare different sets of objects.

To improve this skill, you can encourage your child to investigate different objects and count objects out loud.

Also, encourage them to move objects from one group to another.  Let them use comparing words like less than, more than, the same as ect.

• Geometry

Kindergarten students are starting to compare and contrast three-dimensional and two-dimensional shapes.

In fact, they are now beginning to recognize different shapes and their attributes.

Therefore, this is the right time to encourage your child to find 3-D shapes in their environment like cones, cylinders, cubes, and spheres. You can also let them draw 2-D shapes, which is easier to do. For example, have them draw  rectangles, triangles, squares, circles, and hexagons.

You may also encourage them to count  corners and sides of everyday things like pipe-cleaners, sticks, clay, containers, and other objects in your house. This will develop their understanding and knowledge of the primary and complex shapes in the world.

• Addition and subtraction

Kindergarten students should focus on developing their understanding of addition or “putting together and adding to,” and subtracting or “taking from and taking apart.”

Pictures or objects are often used to create a visual or moving model of scenarios involving addition and subtraction.

As parents, you integrate addition and subtraction in your stories.

For example, you can make stories about bunnies like this: Three bunnies jumped on the grass and three more bunnies hopped there. How many bunnies are there now?

• Measurement

Our children, even at this tender age, are more aware of their physical world. It is interesting to hear the ways they compare and describe it. They even sort, classify and group objects according to a variety of categories.

So, we need to encourage our children to compare two different objects based on appropriate language like: “this tree is taller than that tree” or “Sarah’s bag is heavier than John’s bag.

This will enhance their understanding of measurement and how to use appropriate language to describe and compare a variety of objects.

As you can see, a great deal of foundational knowledge and understanding of numeracy begins at a very young age, often without us even realizing.

All we need to do is encourage our children to continue to explore their interests and understanding within these math concepts in kindergarten, and their understanding and curiosity will grow naturally.

Guest Author

Amy has been a Math tutor for over 12 years, assisting countless students individually. She first started after completion of her own VCE year. Receiving an ATAR of 99.0, she felt that she had a lot to offer students in high school, trying to work out the best way to maximize their results.

She has helped students gain understanding, improve their study skills and work towards their goals in mathematics. Amy has also been a teacher since 2011, teaching students in all high school levels, including VCE Maths Methods and Further Maths. She is passionate about finding ways to help students increase their understanding and enjoyment of Maths. 

Amy is available for individual tutoring in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and also runs Further Maths VCE Exam preparation and Study Skills sessions.

You can find her here at Math Tutors Australia.