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.
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?
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.
by KinderMomma | Math Strategies, Teaching Blogs
About six years ago, my administrator told us at a staff meeting that we would be required to use Number Talks daily in our classrooms.
Cue the eye rolls and whispering among teachers, including myself.
Another program that many of us knew nothing about is to be implemented.
And…. we would be observed twice a year on our number talks lesson.
Wonderful!
How would Number Talks in kindergarten even work?
After Number Talks professional development and lesson implementation, I soon saw the value.
My students are talking about numbers and thinking out loud.
They are sharing strategies and modeling reasoning.
Students are learning from students. What could be better? Quickly, I became a Number Talks in kindergarten groupie.
What is a Number Talk?
A Number Talk is a short conversation between teachers and students about how to solve a problem. The focus isn’t on the correct answer but on the mental math strategies students use.
This is a great way to encourage “meta-cognitive strategies.” (thinking about one’s own thinking)
How to start in kindergarten?
Begin at the beginning. In kindergarten, subjects must be broken down in the simplest forms. If not, chaos will ensue.
This is exactly the goal of Number Talks in kindergarten. Number sense is developed by breaking down a number into a simple form.
Students need to understand what a number like “5” actually means.
There are many different ways to “do” Number Talks in kindergarten. Some books will tell you exactly what to say and what not to say.
I believe in “doing” what works for the students and the teachers.
The best way to start is with dot cards. They can be easily made with book rings note cards and bingo daubers. 
I like using these cards best because I can use different colors. This helps encourage the spontaneous grouping of numbers by students.
Start with cards with one-five.
I do two or three cards a day.
Example of a Number Talks in kindergarten with dot cards:
- Kids are seated in a half circle.
- Show the students a number card.
- Ask the students, “How many do you see? Put your thumb over your heart when you know. Raise your hand if you would like to share.”
- “Oh, you see five. Give me a thumbs up if you agree. Give me a thumbs down if you disagree.”
- “Who would like to share how they figured it out?”
- “Does anyone have a different way they figured out the answer.?”
Extensions:
Fold the dot cards to teach one and two more. One half shows an array of dots for the number five and the other has one more dot on the other side. 
First, ask how much is one more than five, and let the students talk about how they figured that out. Then, open the card and let them count to check.
Two more than five can also be done in the same manner.
Partner Sharing
Often times, students will just agree with someone that shares. During the number talks in kindergarten, I tell my students to turn to a shoulder partner and share their answers and their thinking.
Insecure students are more likely to share in a one on one grouping. Also, this enables the teacher to walk around informally and hear the math talk.
Number talks in kindergarten are more than just dot cards.
Five and six-year-olds can get bored with only dot cards being used. Sometimes, teachers assume that Number Talks have to be done separate from the math lesson for the day. Number Talks can be incorporated into any math lesson. It is just basically posing a problem and having students share their reasoning to figure it out.
I like to mix it up a little bit.
Unifix cubes and other manipulatives help to build necessary number sense and teach math vocabulary.
Example:
Teach number relationships: Start with a tower of two cubes that are the same color and add one cube that is another color. 
Vocabulary such as one more than two is three and one less than three is two. The visual gives students a great opportunity to discuss the groupings and relationships between colors of cubes.
Using two towers of cubes with each showing different amounts allows for visual comparisons between the two different towers. 
Students can see that the blue tower has one more than the yellow tower when you match up each cube side by side.
This is a great representation to show less than and greater than.
The Abacus or Rekenreks can also be a great tool with Number Talks in kindergarten.
Teen Number Talks in Kindergarten
I love to use ten frames and unifix cubes when I teach about teen numbers
Posing a problem like, “How would we show the number twelve using our ten frames and cubes?” gives kids the chance to strategize and come up with a plan.
Students can turn to their partner and share. Afterwards, students can explain their thinking to the class.
Other questions that can be asked to develop relationships between numbers and math vocabulary are:
Can you show me a number that is one greater than 12? 
How can you figure the number out without counting each one?
Vocabulary that can be used is: ten frame, greater than, less than, fewer and more.
Number talks in kindergarten are valuable.
I started out thinking that Numbers Talks would be just another strategy to learn that really wouldn’t benefit my students.
Wrong!!! Very wrong!
Number Talks in kindergarten teaches kids to talk about math and learn new strategies from their peers. It can easily be incorporated into daily lessons.
Number Talks doesn’t have to be something that is completely separate from math activities. Talking about math is natural. It should be included in every lesson.
All teachers need to think of is a good math question that students can take a little time to figure out. That time teaches students to take control of their learning and successes.
by KinderMomma | Math Strategies
Teaching addition and subtraction is a huge part of the kindergarten curriculum now. Long gone are the days when five-year olds only had to count to 20 and know their numbers from 1-10. It has all changed. So, we kindergarten teachers are left with the task of teaching addition and subtraction to our students. I know, Tough Stuff, but it can be done.
Here are six tips on how to teach addition and subtraction in kindergarten.
Develop number sense.
Research has shown us that students who lack a strong understanding of what numbers represent and how they relate to other numbers and the world will suffer with even the basic arithmetic problems.
With this in mind, the first few months of the school year should be dedicated to helping students form relationships with numbers. Counting everything and anything should be a daily activity. I always loved the book, How Children Learn Number Concepts, by Kathy Richardson. It gives great activities and really works.
Kids should have a solid grasp what a number is and what it represents before beginning the process of addition and subtraction. This book is very helpful in informing teachers on how to teach addition and subtraction.
Teach addition first concretely.
Often, teachers disagree on whether or not addition and subtraction should be taught together since they are related topics.
My feeling based on my many years of teaching young students is it is too confusing to teach both concepts together. They will add when they are supposed to subtract.
When beginning a math lesson, I like to sit the kids in a half circle, so they all are looking at me and can turn and engage in partner work. I set up my math block like this:
- Introduction
- Manipulative and partner work
- Independent Practice
- Math Centers and Games
To begin teaching addition, I like to give the students individual bags of unifix cubes or double sided counters. Also, a sorting page with two different sides is helpful.
With the two sided counters, I use lemons and apples as my examples at first.
I have two lemons. (one side of the sorting sheet)
I have two apples. (other side of the sorting sheet)
How many do I have in all? (Put them together in front of them.)
Use the correct vocabulary. I like to say 2 plus 2 equals the sum of 4.
Using dot cards is also a great strategy. You can bend a card with 6 dots into 4 and 2 or 3 and 3. Show one side first and ask, “ How many?” Show the other side and ask. “Now, how many?”
Use games and fun activities
Kids learn the most when the material is hands-on. Another plus is when the material is engaging. I love to use the hiding game with addition and subtraction.
I give each set of partners a number of cubes. 5 is a perfect number. One partner breaks them apart and hides some. The other has to guess how many. After they discover the correct amount, they say together: Because 2 plus 3 equals the sum of 5.
Using a variety of manipulatives is important if you have access to them. Click here for a fun math game for your kids to play.
Introduce addition abstractly.
After I know my students understand the concept of putting two sets of objects together, I introduce the addition and equals sign to them. Because they have had numerous concrete experiences, transferring knowledge will be so much easier.
So, this is the time when I have them do paper and pencil work.
I start out having them draw pictures to show 4 plus 1 equals 5 etc. We then move up to writing number sentences for objects that are already pictured.
The last type of independent work I have my students do is a worksheet with just the problems written.
Use lots of concrete practice with subtraction.
Subtraction is tough. Students at this age confuse addition and subtraction if they do not have a strong base.
After teaching addition for at least three weeks, I begin subtraction.
The same process is used. I introduce story problems and vocabulary.
Students need to know that you are ending with a smaller number. The question, “What is left?” should be continuously emphasized.
When making the transition to the abstract, I like to use the math worksheets or printables where students 
actually cross out the pictures. This gives them a greater understanding that they are taking away.
Other Ideas
- Eat goldfish crackers or candy to really motivate students.
- Have students chop the amount of cubes they are taking away.
- Use different manipulatives such as teddy bears to act out bears going away.
- A felt board is great for demonstrating story problems.
Repetition is the key.
When I learned how to teach addition and subtraction to kindergarten students, I knew that five year olds need a lot of practice to master a skill. It is just not a week of practice, and they are then experts.
To the contrary, these skills need to be repeated and reinforced with plenty of activities and hands-on lessons.
Reinforcing these math strategies during calendar time and at other times when you have an extra minute is very valuable.
Kindergarten students benefit when they know that they will use these skills in their everyday lives. Making information transfer is what teaching is all about. So, let’s make these concepts meaningful and relevant.
Relevant content: Teaching Syllables in Kindergarten
Free math worksheets: Click now!
Click here to find out more on the subject of how digital tools can help with mathematical understanding.
Disclosure: Affiliate links are used in this post. The website may benefit from items purchased by clicking the links. This helps to keep the website active.
