Sometimes it’s hard for parents (and some teachers) to wrap their minds around math and science for very young children. They tend to equate math with rote counting and often discount the sciences (biology, zoology, botany, geology, meteorology, chemistry, physics, engineering, and space – and some include technology) all together. Both math and science are important to the development of a whole child and the math and science skills begin very early in life.

Math – Math for young children means playing with fingers and toes while the teacher recites “This Little Piggy”, manipulating toys of varying shapes, stacking blocks in order by size, counting from ten to one while blasting off a paper cup rocket, being the snack helper who has to figure out how many napkins to put on the table or how many pretzel sticks to give out. Skills include the use of math media, emergent math skills, and developmentally appropriate concepts of time and money.

Here are some DAP ideas for Math:

• Equip the classroom and campus environment with developmentally appropriate HANDS-ON materials such as puzzles, blocks, stacking toys, nesting toys, counters, pegboards, beads, parquetry boards, games where quantities are matched to numerals, scales, measuring cups and spoons, thermometers, ‘more’ and ‘less’ games, dominos, playing cards, pattern cards, shape games and shape toys, cash registers, play money, clocks, calendars, and number books and posters.
• Offer a variety of experiences for children to strengthen and practice math skills through whole group, small group, and individual experiences, meal time and center time work involving counting, comparing, contrasting, sorting, matching, patterning, and the creation of sets.
• Offer daily experiences with the sand/water table with a variety of media for pouring and measuring. Cooking is one of the best math experiences of all, and the playground is a great source of math experiences.                                                                                                           
• Incorporate math into every facet of the daily activities including the routine portions of the day such as transitioning from one activity to another, lining up, moving to various locations on campus, meal and snack time, playground time, art, and music and movement classes.
• Devise and use developmentally appropriate schedules and call attention to the concepts of time, use of the clock to measure time, and how time relates to the children’s activities and movements. Post and call attention to the calendar as a way of measuring time, but do not overuse an outdated method of presenting/learning months of the year and days of the week.
• Use song, chant, rhythm and repetition to increase memory rather than rote memorization techniques.
• Create an environment which values the use of math and encourages the desire to use math without pressure or developmentally inappropriate measures and devices such as dittos and worksheets                                                                                                                                             
   “Go down deep enough into anything and you will find  mathematics.”   

                                                                                                                   ~Dean Schlicter

Next Blog: DAP for the Mind – Science