Do you want your child to enjoy math, or maybe even choose a STEM career? Research shows the best preparation for math success is not doing worksheets, but instead figuring out patterns, counting real objects, noticing the differences in sizes, and building structures. In other words, kids learn math best through exploration.
Play Teaches Math Naturally
Why does play work? You have probably noticed that your child is naturally interested in comparing things, repeating rhythms, and noticing colors and shapes. Play-based math curriculum uses the natural tendencies of children to sort things and find out differences and similarities to help them learn. Not only do children enjoy learning math through play, they spend more time exploring math ideas and remember what they learn better.
Play-Based Preschool Enhances Natural Math Learning
Preschools like Kids Konnect enhance the natural exploration of math by having learning centers filled with special mathematical manipulatives. In addition, mathematical exploration play with friends allows children to learn from one another. Moreover, studies repeatedly show that preschool teachers play a vital role by asking questions, encouraging children to share what they have learned in small and large groups, and directing children to extend and expand on their ideas through other experiments.
Examples of Math Exploration Activities
How does exploration math play work? While doing imaginary play, children count money to pay for groceries or a plane ticket. During a nature walk children see patterns in leaves and tree bark. Children sort and count objects like buttons, shells or plastic animals. On the playground, kids count the rungs on the ladder, or the steps it takes to go around the sandbox. Teachers are free in a play-based curriculum to follow the interests of the children. If a child asks, how can I find the heaviest rock? Teachers can take a set of scales outdoors for children to guess, then test which rock is heaviest.
Choosing a play-based curriculum preschool gives your child the best chance for success in math by helping them learn math concepts more deeply, as well as by learning that math can be fun.