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Turning Food Preparation into Math Games By Kayla Connelly , Elementary Teacher - Montessori Centre Academy
Daily conversations with both the parent and the child about early math concepts , centered on food , can promote higher order thinking .
There is a fun way to create concepts in math for young children . A lively conversation and demonstration about food can create points of interest in math concepts . The demonstration becomes a form of play and increases the understanding in math and logical reasoning . These become not only fun but also fosters risk-taking strategies . Food
With young children , turn dinner prepping and after school snacking into a math lesson . Parents can enhance children ’ s natural interest in math and the uses of their physical and social worlds by integrating mathematics with daily activities . For example , create a homemade pizza for dinner and have the child become the master chef . Once the pizza is topped and is fresh from the oven , ask your child how much they would like for dinner . Prompt the child with asking , “ Would you like one whole pizza ?” Push the pizza pan to the child , the child will giggle and say , “ No that is too much ”. Next , cut the pizza in half and ask “ Would you like one-half of the pizza ?” the child will say , “ No , that ’ s too much .” Continue cutting the pizza using the math language until the child using dialogue is able to communicate how much of the pizza they would like for dinner . Have the child tell you how many people will be eating pizza . Then cut the pizza into the number of slices are needed . Parents can use their imagination on the lesson as long as they call it by its fractional parts - whole , half , quarter , and eight . ( Demonstrate that two eights would equal a fourth )
The fun can continue in the kitchen with snack time . For example , while prepping snacks take three bananas . Ask your child would they like one whole banana , one-half of a banana , or one-third of a banana for a snack . After your child makes their decision , show the child through hands-on interaction the three options . First , hand the child a whole banana and say “ One whole banana ”. Next , take another banana and cut it in half . Give the child one slice and say “ Onehalf of a banana ”. Finally , take the last banana and cut it into three equal parts . Give the child one slice and say “ One-third of a banana ”. After hearing the math language and then visually interpreting the question , children can make a logical decision that one whole banana is larger than one-third of a banana . Games
Promoting board games with elementary children , parents can promote strategic games at a young age in which children begin
to create visual discriminations . Sorting Lego ’ s by color , size , and shape enables the child to choose their building by design rather than helter-skelter . Visual discrimination can turn playing games into a strategy of choice . Next , play basic board games such as Chutes and Ladders , Connect Four , or simple card games such as war . Basic games will show the child how to follow sequence and look for the next step in problem solving . Progress game night into introducing chess . Chess , improves children ’ s problem solving and thinking skills , essentially giving the brain a “ workout ”. Strategic games , such as chess , can improve a child ’ s visual memory , spatialreasoning , and how to plan ahead by making logical decisions .
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