This is the fourth and final article in our authentic learning series. In the first two articles, we discussed authentic learning ideas for the classroom (for early literacy and numeracy) and in the third article, we began our discussion of home-based authentic learning by sharing some early literacy ideas.
In this final article, we’ll share several home-based authentic learning activities that focus on numeracy skills.
1. Use playtime as an opportunity to count. Use building blocks, toy cars, dolls, stuffed animals and the like, to enhance numeracy skills.
2. Use counting during daily chores or errands. Explore counting body parts, buttons on clothes, spoons and forks as they are placed in the dishwasher, etc.
3. Place an analog clock in your child’s room. Make sure you attach time to your daily routine. Some examples of this might be bed time, waking time, lunch, play time, etc.
4. Point out shapes in your everyday environment. Begin with simple shapes and move to those with increasing complexity. These might include pizza, key rings, and napkins; then move to cans, cereal boxes and storage containers.
5. Allow children to assist during shopping activities. They might use the scale to measure items, pay the cashier or identify the numbers on the aisles.
6. Use board games to encourage application of numerical skills. Children can count the dots on a pair of dice or the number of spaces needed to win a game.
7. Use recipes and cooking to work on fractional concepts. Children can have a ball using a measuring cup and spoons to make a treat.
8. Take advantage of songs and rhymes about numbers for easy memorizing.
9. Present real word problems to children and have them generate solutions. Call attention to mathematical vocabulary, or key words to support decision making.
10. Use a calendar to link daily activities to mathematical concepts. For example, ask the child “How many days until Grandma’s visit?” or “How many days ago was your birthday?” Discuss keywords that signal the need to apply mathematics skills.
11. Use telephones, calculators and television remotes to assist with number identification.
12. Start early with teaching addresses and telephone numbers.
13. Use scores from sports activities and video games as the topics for mathematical conversations.
So that’s our list of home-based authentic learning ideas for numeracy. We hope you enjoyed this series. If you missed the earlier articles, you can see them here:
Article #1: Authentic Learning Series: 15 Classroom Literacy Ideas for Early Childhood
Article #2: Authentic Learning Series: 14 Classroom Numeracy Ideas for Early Childhood
Article #3: Authentic Learning Series: 13 At-Home Literacy Ideas for Early Childhood
Do you have any other favorite home-based authentic learning ideas? Maybe there are some that you enjoy sharing with parents or using with your own children? Please share below.
