Earthworms are our Nature Curriculum theme for the week, so we got creative with our maths 🙂 My boys love changing the way we do our maths every week. It renews their interest, and both of them are showing progress now. We still work with some of the same concepts, but every week we try and have a go at something new too. This week our new maths concepts were measuring and starting to recognise written number words.
I then introduced measuring maths to them. They have been measuring them by eye, e.g. shortest to longest, but not at using a ruler to measure. This not only introduced them to using a ruler, but it also introduced units of measurements. I do not expect them to remember we were using centimetres, but they will remember there was a way to measure the worms, and the ruler gives you that measurement. I also think they will remember how to use the ruler (matching the item being measured to the end, and then reading the number at the other end). They loved this task. They felt very grown up, like their big sister, using the ruler.
One of the concepts we keep practising is addition and subtraction in one form or another. This week we were using the number cards to make the sum. The mini men then added/took away blobs of play-doh to/from a cardboard worm. I get them to read the sum out loud, and they add the blobs as they go along. They realise that whatever is left on the worm is the answer. They are finally getting the hang of these basic sums, and it is lovely to know (with a little bit of satisfaction) I have managed to teach them something!! My 2 men are not one for workbooks as they find them too repetitive. We use them once a week to guide us (me!!), and then the rest is working out more interactive ways of doing our learning that will keep them motivated and enthusiastic! The method seems to be working too.
A second new concept I introduced today was starting to get them to read the word version of a number, and place the right amount of worms by that word. This is the sort of task I have now started doing in both English and Swedish. They need to start recognising speech and written words in both languages. It is easier for me to read etc to them in English (as my Swedish is progressing very slowly!). However, when I can, I do try and introduce whatever I am trying to teach them, in both languages!
I hope you can enjoy some of our earthworm maths ideas with your little people 🙂