Need Advice - Aubrey, TX

There is a really cute counting game you can play with m&m's that kids love. (Parents too if you like chocolate!) Do an internet search and you'll probably find it.

all kids learn at different rates... some can recite their abc's but don't know how to identify the letters individually... some can count to the moon and back and still do not have number recognition down -- and that's perfectly okay. That is what kindergarten is all about! :) What I'd do is let the teacher know your concern... and let it go until you get news from HER that there is something that needs reinforcement at home. I'd honestly say that your little one is 100% normal and there's not a thing to worry about! :)

My son is 2 (soon to be 3) but this is what we do to learn numbers (and letters).

At Big Lots, I bought a container of soft numbers and letters--I don't know what they are made of... maybe neoprene or a soft foam rubber? They stick to the sides of the wet bathtub really well. I'm sure you could find them at Wal-Mart, Target, etc. Also, I bought bath crayons/paints.

At bath time, we play games with either the numbers or the alphabet but in each game he has to tell me what they are. For example, when we play with the number "8" he has to call it by name and either make the sign language for the number or put that many dots of bath paint on the tub wall. When we play with the letter "A" he tells me what it is and what words start with the letter "a". Because this is a game, I never tell him that he is "wrong", incorrect answers are simply "silly". I stage whisper (he loves secrets) or pantomime (he loves guessing) correct answers and then get overly excited when he says the correct answers.

Hope this helps!

As a teacher I'd LOVE to have you as a parent. Education is not and should not be restricted to the inside of the classroom. Most learning happens when there is reinforcement at home!! As the parent you know more about your son then your teacher ever will. However, your teacher should be able to inform you of any developmental progress or delays your son may have in school.

That being said I taught 1st grade so my kiddos had a pretty good understanding of number sense and order.
I can email you some fun ideas for helping your son understand identifying and recognizing numbers! They are kindergarten level so it should be fun and developmentally appropriate!
I'm sure you are nervous and excited about your first baby going to school! It'll be the start of a great education for your son!
Just private message me and I'll email them to you!

A.,
There are places you can go to print and cut out basic things like numbers letters etc.
I would use that resource which I can give to you on the internet to print out the numbers, cut them out and use like M & M's, skittles or something he likes, apple pieces etc and show him the number and let him count out the number he needs to match the number on the flash card.
You can make a match game with the same concept as well.
If you want an easier way you can purchase flash cards at Wal-Mart.
There are lots of ways to make it fun. Make it a game.
Tell him, bring me ?? number of things, when he brings them, count them out with him and then give him a sticker to place on a sticker chart. Have him count his stickers. Tell him when he gets XX amount of stickers he can have something special, simple as a matchbox car to going out for ice cream. There's lots of ways to make this awesome for him. He'll be counting those stickers to see if he has enough to get his special prize.

www.childcareland.com has tons of printable stuff that is even free to download and print. I use these in my home daycare. It's perfect for preschool and kindergarten ages.

Hi, my son, nearly 11 years old, found a game online today called Timez Attack. I realize this is too advanced for your son, but I thought they might have addition and subtraction games, too. If not, go to www.aplusmath.com and see if that can help you. They several different games for adding, subtacting, multiplication and division. He played the demo, fell in love with it, and insisted I check it out, too.

My son is a kid who hates doing his multiplication tables, but since I bought (they also have a free limited version) and downloaded Timez Attack (http://www.bigbrainz.com/index.php), it's all I can do to get him to stop playing. His grasp of the math has already increased greatly, and he's actually spouting mult. facts at me! I'm amazed! Hope this helps you out!

D.

You might try a fun DVD called Leap Frog Math Circus. My son is 4 and he loves it. He would watch it all day long if I would let him. It has really helped him with his numbers and we have the same one from Leap Frog called the Letter Factory. It is really great too. There is also a computer program called Larson's Elementary Math Activities. There are several volumes begining with Kindergarten level and on up. The Leap Frog DVD's are available from Target in the movies section and from Walmart in the toy section. The cost is about $10 each. The computer game is a bit more expensive. I believe we purchased it online at www.meridiancg.com Good Luck! A.

There are some really cool educational games from Lakeshore. They might have something to help you out.

www.lakeshorelearning.com

I agree with april as a teacher and having done grad school in early childhood, she's right! I think you should let the teacher know of your concerns but don't act like it's a huge deal just that you'd like her to give you her opinion. Like someone else said, they'll definitely let you know if there's a problem. Two activities I used for spelling and learning math facts even in 4th grade was to put tempra paint in a ziploc and "finger paint" but it's much less messy! Another idea is to use puff paint on an index card and let him trace the numbers.

You can try to write large numbers on construction pager, cover them with clear contact paper and let him "trace" the numbers with playdough all the while discussing what number he's working on at the moment. Hopefully this will make it fun for him.

You might want to take him to the eye doctor. Specifically, one who can prescribe prism lenses. His visual acutiy may be fine, but his visual processing may need some vision therapy. We live in Plano and see Dr. Charles Shidlofsky (my son has the same problem you're describing and he just started Kindergarten too). Dr. Shidlofsky prescibed some vision exercises for us and next year my son will be getting the prism lenses. I know moms of other kids who have these types of glasses and they've noticed HUGE improvements. Also, it helps with reading AND, get this, helps improve their attention span! This dr. has written articles about this if you're interested, I can forward them to you. you can contact me directly at ____@____.com

Try the video 1,2,3 by brainy baby (Toys R Us or anywhere). Worked great with my son!

Sounds like you've done a great job introducing the concepts. Once he gets settled in school, maybe you could keep in touch with his teacher about different methods they use at school that you can duplicate at home. Consistency and repitition are the keys to learning at his age.
Some things my daughter has enjoyed: Coloring pages that we found online http://www.kidsturncentral.com/coloring/mathbearcolor.htm Also, the teacher's tools section in Wal-mart has some simple, inexpensive packs of number cards. I will show my daughter a number card, then help her write the number herself, then we count M&Ms to reinforce it. I wouldn't do more than one or two numbers a week, building on the ones he already knows. And when you work on them, don't expect to spend more than 15 minutes on it. Don't be so quick to label him "cant do math." There's no need to pressure him, or yourself! He's only 5 and this is what kindergarten is for.