Math in Minutes: Easy Activities for Children Ages 4-8 [Paperback]

Sharon MacDonald (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

This engaging, exciting introduction to early math concepts will be a sure-fire hit with young children. They can go on a Geometric Shape Hunt, measure with Pompoms, or find the Missing Numbers—just a few of the fun, simple activities you’ll find in Math in Minutes.

The activities progress in difficulty within each chapter. Some activities offer a way to “Take It Up a Level” for children who want a challenge. Organized by math concept, each of the activities relates to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards and uses easy-to-find materials available in any classroom. Because assessment has become so important in education, each activity begins with “Math Objectives that Meet Standards” to help teachers meet the specific standards set by their state. The book’s unique tips and insights from an experienced teacher will help new and veteran teachers alike.

Sharon MacDonald has been training teachers for over fifteen years. She is a frequent keynote speaker and workshop presenter at early childhood conferences. This is her fifth book with Gryphon House. Her other titles include Sanity Savers for Early Childhood Teachers; Squish, Sort, Paint, and Build; Block Play; and Everyday Discoveries. Sharon lives in San Antonio, Texas.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book introduces early math concepts, including numeration, computation, estimation, and more. Each chapter begins with the easiest activities and progresses to more difficult ones. Activities correspond with NCTM standards."—Learning Magazine

"…A highly recommended addition to any preschool, elementary school, and homeschooling curriculum."—Midwest Book Review

"Each math activity offers many opportunities for children. Each activity uses common items that are easy to collect and set up. Great value!"—2008 Directors' Choice Award

About the Author

Sharon MacDonald has been training teachers for fifteen years throughout the United States and has over twenty-eight years of classroom experience. She is a frequent keynote or featured speaker and workshop presenter at early childhood conferences. Ms. McDonald holds a Masters in Education and has taught ages ranging from three-year-olds to adults.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Gryphon House (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876590571
• ISBN-13: 978-0876590577
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #420,836 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sharon MacDonald, M.Ed., has been training teachers throughout the United States for more than fifteen years. Her training workshops and presentations focus on a variety of early childhood topics based on years of classroom experience. With a master's degree in education, Sharon has taught ages ranging from three-year-olds to adults and an inclusion program for children with disabilities. She is a frequent keynote speaker and workshop presenter at early childhood education conferences and has written many magazine articles. Sharon MacDonald, lives in San Antonio, Texas.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great homeschool resource, February 24, 2008

By 

Kyla H. (Marina, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Math in Minutes: Easy Activities for Children Ages 4-8 (Paperback)

I am preparing to homeschool my son and purchased "Math In Minutes" as a resource guide: a handy book of ideas to keep in my library so that I can provide a variety of activities in our curriculum. I have to say that I got more than I bargained for.
First, I am very happy with the way that the book is laid out. After a basic introduction, which is definitely aimed more at school teachers and administrators, the author organizes the activities into several chapters corresponding to a particular mathematical concept, for example Chapter 3 is Computation and Estimation activities, Chapter 4 deals with Measurement, Time, and Money activities, Chapter 6 is Sorting, Classifying, Graphing, Data Analysis, and Probability activities, etc. Each chapter begins with a description of the mathematical concept that will be covered and specific points for the teacher to consider about teaching the concepts to children. Although I was skeptical at first about age appropriateness (the book cover indicates that these are easy activities for children 4-8 years old, but the chapter titles looked a little daunting...what was seriation again, anyway??--and will a five year old understand estimation and probability??), I must admit that MacDonald does a GREAT job at succinctly and adequately covering these topics in her introductions so that a teacher fully understands how these topics pertain to and relate to the children and child development in general at the target age group. The chapter introductions made me feel comfortable with the concepts, both as a review of the math involved and as a platform for introducing the topic to my son.
Second, the activities themselves are creative and, I think for the most part, relatively easy and inexpensive to implement both at home and in the classroom. Also, the author tells us that a premise of the book is to provide quick ideas as well, so you aren't spending hours preparing for a game that a child decides he or she has no interest in after two minutes! (great idea!)There are a variety of activities listed for each area and, for some activities, there are even recommendations on how to change up the activity to continually challenge the student (such as creating an estimation station). I also enjoyed her chapter on putting things together as a Pizza Unit Study. I really think this is a book that I will be able to use for years...as my son grows and learns, rather than a simple list of math games and worksheets that, once "conquered", are far from challenging and even boring to repeat.

Another fun note about the book is that there are also recommendations for activities that tie in books and songs in order to provide a more thematic approach to the material.

I am enjoying the book immensely and am excited to introduce some of the games and math station ideas to my son as we begin homeschooling.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A compendium of 150 math activities specifically designed for children ages 4 to 8, September 2, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Math in Minutes: Easy Activities for Children Ages 4-8 (Paperback)

A compendium of 150 math activities specifically designed for children ages 4 to 8, "Math In Minutes" by Sharon Macdonald is a highly recommended addition to any preschool, elementary school, and home-schooling curriculum to introduce children to basic mathematical concepts and skills. MacDonald draws upon her more than fifteen years of experience and expertise training classroom teachers to create this compilation of math exercises and activities, each of which is in full compliance with the standards of The National council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). Thoroughly 'kid friendly', "Math In Minutes" is an excellent tool for teaching mathematical literacy including number sense and numeration, computation and estimation; measurement, time, and money; geometry and spatial sense; sorting, classifying, graphing, data analysis, and probability; patters and number relationships; as well as problem solving and reasoning. Of special note is the final chapter 'Putting It All Together: A Pizza Unit of Study', as well as the extended glossary, appendices, and indexes.