Turn your child's fascination with collecting sticks into maths at home FUN
Conjour up some special magic maths moments with sticks
to help your kids with shape, length, numbers up to two hundred and division!
How to make collecting sticks into a fantastic maths learning activity
How can we sort our sticks into different groups?
Because there are lots of different ways to do this, there are loads of learning opportunities, just from one question. BRILLIANT
★ Pass it on ★ Ask "Why do you think these sticks belong in the same group?"
Try sorting a small group of sticks with your eyes closed
★ Pass it on ★ When it is your turn to sort talk about what shapes and lengths you can feel.
How to teach your child about size with sticks
Make the most of your child's fascination with sticks to help them learn all the different words that can be used to talk about size.
Share ordering the sticks by length/ by thickness
★ Pass it on ★ Ask "Can you find a stick that is the same length as this one? "
"Can you find a stick that is the longer/shorter as this one?"
"Can you find a stick that is the same length as this one?"
"Can you find a stick that is twice as long/half as long as this one?"
"Can we find a stick that is thicker/thinner"
"Can we find a stick that is the same length as your foot"
If it is fun for your child take the brain power up a level and take turns to try these activities with your eyes closed!
Learning with your hands not just your eyes is BRILLIANT.
The next step is to talk about what schools call 'standard measurements'
★ Pass it on ★ Ask e.g. "Can we find a stick that is about 10 centimetres long"
How to play pooh sticks and help your child learn about size.
☺ Find a bridge over a gentle stream and make a collection of sticks.
☺ Have lots of goes dropping a stick each into the stream on one side of the bridge.
☺ Move accross and watch to see who's stick 'wins'-can be seen first from the other side of the bridge.
★ Pass it on ★ Ask "Do you think the longest or the shortest stick will win?" Use the words thickest and thinest in a similar way.
How to teach a child about division with sticks
Can you really have fun playing pooh sticks and help your child learn about division?
☺ Find a bridge over a gentle stream and make a collection of sticks. As two people play you can powerfully teach your child the real meaning of division :
★ Pass it on ★ Ask "how many goes will we be able to have with this pile of e.g. 11 sticks, eleven divided by two?"
Play another time with three people and you can talk about division by three!
Can you really have fun making stick shapes and help your child learn about division?
Sticks and shapes to help your child learn about division?
How many quadrilaterals can you make with a handful of sticks?
☺ Grab a handful of sticks
☺ Lay the sticks out making four sided shapes (quadrilaterals)
☺ Count the sticks and count the quadrilaterals.
★ Pass it on ★ Ask " How many quadrilaterals can we make?" Say for example "thirteen divided by four is three remainder one."
☺ On another day you could use the same activity to help your child learn about division by three by arranging the sticks into three sided triangles.
☺ On another day you could use the same activity to help your child learn about division by five by arranging the sticks into five sided pentagons.
How to help your child learn about numbers up to 200 with sticks!
Get a free package.
Take advantage now of this complete free package of Number Chase games, activities and parent guidance.
I am passionate to encourage families because the best way for you to help your child with maths at home is to have fun together. Get started with Number Chase games and activities.
