WEEK 2

Use your collected materials to involve your child in addition and subtraction and more or less activities.

• Pretend you are a zoo keeper. Put three animals in one cage (berry basket) and five animals in another. Say to your child “Show me the cage that has more animals.”
• Add variety to the math games. Use berry baskets as caves for the counting bears and small boxes as garages for cars.
• Play domino dots with your child. Place dominoes face down. Each person turns over a domino and counts the dots. Decide which domino has more dots. Some dominoes will have the same number of dots. You may need to help your child count the dots on the dominoes. Continue this activity as long as your child remains interested.
• Let your child play with the materials on their own. You will see your child’s creativity and imagination at work.

WEEK 3

Include addition and subtraction words as you talk with your child.

• “I bought you two more school shirts. Now you have six.”
• “You have five crackers and I have three. Do you have more or less crackers than I do?”
• “You put four crayons in the box. Now add two more. How many crayons are in the box now?”

WEEK 4

Tell stories and read books that include math ideas, where characters are added or subtracted as the story progresses.

• Tell or read the story of The Gingerbread Man. As you retell the story, invite your child to say which character comes next.
• Read a book such as Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed. As a monkey falls off the bed, ask your child how many monkeys are left on the bed.
• Look at the list of children’s books on this calendar page for additional books to read with your child.

Additional Ideas

Help your child prepare a math-on-the-go bag or shoe box for travel. Let your child choose which materials to put in the bag, for example, the berry baskets and animals one time and the small boxes and cars the next. Your child can play with the materials in the car, on the bus, or as you wait in the dentist’s office.

Special Activity

Add to your child’s “Memories of Our Year” calendar section. List the books that include math ideas that you have read with your child.

Place a star by your child’s favorite books.

Read some of their favorite books again and again, as long as your child is interested.

Let your child look at the books on their own.

Suggested Books to Read with Your Child

The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow

Gingerbread Boy by Paul Galdone

Mr. Gumpy’s Outing by John Burningham

Roll Over! A Counting Song by Merle Peek