| -- End Ad Box ---> | | | | ideas that are designed to help children learn is to keep |
| Children of a young age will only learn through fun and | | | | it all very simple. Instructions to the game should ideally |
| games. Anything that seems boring or uninteresting to | | | | be no longer than a sentence or two so the children |
| a child will allow their mind to wander. Preschoolers | | | | can understand. Simplicity and fun are the most |
| need to be kept occupied and entertained and so | | | | important element. Outside of the classroom, parents |
| providing them with plenty of fun and games in the | | | | can continue to help their education by allowing them |
| classroom and at home is key to their early | | | | to help sort and items around the home. For example |
| development. Maths in particular can involve difficult | | | | you could let them sort the fruit in the fruit bowl into |
| concepts to grasp, so introducing a variety of games | | | | size and colour, or try and match up socks as they |
| into their lives is critical in their early years. At preschool | | | | come out of the washing machine. By getting to grips |
| age, a child has a brain a bit like a sponge and so it is | | | | with ordering, pairing and sorting children are well on |
| important to take full advantage of this by helping them | | | | their way to understanding counting and other |
| learn continuously. There is no doubt that time and | | | | important mathematics. |
| patience is needed however from teachers and | | | | Other good resources for the classroom are activity |
| parents, and of course children won't be solving | | | | cards that can be a great way to keep numeracy fun |
| equations overnight, but it is possible to introduce | | | | and exciting for a child. Producing pictures of a child |
| resources such as special toys and games to help | | | | waking up, brushing their teeth, going to school, eating |
| them get to grips with the basics of important subjects | | | | lunch etc could be used to help them understand and |
| such as maths. | | | | learn about sequences. By getting them to think about |
| Singing songs can be a great way of introducing | | | | their own day can really help their education in this |
| numbers to children. By ensuring children are having fun | | | | area. Other great picture cards to demonstrate this |
| rather than "working" they will soak in more information | | | | are of people of different ages, from infants to |
| and really begin to learn. Hands on activities are also | | | | grandparents for example. All of these concepts can |
| extremely important and can play a big role in helping | | | | be applied to the child's own life which makes them |
| young children understand mathematical concepts. | | | | understandable and relevant and therefore easier to |
| Counting can slowly be introduced through the idea of | | | | learn. |
| matching and sorting toys for example. Children have | | | | Using numeracy games and sensory toys are great |
| a natural tendency to do this anyway. If you watch a | | | | ways to help children learn. These types of classroom |
| young child they will often sort their toys by size, and | | | | resources are so effective because they keep it |
| even will sort coloured pencils on the table by colour. | | | | interesting and fun for children who otherwise have |
| By introducing games to encourage this behaviour, we | | | | very short attention spans. The key to children learning |
| are helping children understand the idea that counting | | | | is making sure they don't realise it is happening by |
| refers to sets of toys or other items. Other games | | | | keeping day to day activities fun, exciting and full of |
| can include learning though shapes, using recognition | | | | hands on activity. This will ensure they keep on learning |
| games to learn numbers 1 to 10 and also teaching | | | | when they don't realise they are! A good part of the |
| games revolving around the idea of using a sequence | | | | day should be devoted to arts and crafts, and another |
| or order. | | | | to games that will help them learn mathematical ideas |
| The key to all number games and other classroom | | | | such as counting and sorting. |