WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.909 Hello and welcome to another episode of Blooming Curious. 00:00:02.969 --> 00:00:06.599 So, hey, listen, last week was a really important episode I feel for 00:00:06.599 --> 00:00:11.430 many of us, and it was about how we help children with math anxiety. 00:00:11.739 --> 00:00:15.729 So last week I interviewed Dr. Aditya Nagrath on the podcast, 00:00:15.849 --> 00:00:20.960 and he is a mathematical expert and has written a book on math 00:00:20.960 --> 00:00:22.939 anxiety and how to help children. 00:00:23.330 --> 00:00:28.520 And we learned from him that he was saying that the majority of 00:00:28.520 --> 00:00:33.349 children entering kindergarten today are already behind in mathematics. 00:00:33.349 --> 00:00:35.509 And so of course, that really perked my interest. 00:00:35.509 --> 00:00:39.740 So the reason that children are behind coming into kindergarten is 00:00:39.740 --> 00:00:44.840 because they don't have mathematical language and understanding of numbers. 00:00:44.990 --> 00:00:48.949 And you know, if I tell you a little story, when I was teaching pre-primary, 00:00:48.979 --> 00:00:53.665 we used to do these tests really early on so that we could identify 00:00:53.665 --> 00:00:56.844 children that potentially would be struggling with mathematics. 00:00:56.844 --> 00:00:59.964 And then we can obviously tailor our programs to help them. 00:01:00.084 --> 00:01:04.795 And I so distinctly remember there being some children where you would 00:01:04.795 --> 00:01:08.675 show them it was very hands on test, by the way, it wasn't a paper test, 00:01:08.675 --> 00:01:13.625 it was an interview test with actual physical objects where we would ask 00:01:13.625 --> 00:01:19.175 children to count objects, and a variety of other methods of testing their 00:01:19.175 --> 00:01:22.745 understanding of numbers and counting. 00:01:23.615 --> 00:01:27.845 And you know, I remember there being one child where there was a group 00:01:27.845 --> 00:01:31.025 of objects, maybe you know, five or six, and you'd ask them to count 00:01:31.025 --> 00:01:33.755 them and they'd go, 1, 3, 25, 36. 00:01:34.265 --> 00:01:40.415 This child had no idea about numbers or what numbers actually meant. 00:01:40.505 --> 00:01:48.875 And to me, when you have a four or a 5-year-old starting their first year of 00:01:49.055 --> 00:01:54.005 formal schooling, and they don't even know how to count from one to five, 00:01:54.320 --> 00:01:59.870 they don't understand what the thinking is behind those words. 00:01:59.870 --> 00:02:02.630 In other words, the names of those symbols. 00:02:03.710 --> 00:02:08.810 That is pretty concerning because we don't have to be teachers or 00:02:08.810 --> 00:02:12.770 have degrees in mathematics or be professors in mathematics at university 00:02:13.100 --> 00:02:18.380 to be able to help children and prepare them to start school with 00:02:18.380 --> 00:02:21.080 a really good basic foundation, 00:02:22.430 --> 00:02:27.500 an understanding of mathematical language and mathematical knowledge. 00:02:28.250 --> 00:02:35.870 So this episode today, I wanna talk about how we as parents and educators can give 00:02:35.870 --> 00:02:42.200 children that basic understanding and set them up for success in mathematics and 00:02:42.200 --> 00:02:48.260 not have that math anxiety that if you listened to the episode last week, Dr. 00:02:48.260 --> 00:02:53.780 Nagrath said that 50% of Americans, which I'm absolutely sure we can equate to 00:02:53.780 --> 00:02:59.690 probably the rest of the world, uh, 50% of Americans have mathematical anxiety. 00:02:59.690 --> 00:03:01.820 In other words, they struggle with maths, they're worried about 00:03:01.820 --> 00:03:03.200 maths, they dunno how to do maths. 00:03:03.740 --> 00:03:09.230 That means that 50% of teachers, 50% of students, 50% of parents 00:03:09.770 --> 00:03:11.780 also have mathematical anxiety. 00:03:11.960 --> 00:03:15.200 And I really believe that it starts with the basics. 00:03:15.440 --> 00:03:20.390 We need to be able to understand the basics of math so that we 00:03:20.390 --> 00:03:22.700 can set kids up for a future. 00:03:23.330 --> 00:03:30.245 And as you listen to today's episode, you will hear that everyone needs maths, not 00:03:30.245 --> 00:03:37.115 just engineers and accountants, everyone, every single one of us, especially in a 00:03:37.235 --> 00:03:42.005 unknown future where we don't know what kind of jobs or what we are going to need. 00:03:42.515 --> 00:03:49.655 So even if you are not so great at maths, I was great at math in elementary and 00:03:49.655 --> 00:03:55.475 primary school, but then I lost the plot in high school for various reasons, and 00:03:55.475 --> 00:04:03.060 I think that that has really held me back in many, many instances because what it 00:04:03.060 --> 00:04:05.550 did do was it destroyed my confidence. 00:04:05.850 --> 00:04:11.230 It's not that I'm, ridiculously bad at maths or that I'm don't understand maths. 00:04:11.230 --> 00:04:17.230 I actually do, I do have quite a logical brain, but I don't have confidence. 00:04:17.230 --> 00:04:20.020 My confidence was destroyed somewhere along the line. 00:04:21.015 --> 00:04:26.385 So today's episode is for each and every one of you listening to help to 00:04:26.445 --> 00:04:31.815 establish that basic understanding of mathematical language and mathematical 00:04:31.815 --> 00:04:37.665 concepts in children, to set them up with success so that they have confidence 00:04:37.845 --> 00:04:42.975 and not be part of the statistic of half the world having maths anxiety. 00:04:43.950 --> 00:04:47.520 So today we are gonna look at some practical advice, how you can do that. 00:04:47.790 --> 00:04:49.650 So let's start with that right now. 00:04:50.430 --> 00:04:55.380 Number one is that we have to build the language of mathematics in and around 00:04:55.500 --> 00:04:57.750 everything we do and everything we say. 00:04:58.410 --> 00:05:01.260 And we can start with things like positional language. 00:05:01.290 --> 00:05:02.370 So for example. 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:06.570 You've got your kids and you're talking about, you're sitting on a chair, 00:05:06.630 --> 00:05:08.850 the dog is lying under the table. 00:05:09.210 --> 00:05:12.390 Or if you go to the park and you're talking about them coming down the 00:05:12.390 --> 00:05:18.480 slide, or they're running around a tree, or they're running between the poles. 00:05:18.810 --> 00:05:24.480 So start getting that positional language established, and all it means is that you 00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:31.560 just need to be aware of your situation, aware of what you're doing and how you 00:05:31.560 --> 00:05:33.780 can bring just normal, everyday language, 00:05:33.780 --> 00:05:36.510 I mean, we don't even think of it as positional language, right? 00:05:36.840 --> 00:05:41.310 But it is, and so we just bring that positional language into our everyday 00:05:41.310 --> 00:05:46.170 language when we're talking to children so they can start associating those 00:05:46.170 --> 00:05:54.955 words of under, over, in between, on top of, below, beside, through, when 00:05:55.465 --> 00:05:59.545 they start to understand those kind of concepts, we are actually building 00:05:59.545 --> 00:06:02.785 their mathematical language vocabulary. 00:06:03.005 --> 00:06:05.945 The second way we can build that mathematical language 00:06:05.945 --> 00:06:07.085 is when we're in the kitchen. 00:06:07.445 --> 00:06:10.715 When we're in the kitchen, we're doing things with our children, especially 00:06:10.715 --> 00:06:14.705 when you're cooking or you're baking, start showing them those scales and 00:06:14.705 --> 00:06:18.485 the measuring cups and talk about, you know, the one cup or one tea spin, and 00:06:18.485 --> 00:06:20.465 we need three eggs for this recipe. 00:06:20.825 --> 00:06:22.655 Start using that language. 00:06:22.705 --> 00:06:26.275 This recipe calls for 500 grams and this is the scale and this 00:06:26.275 --> 00:06:28.405 is how we check for 500 grams. 00:06:28.735 --> 00:06:33.785 So it's getting them involved, hands-on in a normal everyday experience, 00:06:33.785 --> 00:06:37.865 which we don't even think of as being mathematical, but it absolutely is. 00:06:38.555 --> 00:06:40.895 The next thing is comparative language. 00:06:40.955 --> 00:06:44.705 Again, it's not something we think about, but it's absolutely imperative 00:06:44.705 --> 00:06:49.505 so that children can start to use this language and understand it as 00:06:49.505 --> 00:06:51.755 part of their everyday experience. 00:06:51.845 --> 00:06:56.815 And that's things like, when you're sorting and classifying and reasoning. 00:06:57.145 --> 00:07:00.985 So you can talk about one thing being heavier than the other, or something 00:07:00.985 --> 00:07:04.915 being lighter than something else, or something being longer than something 00:07:04.915 --> 00:07:06.805 else, or shorter than another thing. 00:07:07.315 --> 00:07:13.855 So we're using that longer, shorter, bigger, smaller, wider, narrower, 00:07:14.365 --> 00:07:19.995 something being broad and something being narrow or thin, we are using 00:07:19.995 --> 00:07:24.915 this kind of comparative language so that children can start understanding. 00:07:24.915 --> 00:07:26.715 And you know, there's that really great 00:07:27.490 --> 00:07:31.930 activity or word that children don't know, and that is hefting. 00:07:32.170 --> 00:07:35.170 That's when you're holding something in your hand or you're holding one thing 00:07:35.170 --> 00:07:39.880 in one hand and another thing in another hand, and you're weighing them up and 00:07:39.880 --> 00:07:42.850 you're trying to figure out your hefting. 00:07:42.880 --> 00:07:46.630 Which one is heavier or which one is lighter. 00:07:46.750 --> 00:07:48.730 Which one weighs more? 00:07:48.970 --> 00:07:50.740 Which one weighs less? 00:07:51.615 --> 00:07:56.445 That simple little task, that simple little thing that you can 00:07:56.445 --> 00:07:59.994 do in your everyday experience of just, well, which one weighs more. 00:07:59.994 --> 00:08:01.455 We don't always need a scale. 00:08:01.455 --> 00:08:03.195 You can just heft and have a guess. 00:08:03.644 --> 00:08:07.484 Those are the kinds of things that really are important for teaching 00:08:07.484 --> 00:08:11.624 children this basic mathematical language and understanding, and with 00:08:11.624 --> 00:08:16.364 this comparative language, of course, comes classifying and reasoning. 00:08:16.364 --> 00:08:19.640 So you might be saying, okay, you're setting a table, which 00:08:19.640 --> 00:08:20.929 kind of things go together? 00:08:20.944 --> 00:08:23.929 Well, all the knives go together, all the forks go together. 00:08:23.929 --> 00:08:25.370 All the spoons go together. 00:08:25.700 --> 00:08:27.169 Well, why do they go together? 00:08:27.319 --> 00:08:29.120 And you start reasoning through that? 00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:31.580 Well, these objects are all things for cutting. 00:08:31.939 --> 00:08:34.340 These objects are all things for scooping. 00:08:34.610 --> 00:08:37.429 These objects are all things that you can poke things with. 00:08:37.939 --> 00:08:42.505 So we have to start talking to kids and getting them to not just 00:08:43.164 --> 00:08:47.125 arbitrarily group things, but actually try to get them to think about and 00:08:47.125 --> 00:08:49.765 understand why they're classifying. 00:08:49.765 --> 00:08:52.615 Why are they grouping them into those groups? 00:08:52.705 --> 00:08:56.605 And of course, if you brought more items together, knives, forks and 00:08:56.605 --> 00:09:00.325 spoons can also be grouped into one category because these are all 00:09:00.325 --> 00:09:03.295 utensils or cutlery used for eating. 00:09:03.920 --> 00:09:07.970 So there's a variety of different ways we can group and classify objects 00:09:08.240 --> 00:09:13.430 according to criteria, which of course you try to get children to think 00:09:13.430 --> 00:09:15.380 about for themselves and to explain. 00:09:16.730 --> 00:09:21.230 So that's your building of language, mathematical language 00:09:21.230 --> 00:09:23.510 for children, really important. 00:09:24.860 --> 00:09:30.200 The next foundational skill we need to develop in children is probably 00:09:30.200 --> 00:09:32.420 the first one, and that's counting. 00:09:33.170 --> 00:09:36.530 Now counting has three major principles. 00:09:37.200 --> 00:09:42.450 Firstly, it's the stable order principle, and that means that we name objects 00:09:42.630 --> 00:09:46.170 according to their number order. 00:09:46.800 --> 00:09:51.720 So that is when we are counting from one to 10, we're counting 00:09:51.720 --> 00:09:54.270 them in a specific sequence. 00:09:54.270 --> 00:09:58.680 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. 00:09:59.160 --> 00:10:00.930 This is the stable order principle. 00:10:01.470 --> 00:10:05.790 Before children enter formal schooling, like in their pre-kindergarten years, 00:10:06.330 --> 00:10:08.520 they only need to do that up to 10. 00:10:09.240 --> 00:10:11.610 It is once they get into their formal schooling years. 00:10:11.660 --> 00:10:16.370 So in other words, kindergarten, if you're in the States or here in Australia, it'll 00:10:16.370 --> 00:10:22.250 be pre-primary or foundation, then we need children to be able to count to 20. 00:10:23.060 --> 00:10:26.960 But it is naming those numbers in a sequence and eventually 00:10:26.990 --> 00:10:28.640 forwards and backwards. 00:10:28.910 --> 00:10:34.640 So being able to name objects or count objects to 10 and 20, and then 00:10:34.670 --> 00:10:41.180 to reverse it, counting backwards, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 as 00:10:41.180 --> 00:10:42.740 they always love to put in as well. 00:10:42.770 --> 00:10:45.050 And of course, the zero is a number. 00:10:45.140 --> 00:10:46.430 It is a placeholder. 00:10:47.165 --> 00:10:51.485 That stable order principle of naming numbers in order. 00:10:51.545 --> 00:10:55.595 In other words, so children understand that each object, when you count 00:10:55.595 --> 00:11:00.095 them, has a number, is a really important mathematical concept. 00:11:00.515 --> 00:11:04.085 So a lot of children are able to recite numbers or just to 00:11:04.085 --> 00:11:05.555 count, just to rattle them off. 00:11:05.555 --> 00:11:05.945 Right? 00:11:06.095 --> 00:11:07.295 And that's fantastic. 00:11:07.295 --> 00:11:10.385 It's like when they're learning the A, B, C, that's only in the first part though. 00:11:10.895 --> 00:11:18.125 They have to also know that when there are three objects, there are only three. 00:11:18.455 --> 00:11:22.055 So it's not like that example I gave in the beginning when there were three 00:11:22.055 --> 00:11:25.025 objects and a child may go 1, 7, 32. 00:11:25.355 --> 00:11:27.905 That does not mean that you understand numbers. 00:11:27.935 --> 00:11:31.265 It means that you can only count by rote to three. 00:11:31.445 --> 00:11:33.365 It doesn't mean that you can understand them. 00:11:33.875 --> 00:11:38.645 And then that brings me to my very next major principle, which 00:11:38.645 --> 00:11:40.445 is one-to-one correspondence. 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:47.060 A one-to-one correspondence is that each object that you count has a value. 00:11:47.360 --> 00:11:51.740 And then one-to-one correspondence is really important that children 00:11:51.740 --> 00:11:53.960 actually physically touch the objects. 00:11:54.650 --> 00:11:58.970 So they will take one object and count it as one, and then the next 00:11:58.970 --> 00:12:03.380 object as two, and the next object as three, and the next object as four. 00:12:03.530 --> 00:12:05.930 And this you can do in lots of different ways. 00:12:05.930 --> 00:12:12.730 So, for example, in your everyday life, you are forever counting objects. 00:12:12.760 --> 00:12:14.770 We don't even do it as adults anymore. 00:12:14.770 --> 00:12:17.050 But remember, children don't have that skill yet. 00:12:17.620 --> 00:12:22.210 So if you're setting the table very simply count the plates that you're putting down. 00:12:22.510 --> 00:12:25.930 They actually physically putting down one plate, then two 00:12:25.930 --> 00:12:27.760 plates, then three, then four. 00:12:28.120 --> 00:12:32.120 The same with a cutlery, the same with the drinking glasses. 00:12:32.600 --> 00:12:37.445 And even when you're doing things like folding up laundry, 00:12:37.745 --> 00:12:39.095 let them count the socks. 00:12:39.095 --> 00:12:43.445 They're taking one sock at a time and counting them, or they're taking one 00:12:43.445 --> 00:12:47.825 t-shirt at a time and counting it, or they're putting away their toys at 00:12:47.825 --> 00:12:52.715 the end of the day into a toy box, and they're counting each one of their toys. 00:12:53.105 --> 00:12:54.935 That is the one-to-one principle. 00:12:55.145 --> 00:12:59.855 They need to be able to understand that every single one of those objects 00:13:00.065 --> 00:13:03.725 has a value associated with it. 00:13:05.090 --> 00:13:08.780 The next principle is the principle of cardinality. 00:13:09.260 --> 00:13:14.540 Now that means that we recognize that the last number that you speak in a set, 00:13:14.540 --> 00:13:17.900 for example, is the total of that set. 00:13:18.229 --> 00:13:22.750 So if you were counting those socks and the child was counting and picking up 00:13:22.750 --> 00:13:26.740 each sock out of the basket or into a basket, or each toy or whatever it might 00:13:26.740 --> 00:13:33.550 be, and they're counting, you know, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and then there are no more. 00:13:34.060 --> 00:13:39.219 The fact that there are six means that there were six toys or six socks in total. 00:13:39.280 --> 00:13:44.530 The last number that they spoke was the total number of objects. 00:13:44.860 --> 00:13:46.000 Very important. 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:46.510 Cardinality. 00:13:48.574 --> 00:13:52.354 Once they have all these three principles, so now they've got the 00:13:52.354 --> 00:13:56.135 stable order principle where they're actually able to name each number. 00:13:56.465 --> 00:13:59.854 They've got the one-to-one correspondence and they've got cardinality. 00:14:00.185 --> 00:14:04.265 You can now step it up and you can then start them from counting anywhere. 00:14:04.834 --> 00:14:07.715 So children need to start understanding that they don't just 00:14:07.715 --> 00:14:11.195 need to start counting from one, but in fact that you can start 00:14:11.195 --> 00:14:14.975 counting from six or 10 or 25 or 35. 00:14:15.305 --> 00:14:22.314 And this is also useful when, for example, children have to count a random amount 00:14:22.314 --> 00:14:26.364 of objects or maybe even objects that are in a circle, or where do you start? 00:14:26.424 --> 00:14:28.404 Well, you can start anywhere, right? 00:14:28.495 --> 00:14:34.314 And that really also requires for them to have a strategy so that the 00:14:34.314 --> 00:14:40.114 same object in that random organized, pattern, whatever you wanna call 00:14:40.114 --> 00:14:42.994 it, is not counted more than once. 00:14:43.444 --> 00:14:47.704 So they need to think about a strategy, you know, maybe they want to move that 00:14:47.704 --> 00:14:51.934 object out or put an object, something next to it, or put a finger on the 00:14:51.934 --> 00:14:56.374 object, whatever it might be, so that they don't count that object more than once. 00:14:56.614 --> 00:14:58.234 So that's really important too. 00:14:58.949 --> 00:15:05.459 The next skill they need is subitizing and subitizing is when you instinctively 00:15:05.640 --> 00:15:13.949 recognize a quantity or group of objects as having a number without counting them. 00:15:14.369 --> 00:15:21.959 So if you think about, uh, dominoes, for example, or even a die one, die many dice, 00:15:21.959 --> 00:15:28.529 those dots should be recognized without having to count each one of them each 00:15:28.529 --> 00:15:34.709 time you roll the die or each time you have a domino in your hand, the pattern 00:15:34.890 --> 00:15:40.350 in which those objects are arranged, we should be able to instantly recognize. 00:15:40.680 --> 00:15:44.820 So when you see those three dots, you don't have to start counting them 00:15:44.850 --> 00:15:47.130 1, 2, 3, you know, it's three. 00:15:48.324 --> 00:15:52.614 And this concept of subitizing comes in really handy when we are 00:15:52.614 --> 00:15:54.564 learning addition and counting on. 00:15:54.924 --> 00:15:59.574 So for example, you see three objects and you know automatically that's three. 00:15:59.604 --> 00:16:03.445 You don't have to start counting them as 1, 2, 3, you know that's three. 00:16:03.924 --> 00:16:07.464 So if you're counting on, three and then you're counting two more. 00:16:07.614 --> 00:16:13.374 You start with 3, 4, 5, and you know, then that three and two make five. 00:16:13.824 --> 00:16:20.394 So that whole subitizing, the concept of subitizing is a really important one that 00:16:20.394 --> 00:16:22.884 helps children eventually with addition. 00:16:23.955 --> 00:16:28.604 So playing card games and playing dominoes and games with a die 00:16:28.995 --> 00:16:33.164 rolling their die are really important for learning those skills. 00:16:34.005 --> 00:16:38.834 So now let's have a look at practical ways where we learn or help children 00:16:39.104 --> 00:16:44.894 count in everyday experiences because we can count in lots of different ways. 00:16:44.989 --> 00:16:48.380 And we can help young children count in lots of different ways. 00:16:49.039 --> 00:16:54.199 One of the, probably most favorite ways in any pre-kindergarten or kindergarten 00:16:54.199 --> 00:16:57.380 classroom is songs and rhymes. 00:16:57.559 --> 00:17:01.870 So we're singing and we are singing songs like, 1, 2, 3, 4. 00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:07.790 Five, Once I Caught a Fish Alive, or Five Little Ducks, or 10 in a Bed, or 10 00:17:07.790 --> 00:17:10.310 Green Bottles, or One to Buckle my Shoe. 00:17:10.760 --> 00:17:16.099 Those little rhymes are really important, not just for teaching phonological 00:17:16.099 --> 00:17:21.680 awareness in terms of the sounds in words, but also for getting a mathematical 00:17:21.680 --> 00:17:24.889 understanding really well established. 00:17:25.790 --> 00:17:27.859 So there's rhymes and songs. 00:17:27.859 --> 00:17:32.180 Really good for teaching children about numbers and understanding of numbers. 00:17:32.420 --> 00:17:36.139 And then we can also combine numbers when we read picture books. 00:17:36.139 --> 00:17:40.400 And there are so many fabulous picture books that all have to do with numbers. 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:41.540 There's one duck stuck. 00:17:41.540 --> 00:17:46.710 And by the way, I'll put all these for you in, in a blog post, and I'll put links 00:17:46.830 --> 00:17:52.399 in the show notes for you so that you can go and have a good browse about the kind 00:17:52.399 --> 00:17:54.079 of books and songs I'm talking about. 00:17:54.649 --> 00:17:58.189 If you think about those basic books, like The Very Hungry Caterpillar, 00:17:58.189 --> 00:18:03.439 or How Many Legs, or One Thing by Lauren Child, for example, one Fish, 00:18:03.439 --> 00:18:06.049 two Fish, red Fish, blue Fish by Dr. 00:18:06.109 --> 00:18:06.369 Suess. 00:18:06.479 --> 00:18:12.839 All these books really involve mathematics and very, very important to help children 00:18:12.870 --> 00:18:15.749 understand mathematical language. 00:18:16.589 --> 00:18:18.929 The next thing, of course we've already touched on is to 00:18:18.929 --> 00:18:20.610 count absolutely everything. 00:18:21.120 --> 00:18:24.929 You count the number of steps from your kitchen to your bathroom, count how many 00:18:24.929 --> 00:18:27.479 steps to your front door, count how many 00:18:28.259 --> 00:18:29.909 toys you have in your toy box. 00:18:29.909 --> 00:18:33.389 Count how many books on the shelf, count how many knives and forks, 00:18:33.439 --> 00:18:35.190 socks, , absolutely everything. 00:18:35.190 --> 00:18:37.860 When you're cutting up a piece of fruit, ask children to count 00:18:37.860 --> 00:18:39.180 how many pieces there are. 00:18:39.210 --> 00:18:43.200 Count the numbers of houses on your street, wherever you can count. 00:18:43.500 --> 00:18:44.010 Count. 00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:47.610 The next thing is to go on number hunts, and this is a 00:18:47.610 --> 00:18:48.960 really fun thing for children. 00:18:48.960 --> 00:18:53.310 So you go on a number hunt and you find numbers in the environment. 00:18:53.370 --> 00:18:58.324 So these can be numbers on signs, numbers on houses, numbers on on 00:18:58.324 --> 00:19:04.415 doors, numbers on number plates, just everywhere where you can find numbers. 00:19:04.685 --> 00:19:05.255 So a number. 00:19:05.255 --> 00:19:08.165 Hunt is a really great activity for children to start 00:19:08.165 --> 00:19:12.305 understanding that numbers are all around us in our environment. 00:19:13.460 --> 00:19:20.179 The next thing is to pretend play, to set up a pretend play area in your homeschool 00:19:20.210 --> 00:19:25.520 or in your home or in your classroom where you, for example, set up a shop. 00:19:26.090 --> 00:19:32.330 This is really crucial for teaching children about money and numbers, 00:19:32.330 --> 00:19:35.995 so you can actually get tin cans out of the cupboard, or 00:19:35.995 --> 00:19:37.705 you can go and get pretend food. 00:19:38.035 --> 00:19:42.175 There's no need to spend a fortune on buying these little kits of pretend food. 00:19:42.385 --> 00:19:46.045 Just use real stuff that you have in your fridge and use real stuff that you have 00:19:46.105 --> 00:19:47.785 in your grocery cupboard if you need to. 00:19:48.835 --> 00:19:53.605 And what you can then do is then attach prices to those items, and you 00:19:53.605 --> 00:19:56.965 can just write those prices, or the kids can write the prices on a sticky 00:19:56.965 --> 00:19:58.705 note and attach it to the object. 00:19:59.245 --> 00:20:04.315 Or if you wanna get fancy, create prices or cut them out of food catalogs or 00:20:04.435 --> 00:20:10.465 whatever you have on hand, and children can then learn how to count money Now. 00:20:11.800 --> 00:20:16.120 In today's world, getting children accustomed to counting money is a 00:20:16.120 --> 00:20:21.280 really difficult thing to do because everything is now digitalized and we 00:20:21.280 --> 00:20:23.290 now just tap our cards and off we go. 00:20:23.290 --> 00:20:28.480 We are no longer dealing or handling cash, which makes things 00:20:28.480 --> 00:20:29.860 really difficult for children. 00:20:30.280 --> 00:20:33.790 So getting some pretend money, for example, or even creating 00:20:33.790 --> 00:20:38.530 pretend money, doing it yourself on paper is a really handy idea. 00:20:39.520 --> 00:20:44.710 Children then get to realize and recognize and see the patterns on money 00:20:44.710 --> 00:20:48.340 and the different features on money, the different shapes of coins, for 00:20:48.340 --> 00:20:50.290 example, and the features on coins. 00:20:50.350 --> 00:20:53.500 And they can learn how to count money using those coins. 00:20:53.500 --> 00:20:56.290 And then also the notes, the paper notes. 00:20:56.740 --> 00:21:01.120 So those are really important features, especially nowadays when children 00:21:01.120 --> 00:21:05.650 have such limited opportunities for counting money in our digital world. 00:21:06.070 --> 00:21:10.900 But that is still an important feature of counting and learning 00:21:10.930 --> 00:21:16.900 about money and quantities and giving change and all those things, but 00:21:16.900 --> 00:21:18.790 that, you know, comes incrementally. 00:21:19.090 --> 00:21:22.420 You can't expect a child for the very first time they're playing in a shop 00:21:22.660 --> 00:21:24.460 to start giving you the correct change. 00:21:24.760 --> 00:21:27.820 I think it's most important just for them to understand with when you go 00:21:27.820 --> 00:21:32.145 to a shop, everything has a monetary value and we then have to pay for it. 00:21:32.145 --> 00:21:35.215 How do we pay for it?, How much money do we need? 00:21:35.515 --> 00:21:39.895 Those kind of concepts are very, very valuable for children and 00:21:39.895 --> 00:21:43.075 something that you need to be talking about right from the start. 00:21:43.585 --> 00:21:46.975 Great opportunity when you go shopping, children don't need to be 00:21:46.975 --> 00:21:48.625 running around, throwing tantrums. 00:21:48.775 --> 00:21:49.825 Have them in the trolley. 00:21:49.825 --> 00:21:50.815 Get them involved. 00:21:50.815 --> 00:21:53.605 Get them counting those apples that you're putting in the trolley. 00:21:53.935 --> 00:21:55.855 Let them count the things that you've bought. 00:21:56.215 --> 00:22:01.025 Have a look at the prices, and then obviously at the checkout, get them 00:22:01.025 --> 00:22:04.805 to experience that whole checkout experience of how we pay for things. 00:22:05.645 --> 00:22:09.005 You can also into your pretend play area, introduce scales so 00:22:09.005 --> 00:22:12.965 that children can start learning about weight and how to use scales. 00:22:13.665 --> 00:22:18.675 Again, unless you've got access to a fresh fruit and vegetable market or a 00:22:18.675 --> 00:22:22.965 green grocer where they're still putting things on scales, children aren't going 00:22:22.965 --> 00:22:25.035 to be having those experiences anymore. 00:22:25.455 --> 00:22:29.655 So that's why it's so important for them to see you weighing things 00:22:29.985 --> 00:22:33.285 in your kitchen when you're doing baking or whatever it might be. 00:22:33.765 --> 00:22:37.625 And you can also introduce that into their pretend play so that 00:22:37.655 --> 00:22:42.935 they can start experiencing how one weighs something using a scale. 00:22:43.635 --> 00:22:48.495 And of course along with pretend play comes a playing of games, card games 00:22:48.495 --> 00:22:54.945 and board games, and a whole host of other games where counting is involved. 00:22:55.095 --> 00:22:59.685 Again, you're playing with a die or two dice even so there you're 00:22:59.685 --> 00:23:03.435 practicing your subitizing of looking at those dots on the dice. 00:23:03.645 --> 00:23:07.515 In the beginning, they may have to count them, but as they play more with them and 00:23:07.515 --> 00:23:11.625 as they start recognizing the placement of those dots, they'll very easily be 00:23:11.625 --> 00:23:15.675 able to then subitize and just know that that arrangement is three, that 00:23:15.675 --> 00:23:19.845 arrangement is four, that arrangement is five or six or whatever it might be. 00:23:20.265 --> 00:23:22.665 They also learn how to start taking turns. 00:23:23.025 --> 00:23:27.075 Playing games is such an important part of our social fabric 'cause you really 00:23:27.075 --> 00:23:31.695 start learning more than just the math, more than just the rules of the game. 00:23:31.695 --> 00:23:35.710 It's also about fairness and taking turns and being polite and all 00:23:35.710 --> 00:23:39.640 those kinds of things, and being a good loser and a good winner. 00:23:40.710 --> 00:23:44.010 So when they're playing the games, of course they're learning how to roll die. 00:23:44.310 --> 00:23:47.130 They're learning then that whatever the number is that they roll, 00:23:47.340 --> 00:23:49.380 that is how many spaces they move. 00:23:49.380 --> 00:23:51.570 And when they get to the end of the space, they leave their 00:23:51.570 --> 00:23:53.160 counter there and they stop. 00:23:53.460 --> 00:23:58.860 Really important, all parts of mathematical language and counting. 00:24:00.515 --> 00:24:04.385 Another really important part of establishing this foundational 00:24:04.385 --> 00:24:08.435 mathematical language and understanding is the playing with shapes. 00:24:08.885 --> 00:24:13.235 So playing with shapes develops hand eye coordination and spatial 00:24:13.235 --> 00:24:19.835 awareness and spatial recognition, and teaches children patience. 00:24:20.225 --> 00:24:24.005 So if you've ever taught or if you've ever seen children playing with those 00:24:24.035 --> 00:24:27.185 shape sorting toys or with a puzzle. 00:24:28.185 --> 00:24:33.825 Being able to coax that child into continue playing through your own 00:24:33.825 --> 00:24:37.935 enthusiasm and showing your own resilience and your own grit and 00:24:37.935 --> 00:24:40.965 tenacity, that's what keeps kids going. 00:24:41.205 --> 00:24:46.485 So when they get frustrated, you show them how they keep going because puzzles 00:24:46.635 --> 00:24:51.945 are a really great way for teaching patience and grit and perseverance. 00:24:53.040 --> 00:24:56.160 Not to mention all the spatial recognition that comes with that. 00:24:57.150 --> 00:25:02.370 And of course, jigsaw puzzles, tangram puzzles, the shape sorting toys, as I've 00:25:02.370 --> 00:25:07.580 said, all those kinds of things are really important for that geometry and spatial 00:25:07.580 --> 00:25:12.500 awareness that children need in terms of their basic mathematical understanding. 00:25:12.830 --> 00:25:17.570 And if you think about it, all of us, when you're designing, or figuring 00:25:17.570 --> 00:25:21.430 out your furniture placement in your home, we're using those spatial 00:25:21.430 --> 00:25:23.440 awareness and that geometry to do that. 00:25:23.860 --> 00:25:27.400 If you sew and you've gotta cut out clothing patterns, you've gotta 00:25:27.400 --> 00:25:30.610 know how you're gonna place those patterns on a piece of fabric. 00:25:31.070 --> 00:25:35.810 If you're an architect, if you are an artist, if you are a builder, 00:25:37.025 --> 00:25:45.045 all these people use spatial recognition and shapes in the process 00:25:45.135 --> 00:25:48.225 of their jobs or their hobbies. 00:25:48.525 --> 00:25:54.315 So geometry and blocks and spatial recognition is a really 00:25:54.315 --> 00:25:58.605 important part of establishing that foundational mathematical 00:25:58.605 --> 00:26:00.435 understanding in our children. 00:26:01.995 --> 00:26:05.745 So what else can we do when we're playing with shapes and blocks and things, we 00:26:05.745 --> 00:26:08.295 can also, for example, sort and classify. 00:26:08.565 --> 00:26:10.905 This is another part that's really important. 00:26:11.355 --> 00:26:14.985 So when we're sorting and classifying, you are asking children, okay, so 00:26:14.985 --> 00:26:17.285 which shapes would you put together? 00:26:17.765 --> 00:26:21.155 And they could do that in a variety of ways. 00:26:21.215 --> 00:26:24.455 Perhaps they put all the ones with straight edges together, or the ones 00:26:24.455 --> 00:26:28.685 with curved edges together, or perhaps they put triangles together and they put 00:26:28.685 --> 00:26:31.865 squares together and they put rectangles together and they put circles together. 00:26:33.165 --> 00:26:37.735 It's up to them as long as they then can describe their reasoning behind it. 00:26:37.765 --> 00:26:40.915 Again, remember I've mentioned this before, the reasoning behind 00:26:40.915 --> 00:26:44.695 the way they classify shapes or classify objects is really important. 00:26:44.905 --> 00:26:46.885 Why did you put those things together? 00:26:47.405 --> 00:26:51.005 Very important for their mathematical understanding and mathematical 00:26:51.005 --> 00:26:52.835 reasoning and problem solving. 00:26:53.225 --> 00:26:58.025 So make sure that you encourage them not only to sort and classify shapes, but 00:26:58.025 --> 00:27:00.185 also to explain their reasoning behind it. 00:27:00.905 --> 00:27:03.665 And then of course, we can also use, as we've said, describing 00:27:03.665 --> 00:27:05.165 the features of the shapes. 00:27:05.405 --> 00:27:10.085 So have a look at these, these have, straight edges, these 00:27:10.085 --> 00:27:12.005 have corners, these have curves. 00:27:12.225 --> 00:27:17.385 Making children aware of the different features of shapes so that they eventually 00:27:17.385 --> 00:27:22.035 later on can classify shapes according to their characteristics, which is also, 00:27:22.035 --> 00:27:24.505 by the way, part of the curriculum. 00:27:25.165 --> 00:27:27.685 The other thing that you could do is when you're using blocks and you 00:27:27.685 --> 00:27:31.465 can build towers, but then you can actually extend that child's reasoning 00:27:31.465 --> 00:27:35.095 by saying, okay, here, we've built a tower with 10 blocks now still 00:27:35.095 --> 00:27:38.995 using the same quantity of blocks, the same number of blocks, 10 blocks, 00:27:39.205 --> 00:27:42.355 see if you can build a different tower or a different shape. 00:27:42.655 --> 00:27:46.315 So again, you're getting that problem solving ability going in your children. 00:27:46.705 --> 00:27:47.725 Very important. 00:27:48.325 --> 00:27:53.095 Another thing we can do is make patterns, a very important pre-algebra concept. 00:27:53.155 --> 00:27:58.405 And patterns can be made with absolutely anything with your normal household 00:27:59.455 --> 00:28:03.655 objects that you find run, lying around the house or lying around a classroom. 00:28:04.045 --> 00:28:07.855 Patterns are really important for exploring number, pattern, 00:28:07.855 --> 00:28:10.015 of course, shape, and symmetry. 00:28:10.705 --> 00:28:14.125 So the first thing we can do is we can look for patterns in our environment. 00:28:15.075 --> 00:28:19.695 So you can go, for example, on a walk and look for manmade patterns 00:28:19.695 --> 00:28:22.185 and look for patterns in nature. 00:28:22.395 --> 00:28:25.955 Circles, rectangles, squares. 00:28:26.135 --> 00:28:29.105 Uh, a pattern of course, is anything that repeats. 00:28:29.375 --> 00:28:30.965 So all sorts of patterns. 00:28:30.965 --> 00:28:34.565 You know, there's patterns on tree trunks and barks, they're natural patterns, 00:28:34.565 --> 00:28:40.285 they're patterns in our paths and our, uh, our brick driveways and how bricks 00:28:40.285 --> 00:28:42.815 are organized in a wall, for example. 00:28:42.995 --> 00:28:47.075 There are patterns everywhere and it's just a matter of becoming aware of 00:28:47.075 --> 00:28:49.475 them and making children aware of them. 00:28:49.475 --> 00:28:52.475 So we first, we could look for patterns in our environment. 00:28:52.895 --> 00:28:55.595 We can make patterns also without everyday objects. 00:28:55.985 --> 00:29:00.515 So for example, you will start, maybe you've got, I don't know, your socks 00:29:00.515 --> 00:29:01.805 while you're doing your laundry. 00:29:02.315 --> 00:29:05.165 Maybe you've got some red socks and black socks and yellow socks. 00:29:05.165 --> 00:29:09.005 And so you start the pattern, red sock, black sock, yellow sock, 00:29:09.035 --> 00:29:11.195 red sock, black sock, yellow sock. 00:29:11.195 --> 00:29:12.845 And then you ask them to continue. 00:29:13.175 --> 00:29:14.615 Or maybe just start with two. 00:29:14.615 --> 00:29:15.965 The ab B, AB B pattern. 00:29:16.265 --> 00:29:18.155 So you'll just add red, yellow, red, yellow. 00:29:18.185 --> 00:29:19.235 And then they continue. 00:29:20.220 --> 00:29:24.480 Eventually we want children to initiate patterns on their own. 00:29:24.840 --> 00:29:27.930 So in the beginning, you start the pattern and they continue. 00:29:28.020 --> 00:29:31.500 And then further on down the line, they initiate the pattern 00:29:31.530 --> 00:29:32.880 and continue the pattern. 00:29:33.780 --> 00:29:37.620 Now patterns are not just be made with physical objects, but 00:29:37.620 --> 00:29:39.390 patterns can also be rhythmic. 00:29:39.570 --> 00:29:41.310 So patterns can also be your claps. 00:29:41.310 --> 00:29:45.180 For example, we all know how to, how we are clapping those little beats, you know, 00:29:45.180 --> 00:29:50.160 like one, two, that kind of pattern, and then they copy it and they repeat it. 00:29:50.640 --> 00:29:51.930 So patterns are everywhere. 00:29:51.990 --> 00:29:55.530 We can also make patterns with musical instruments, with your drum 00:29:55.530 --> 00:29:58.080 or bells or triangles, for example. 00:29:58.560 --> 00:30:04.960 Anything where a sound, or a shape or a color is repeated in 00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:07.120 a rhythmic fashion in a pattern. 00:30:07.330 --> 00:30:08.320 Those are patterns. 00:30:09.400 --> 00:30:18.160 So we use numbers every single day, and children need to be immersed in 00:30:18.190 --> 00:30:24.160 the language of mathematics so that it becomes a natural part of their every day 00:30:24.470 --> 00:30:31.430 experience and to avoid that math anxiety that Dr. Nagrath was talking 00:30:31.430 --> 00:30:33.860 about in last week's episode. 00:30:34.790 --> 00:30:37.640 There is also, I want to make this very clear. 00:30:38.450 --> 00:30:43.970 There is no need for a math textbook or a counting book. 00:30:44.090 --> 00:30:46.310 You do not need to spend your money. 00:30:46.670 --> 00:30:53.630 On such things, what you can do is just use your everyday objects in your home, 00:30:53.690 --> 00:30:55.900 everyday objects in your classroom, 00:30:56.260 --> 00:31:03.010 be it blocks, be it seed pods, be it pebbles, be it buttons, be it 00:31:03.280 --> 00:31:09.550 macaroni, be it whatever you can find in your everyday natural environment. 00:31:09.820 --> 00:31:11.140 Children can just count those. 00:31:11.935 --> 00:31:12.265 Right. 00:31:12.595 --> 00:31:19.285 They do not need fancy textbooks, in order to get a basic foundational 00:31:19.375 --> 00:31:22.075 knowledge of mathematics and counting. 00:31:22.625 --> 00:31:25.835 Children need to experience mathematics in a hands-on manner 00:31:25.835 --> 00:31:29.855 in their everyday environment and in their immediate surroundings. 00:31:30.585 --> 00:31:35.595 Things like going on a simple walk, as I've already mentioned, provide so many 00:31:35.595 --> 00:31:40.815 opportunities for learning for children, not only to get them more curious, 00:31:40.815 --> 00:31:44.565 where they can recognize their immediate surroundings, where you get them to, 00:31:44.985 --> 00:31:51.875 recognize patterns and textures in nature, or hearing the bird calls and being 00:31:51.875 --> 00:31:57.005 able to identify them or distinguishing between different plants and trees 00:31:57.125 --> 00:32:01.295 and making them aware of their natural surroundings and the beauty around them. 00:32:02.420 --> 00:32:07.310 Going on a simple walk is also the perfect opportunity to learn mathematical 00:32:07.310 --> 00:32:09.680 concepts and the language of mathematics. 00:32:10.160 --> 00:32:15.710 You can get children to recognize patterns in their surroundings. 00:32:15.900 --> 00:32:17.820 If you've ever gone for a walk with a child. 00:32:18.750 --> 00:32:23.040 You'll know that they love picking up objects, be it feathers, pieces of 00:32:23.280 --> 00:32:26.190 sticks, rocks, whatever it might be. 00:32:26.340 --> 00:32:29.610 And instead of telling them to throw it down and leave it because it's dirty 00:32:29.610 --> 00:32:34.885 and yucky, take along a bag where they can actually collect those objects 00:32:34.945 --> 00:32:37.405 and you can then bring them back to your home, bring them back to your 00:32:37.405 --> 00:32:41.635 classroom, and they can then learn and use those objects to make patterns, 00:32:41.725 --> 00:32:44.995 they can use them to classify objects, and sort them. 00:32:45.325 --> 00:32:52.825 So many, many great learning experiences can come from a simple walk, and to help 00:32:52.825 --> 00:32:58.990 you with that, I actually created two great little resources for you to use. 00:32:59.290 --> 00:33:02.140 The first one is a little lesson plan. 00:33:02.140 --> 00:33:05.380 It's free, totally free, and it goes along with a little picture book 00:33:05.380 --> 00:33:07.450 called I Went Walking by Sue Williams. 00:33:07.570 --> 00:33:11.110 And there I have a little lesson plan for you, which includes 00:33:11.110 --> 00:33:13.180 literacy and math and science. 00:33:13.300 --> 00:33:16.750 And you can then take that little lesson plan. 00:33:16.750 --> 00:33:20.710 It's a whole week's activities for as long as you want to, actually, 00:33:20.710 --> 00:33:22.540 it depends how deep you wanna go 00:33:22.610 --> 00:33:27.350 and that little story I Went Walking, not only does it help you to nurture 00:33:27.350 --> 00:33:31.940 children's curiosity, but also their literacy, their art and maths. 00:33:31.940 --> 00:33:34.910 'cause you're gonna be doing problem solving, you're going to be doing 00:33:34.910 --> 00:33:37.550 patterning, you're going to be doing sorting and classifying. 00:33:37.975 --> 00:33:41.575 A whole bunch of things just to that one little story I Went Walking. 00:33:41.575 --> 00:33:44.125 So I have that free for you, and I'll put a link in the show 00:33:44.125 --> 00:33:45.355 notes so that you can get that. 00:33:46.045 --> 00:33:49.495 The other thing is that I've also created a little e guide for you and 00:33:49.495 --> 00:33:53.395 it's how to nurture natural curiosity in children, and that is just a great 00:33:53.395 --> 00:33:58.285 explanation of how when you go on a walk, it opens up that whole world 00:33:58.505 --> 00:34:02.495 of different learning experiences for children, including mathematics, and 00:34:02.495 --> 00:34:04.295 that's a free little e guide for you. 00:34:04.385 --> 00:34:07.625 And I will put links in the show notes for that so that you 00:34:07.625 --> 00:34:09.155 can go there and download it. 00:34:09.765 --> 00:34:13.695 There are endless opportunities all around us for ensuring that we give children 00:34:13.695 --> 00:34:16.275 the confidence they need in mathematics. 00:34:16.785 --> 00:34:19.875 Being confident in mathematics helps us in so many ways. 00:34:19.875 --> 00:34:23.085 It's not just for engineers and for accountants. 00:34:23.565 --> 00:34:29.115 We all use mathematics every single day, whether you're a homemaker, 00:34:29.145 --> 00:34:31.350 a teacher, a designer, an artist, 00:34:32.010 --> 00:34:38.490 or a plumber, maths is part of our everyday experience and all our lives. 00:34:39.780 --> 00:34:45.270 I hope you found some value in this episode and that it's given you 00:34:45.270 --> 00:34:50.250 somewhere to start when it comes to developing children's confidence in 00:34:50.250 --> 00:34:55.940 mathematics and also to develop a love for numbers and problem solving 00:34:56.520 --> 00:35:00.780 Because these are the tangible experiences that set children up for 00:35:00.780 --> 00:35:03.960 success in a very uncertain future. 00:35:03.960 --> 00:35:07.560 So thanks for listening today, and I really hope that 00:35:07.560 --> 00:35:08.880 you have found some value. 00:35:09.030 --> 00:35:12.930 And if you have appreciated the information that I've shared with you 00:35:12.930 --> 00:35:17.880 today, could you do me a massive favor and click on that share button and then 00:35:17.880 --> 00:35:23.070 send this episode to a friend or to a colleague so that we can spread the 00:35:23.070 --> 00:35:28.620 word about the value of Blooming Curious to parents and educators everywhere. 00:35:29.310 --> 00:35:30.510 So, until next week. 00:35:30.840 --> 00:35:36.180 Remember that curiosity is your superpower, and so stay blooming, 00:35:36.180 --> 00:35:41.460 curious, and remember to check the show notes for those free downloads to get 00:35:41.460 --> 00:35:48.210 you and your students or your children well on your way to having confidence 00:35:48.390 --> 00:35:51.210 and love for mathematics and numbers. 00:35:51.630 --> 00:35:52.950 I'll see you all next week. 00:35:53.070 --> 00:35:53.400 Take care.