You are sitting at parent-teacher conferences, ready to discuss your child’s academic performance. It’s kindergarten. Of course, your child is doing great! He’s happy, healthy, and loves school. He comes home with a sticker on all of his papers and can’t wait to return the next day to see his friends.
And then, your child’s teacher says it. “He really seems to be struggling in math.” Struggling? It’s kindergarten. What’s there to struggle with?
How do I help my kindergartener with math? Counting, patterns, more than/less than. How do you teach something so simple?
Teaching your child at home doesn’t have to look like it does at school. It just takes a little intentionality and time to have fun together.
Hour after hour of sitting at the kitchen table, arguing with your 6-year-old about getting their worksheet finished isn’t going to be very productive. Learning is best when it’s meaningful, so incorporating learning into your daily routine and making it fun will help your child be most successful.
Counting
The CCSS standards for kindergarten say that kids should be able to count to 100 by the end of the year. In the fall, this starts off counting to 10, and then 20.
I’ve had numerous parents tell me their kids can count to 100, but when I go to test them, the kids skip a number or even 10. When I had to tell the parents why their kids didn’t master the skill their response was “Oh. I guess I never really listened to them count that carefully.”
Counting to 100 in kindergarten can be painful. It can take a long time and is so tedious! Here are some tips to make it more fun. Remember to listen carefully to your kids- it’s easy not to catch a small mistake when your child skips a number!
Kids naturally want to count. Once they start they will naturally count when they are doing things around the house.
- Count in the car
- Count objects, road signs, other cars, or rote count! Make it a song or count in fun voices like a doggie voice or a monster voice.
- Count spoons, forks, knives
- Count as you are doing things around the house. While your child is unloading the silverware in the dishwasher have them count each item. Which do you have more of? Here you are getting counting, sorting, and more/less-all kindergarten standards.
- Count favorite toys
- Count as your kids are cleaning up. Plus, their toys get cleaned up.
Math Skills are Hiding in Everyday Play
You can encourage stronger math skills through toys your child plays with every day.
- Play puzzles, hopscotch, Connect 4
- Compare objects around the house and outside.
- Use the terms: longer, shorter, bigger, heavier, etc. All are kindergarten standards.
- Go on a hunt!
- Using your environment makes learning more meaningful. Kids attach new knowledge to what they already know, and don’t even know they are learning. Have them hunt for numbers, a certain number of matching things, shapes, 3D shapes, or patterns.
Are you tired of hearing “It’s TOO HARD!” followed by a meltdown?
Using this one simple phrase you’ll get in this powerful lesson, you’ll not only be able to help your kiddo not give up but you’ll:
>Activate their superpower of perseverance so that they can turn around a meltdown and keep trying
>Inspire them to use perseverance…even when it’s hard
>Teach them to recognize the warning signs of giving up, and how to turn it around by taking control of their choices.
Grab your powerful FREE video lesson to teach your kiddo one of the most powerful keys to perseverance.
Teaching Math is a Cinch When You Use This
Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best. Grab a deck of cards when you have 15 minutes and invite your kiddo to sit and play a new game with you.
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You can use a regular deck of cards, or we like this set because it also teaches subitizing.
- War – Using a regular deck of cards (face cards removed), deal out the cards to all of the players.
- Highest Card Wins: Working on the terms “Greater/Less”, each player turns over the top card from their pile and the player with the largest card wins all the cards. If there is a tie, turn over another card and the winner takes all 4 cards. Kids are learning: number recognition, number value, and greater/less.
- Addition War: Play with the same rules, except each player turns over two cards and adds them together. The first player to get the correct sum wins all of the cards. Once that seems to be easy for your child, try adding three numbers together. Kids are learning: number recognition, number value, counting, addition, doubles, greater, less.
- Subtraction War: Play with the same rules, except each player turns over two cards and subtracts them. The first player to get the correct difference wins all of the cards. Kids are learning: counting, numbers, number formation, subtraction strategies, greater, less.
Board Games
Board games are great for math! Not only do most include counting, sequencing, critical thinking skills, and strategy but board games are also great for social skills. Turn-taking and being a happy loser are important skills also.
Another way I love to turn any game into a learning game is to add a set of flashcards. As you take your turn before you move your player you have to draw a card and perform the task on the card.
If your child needs practice recognizing numbers, write the numbers 0-10 on flashcards. Everyone draws a card when it’s their turn and has to name the number. You can even say the wrong number to see if your child is paying attention. You can do this with addition, subtraction, patterns, or write two numbers on a card and have your child tell you which number is greater or less, etc.
Some favorite board games include:
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- Candy Land: Kids practice counting, colors
- Yahtzee: Kids practice sequencing, critical thinking skills, addition
- Phase 10: Kids practice strategy, sequencing, addition
- Monopoly: Kids practice addition, number recognition, subtraction
- Quirkle: Kids practice shape identification, addition, counting, spatial recognition
- Uno: Kids practice colors and numbers
- Chutes & Ladders: Kids practice counting, adding, subtracting
- Hi, Ho Cherry-O: Kids practice combinations of 10, fine motor skills, subtraction, addition
- Sorry: Kids practice recognizing and counting numbers to 12
- Gobblet: Kids practice strategic thinking
- Spot It Jr.: Kids practice matching
- Jigsaw Puzzles: Kids practice spatial reasoning, patterning, problem-solving
Math-Specfic Games Kids Love
Math Dice is a fun game that develops critical thinking skills while practicing addition and subtraction.
- Ocean Raiders is an engaging math board game. Kids raid the ocean, brave storms, and play with sea creatures while mastering addition. They also ace subtraction facts along the way back. The fun elements of chutes and ladders are combined with solid math so kids love playing it over and over.
- It has two engaging levels with math integrated into each step. Perfect for kids between the ages of 4 to 7 and aligned with both Montessori and elementary school curriculum. The easy level is ideal for younger players while the advanced one-ups the ante for older kids.
Sum Swamp helps develop fluency in early math skills as kids play the game. Race through the swamp while facing math challenges and meeting funny swamp creatures along the way.
Pop for Addition & Subtraction
Kids practice basic addition, subtraction, and increase fluency while having fun. You can spin to practice math facts and keep gumballs for answering correctly.
Teaching Kindergarteners Math
To some people teaching is very intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be! I hope these ideas have helped you think outside of the box when it comes to helping your child learn math at home.
Want More?
If you liked this, you’ll love:
6 Ways to Teach Subitizing and Strengthen Number Sense
Addition for Preschoolers: What You Must Know
Recognizing Numbers: Teaching your Child Number Recognition
Your Turn
What are your favorite math learning games?
