Looking at Letters

Most of us know that reading aloud to our children is critical in laying a strong foundation for success and enjoyment in reading. Do we provide the same experiences in mathematics?

Practice being a keen observer with children whenever possible. Notice patterns on clothing, details in pictures, plants, and in the street you live on. Talk with your children and really listen to what they are saying. Don't think you have to know an answer to every problem or question! That is one of the best examples we can set for our kids: teach them that asking questions can be more important than answering them!

I've been enjoying many of the activities in Family Math for Young Children by Coates and Stenmark. One of our favorite activities is called, Looking at Letters. It is a simple, yet powerful activity about observation. I think this is a worthwhile activity for Pre K and Kindergarten classrooms where children are beginning to master their letters, and are ready for a more challenging way of looking at them. We use an old coffee bag to keep our letters in.

On a recent snow day, we had some fun with letters.

Looking at Letters from (Chris) on Vimeo.

Zingo! A Duncan-Approved Learning Game

I'm a hardcore gamer. Board games... card games... video games, you name it and I'll play it! Heck, I can't even walk across a playground without asking the double-dutchers if I can get in on a round!

Games help to develop all kinds of skills - especially the ones I care about the most: creativity, flexibility, and good 'ole strategic thinking. Naturally, I've wanted to get my own kids established in one of my favorite pastimes. We started things off with Cariboo, a fabulously fun game in which kids learn while matching letters, numbers, shapes and colors AND practice sharing and turn-taking.

Cariboo! from (Chris) on Vimeo.

Cariboo! was great fun for our 2 year old, but not so much for the little guy. When Finley turned 4 we gave her Zingo! and Wow - it was a hit from day one for both Finley and her 2 year old brother. 

Zingo is a fast-paced, energetic variation of Bingo. Kids get a kick out of pulling the Zinger forward to reveal two mystery tiles and attempting to be the first to call out the tiles that match the images on their cards. The first player to fill his or her card wins! 

Beyond just plain fun, kids have the opportunity to learn to read short words, to think quickly, and to keep images and associations stored in their memory. Oh, and an opportunity to beat dad is always a huge draw!

If I were teaching Pre-K or Kindergarten, I would definitely want a copy of Zingo! (I bet even first graders would love the game, although there might not be as much to learn) Kids quickly learn to manage the game for themselves, and play over and over again. There is even a new version, Zingo! 1-2-3, that requires children to match numerals with quantities. Heck yeah! Duncan's birthday is coming up!

Zingo! from (Chris) on Vimeo.