Math Rich Preschool Classroom Environment Part1

It is important to create and provide meaningful math for preschool children.  Children learn as they explore, interact and have meaningful discussion about math.

In order for children to explore and interact with math we must set up our preschool classrooms to have a math rich environment through out the whole classroom.  This includes math through…

·         Environment

·         Observation

·         Verbalization

·         Hands on Experiences

Math Through Out the Classroom Environment

Math Center

Including Math Books with Props 

Around the room (this is on the end of shelf)

The top sentence says put numbers in order.  A number line is provided from 0 to 20.

Around the room (this is on the back of a shelf in the dramatic play area) 

Children can move the calendar numbers around (each square has Velcro on the back)

During Calendar time different shapes and color patterns are provided with the numbers. 

Picture Daily Schedule with clocks and numbers 

Teachers help young children develop their number sense by surrounding them with a number-rich environment.

Flower Pocket Chart

I see a yellow flower pocket chart

Build children’s grammar with a pocket chart story.  Provide different pictures of colored flowers with a repetitive sentence.  (You can use the flower picture from below just copy and color the flowers different colors)  Have the color flower cards separate from the sentence strips so the children are able to move the text around and retell their story.

I see a _____________ flower

    (different color of flowers) 

 

Color each flower a different color and write that color before the picture

Flower Prints

Making flower prints with fresh flowers.  Have the children go on a scavenger hunt for different color flowers.  Set out a supply of white paper and rolling pins.  Once the children have their collection of flowers have them fold a sheet of white paper in half.  Then have them lay their flowers on one half of that paper. 

Fold the paper over the flowers.  Then let them roll the paper with a rolling pin. 

Once they are done rolling the paper have them unfold it.  They will discover that the flowers have left an impression on the paper.  Have them remove the smashed flowers and set the paper out to dry.

Have them turn their flower printed paper into Mothers Day cards or Mothers Day wrapping paper.

We Are Finding Our ABC’s about Town

Through out the year we have been finding our ABC’s about town.  As children or staff find a store or something around town that start with a letter (we are studding) they take a picture of it and bring it to school to share.  If they do not take a picture they tell us what they found and we go out and take a picture for them.  We hope we can find the whole alphabet before the end of the school year and make our own ABC picture book.

Here are some of the pictures we have found for the ABC book

Our ABC Book About Town

A is for Arby’s

B is for Burger King

C is for Cat Tractor

L is for Lumber Jack’s

S is for Staples

Y is for Yuba City

Environmental Print and Logos

Environmental print from the world around us is a great tool for teaching beginning stages of literacy development.  Most children recognize labels and logos from their favorite products, even if they cannot read. By using environmental print from the world around us it helps children accesses prior knowledge which gives them the ability to improve their word knowledge.  This will help harness that interest in reading and building readiness skills. 

Begin using environmental print by having children bring in their favorite cereal box.  Turn these boxes into an environmental print breakfast book.  Add value to this book by including the child’s name with a sentence on their favorite box of cereal or breakfast food.

Title of book:  What’s for Breakfast?

Tami’s favorite breakfast is Cheerios. 

Or

Inez eats Quaker Oatmeal for breakfast.

Idea came from Dr. Jean

Another idea would be to use pizza boxes and turn them into another class book.

Savina eats pizza from Round Table.

Add Environmental Print to the Block Area

In our block area we have added different types of can goods.  Children can use them for building with our using them for store fronts.

Use boxes and turn them into local stores.  Here we used different types of pizza eateries. 

Add Environmental Print to your Dramatic Play Area

Here we added sale fliers for pizzas to our pretend pizza parlor.

We also created phone books for the children to look up their favorite pizza parlor by using their store logos with numbers.  We also included pizza boxes and local pizza menus.

Bunny Numbers and Patterning

Children can practice putting their numbers in order with this bunny pocket chart activity.  As they put their numbers in order they will discover that they are creating an ABAB pattern with the bunnies as well.

Planting and Gardening in Preschool

Greenhouse growing Cups

Have the children plant seeds in clear cups.  Once they have planted their seed have them water their seeds with a squirt bottle.  Once the soil is damp, place another cup on top, tape around the edge and set in a window sill.

Learning about different verities of rice 

Children planted different verities of rice to predict which one would…

·         Sprout first

·         Grown the tallest

·         Buds first

·         Provides the most rice

Growing Grass Hair

 

Children are keeping a running chart to see how much the grass grows in a week.  When it gets to tall they are going to give it a hair cut.

Growing their own garden 

The children have planed their own garden in the outside play area.  They have been watering it, weeding it, and watching it to see when the seeds will sprout.

Find more Gardening ideas at Kids World Exploration. 

Learning with Little Red Hen

Hen and Chicken Art

Have your children create the Little Red Hen and some of her chicks.  We sat out paper plates in different sizes with glue paint.  The children painted their plates and then created a hen or chick with different collage materials.

Little Red Hen Language Development

Let the children retell the story with this simple pocket chart.  Children will be able to build on their grammar skills with this repetitive text.

Sensory Table

Add flour and corn meal in the sensory table with flour sifters.  They will be able to observe how the flour goes through easily, leaving the corn meal in the sifter.  Also add measuring cups and measuring spoons so that they can experiment with measuring. 

Learning with Eggs

Matching Letters with Cracked Eggs

Counting Eggs

Number/Dot Egg Match

Pattern Matching with Eggs

Humpty Dumpty Art for Preschoolers

Humpty Dumpty Art for Toddlers

Painting with Eggs   By: Teach Preschool

Egg Sorting In Baskets   By: Teach Preschool

Caterpillar Transition Game

When it is time to transition children away from group time and into a different activity it is always good to have a transition game. This allows children to move more slowly to the next activity with less confusion.

Make a large caterpillar with different color circles and black legs.  This caterpillar will be placed on my flannel board in the circle area or on the floor.   

On the back of each caterpillar body part (circle) is a different action movements for the children to do.

As the children come up to play the game they roll a large cardboard box dice with color dots to match all of the caterpillars body parts (circles). A child comes up and rolls the dice identifies the color and then finds that color caterpillar part from the caterpillar. Once child finds the color the teacher reads the movement that child needs to do before moving on to the next activity.

I have a class of 24 children so to make things run smoothly I have two to three dice going at the same time. I run the game and my assistant is making sure that the children are following the plan that they gave to us as to what they will be doing during say free choice time or making sure that they wash their hands for snack and find their seat.

I made the dice out of a 6 X6 mailing box.