Math Workshops

The same way we cultivate literacy daily, we use multiple opportunities during the day to help the Cardinals build competence in math. As the Cardinals count the amount of pretzels and orange slices at the Snack Table, pour water from one container to another, put all the big rocks in one pile and the smaller ones in another at the Rock Sculpting Center, or clap a rhythmic pattern, they are learning math. Daily experiences like these provide the context for the Cardinals to evolve in math.

To enrich the Cardinals’ math encounters, we have created “Math Workshops”. Our objective is to provide the Cardinals with intentional opportunities to encourage mathematical thinking. It is another way for us to introduce developmentally appropriate activities that are sure to energize the Cardinals’ learning. Learning math is not just about numbers, it helps us make sense of the world around us and teaches us to reason and problem-solve. 

Three to four tables are set up with inviting activities that will reinforce a particular math concept. As a whole group we will introduce the concept with a read aloud and mini-lesson on the activities provided in the “workshops.” Afterwards, the Cardinals are put together in small groups of four or five and invited to go to one of the “workshops.” Eventually, all groups will rotate from workshop to workshop. Later, we gather in a large group to discuss what they explored. All workshop activities are later offered during the week as free choice for the children to continue to practice their skill.

We launched our first Math Workshop this past week with the mathematical concept of plane geometry, 2-D shapes. We first read Tana Hoban’s book, circles, triangles and squares. 

Using no text, this book introduces the geometric concepts of circles, triangles and squares demonstrated in photographs of bridges, buildings, windows, tires, boats, and other objects. After the read aloud, the Cardinals had a discussion on basic geometric shapes and their characteristics. We talked about a circle and an oval having no ends and a triangle having three sides. We spoke about a square having four equal sides and a rectangle having four sides, two sides equally shorter than the other two equally larger sides. We also spoke about the diamond and its mathematical terminology, rhombus. We must admit, the Cardinals really impressed us with how much knowledge they already had on this topic. When challenged with the question on what other shapes they recognized, without skipping a beat they responded with hexagon, octagon, and trapezoid. Truly impressive!    

After the thought-provoking discussion on two dimensional geometry shapes, the Cardinals set out to attend the workshops. One station was set up with Shape Bingo while another was the Playdough Shape Station with circle, square and rectangle cookie cutters. Additional was a Shape Stamping Station where the Cardinals were encouraged to make a bird using 2-D shape stamps. And lastly was the Rock Shape Challenge Station in the Rock Sculpting Center where the Cardinals picked a challenge and created the design using rocks. What fun was had by all! During the remainder of the week, the topic on plane shapes continued to be reinforced in every area from the rectangular shaped graham crackers for snack to a Shape Walk around campus. “I love math so much. I know because I have been doing it since I was two months old.”

Shape Bingo Station

Playdough Shape Station

Shape Stamping Station

Rock Shape Challenge Station

Appropriate mathematics in the early years begin with play and that is exactly how we intend to present it. Our intensions are to look for opportunities to create mathematical discussions and model concepts through play. This allows for the Cardinals to develop mathematical relationships, problem solving and reasoning skills in the most natural way. This is the power of play based mathematics instruction.

Stay tuned for “Literacy Workshops” soon to come!