Math for the Very Young: A Handbook of Activities for Parents and Teachers [Paperback]

Lydia Polonsky (Author), Dorothy Freedman (Author), Susan Lesher (Author), Kate Morrison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1995 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Four experienced teachers, who have written math curricular materials for the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project, present a comprehensive collection of innovative and fun activities easy enough for even the most math-phobic parents. Covers all math concepts appropriate for children ages 3-7 including measurement, counting, telling time and temperature, comparisons, arrays, shapes and patterns. Organized by type of activity such as cooking, taking a trip, playing games and making crafts.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Written by four teachers and developed "in the spirit of" the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project, this guide suggests ways to introduce math to children through everyday activities. Sections include making a record book about the child and the family as well as activities for each month of the year, geometric crafts, math games, counting rhymes and stories, and ways to use math in the home and on the road. The line drawings prove most useful in the crafts section, where they illustrate projects such as snowflake cutting, paper weaving, and tessellation. The many preschool and primary-grade teachers devoted to the project will find practical ideas here. Public libraries may want to consider the book for the parenting shelf. Carolyn Phelan --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

Exciting, imaginative ways to make learning math fun for your child! Preschool to second grade is the ideal age span for introducing math concepts to young children. We all know how important it is in this technological age to grow up at ease in the world of mathematics. Math for the Very Young shows how to instill that comfort and confidence early-using activities, games, songs, crafts, and special projects that make math interesting, fun, and relevant to children's daily lives. Here are exciting, novel ways for parents and children to explore together the myriad mathematical possibilities in the world around them. Familiar tasks like cooking, doing laundry, going to the store, planning a party, and reading introduce patterns, numbers, collecting and understanding data, geometry, and measurement. An art project with folded paper teaches symmetry. A car ride offers an opportunity to count the car colors or distinguish the shapes of road signs. A trip to the zoo encourages youngsters to make comparisons. All the activities use materials that are easy to find. The math concepts are clearly presented so that even the most math-wary parent will find them inviting and understandable. The approach teaching mathematics is in the same spirit as the highly regarded University of Chicago School Mathematics Project, whose curriculum materials have made math more meaningful, more easily understood, and much more enjoyable for thousands of children.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (March 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471016470
• ISBN-13: 978-0471016472
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,601,598 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)