Can you all believe it’s November?! This is crazy to me because the year just began and I was just dreaming up what homeschooling my pre-schooler would look like. Now that I’ve had some time to reflect on this season so far, I am able to realize the good with the ugly. I won’t lie and say it’s been the easiest adventure in my life thus far, however I wanted to share some tips if you find yourself in the same complacent place as me.
My son surprised me the other day. We have been working on counting here and there through our Alphabet, year long, lessen plan. I had found myself overly frustrated at times because I could see the concept of counting wasn’t clicking yet I carried on with trying every day. One day I challenged him to count something on his plate and he proceeded to work his way, appropriately to number five! I thought, WOAH! How did you learn that? And then I had to acknowledge myself for my continuous efforts of trying. The next week he counted some mandarins we had picked off our tree up to the number 8! I don’t think I’d even taught him that number up to that point in time, but they are truly always listening –AMAZING–
Reminders for all the teachers, influencers and home-schoolers out there:
- Use every moment as a teaching moment, wether it’s structured or impromptu
- Stretch yourself and your child
- Utilize the incredible resources available online to vamp up your lessen plans
- Just because you think they aren’t connecting the dots, doesn’t mean they aren’t listening
- I see you. Remember, you have a community standing behind you!
Now if you are looking for other added ways of incorporating counting into your daily activities, check out this amazing activity!
Make a Counting Book
If a picture’s worth a thousand words, how many numbers is it worth? Break out some old newspapers and magazines and let your kid find out! She’ll create her very own counting book, in order from 1-30, figuring out a variety of ways to recognize and represent numbers in the process.
What You Need:
Old newspapers or magazines
Plain paper or construction paper (30 pages)
Safety scissors
Glue
Markers or crayons
A stapler or brass clips, for binding the book when complete
What You Do:
1. Gather a stack of old magazines and newspapers that are ready for the recycling bin.
2. Tell your child that he’s going to use the supplies to make a book that shows each number in a fun way. Talk about the fact that every number has a symbol (for example, the number one can be written as 1), but that’s not the only way to represent it. For example, for the number 23, your child can find its picture in a magazine, but can he also draw 23 things that show the number? Can he find two numbers (one 2 and one 3) that could be cut out, put together, and glued in their appropriate place value spot? Can he collect 23 pictures of similar objects (balls, for example) and add them together to reach 23, or cut out as many as he can find, and draw the rest? (Wow! Now you’re also practicing addition in an informal, hands-on way).
3. Working on just one number at a sitting, give your child a chance to experiment with all the different ways he can create a number. This is a perfect brainstorming activity, so try not to grimace as your child cuts his way through those magazines and wields those markers! Let him make a mess.
4. As you’re creating the book, be sure to keep each number page separate. And don’t overwhelm your child by asking her to work on more than one at the same time. Instead, let her stay focused on the specific number at hand. And as you complete each page, bind the book (with a stapler or brass fasteners) in number order, with your child’s help.
Read and enjoy! As your child’s counting abilities grow, so can your book—you can add more images as you go along!
-Essentially a stressed out, very real human being, and home-schooling mom.
Essentially a Mom 