Tools for Teaching Math for Pre-K

I think it’s time for more math activities with Gab.  We have started a few concepts in addition and subtraction and some basic geometry, sorting and patterns.  Now, I think Gab is ready for more fun with math.  Here are a few tools I bought recently for learning and teaching math for Pre-K toddlers.

Books on Learning Math. I bought the book Teach Your 3-7 Year Old Math from Amazon.com. I need something to guide me on what exactly to teach.  The book Teach Your 3-7 Year Old Math not only gave a good set of math concepts to teach but also provided a way to teach them using a Montessori approach.  The book is a very helpful guide for starters. Now, I know where to start teaching Gab some math and have fun at the same time.

Unifix Cubes. I got the idea of buying Unifix Cubes from a book. It looks like Lego blocks but only comes in on cube each.  It can be stacked easily and can be removed easily by my 3-year-old.  Unifix Cubes comes in sets 100’s, 300’s, and 500’s.  The 100 Count is just fine and I don’t think I would need more of these. But the 500’s will be useful as you go with bigger numbers.

Daddy Tip:  Buy a storage box for the Unifix Cubes where the kids can store them after use.  It helps keep the house clean and avoid scattering them all over the place.

The Unifix Cubes comes with an Activity Booklet.  It provides a few examples on how to teach math concepts using the cubes.  The rest is up to your imagination.  Gab read the whole activity booklet and had a head start already.  Too bad, he spoiled the suspense for us.

Melissa and Doug Wooden Abacus.  This did not look necessary after getting the Unifix Cubes.  An abacus seems to have limited activities compared to the cubes.  But the Melissa & Doug Classic Wooden Abacus is less messy and just as interesting a the cubes. It can be placed prominently on the table so Gab can just grab it anytime he feels like counting.  We keep the cubes in a box to make the house less messy so it is less likely to be used spontaneously.

So starting this  week, I will be a Math teacher. 😀