Different Ways to Build a Number

My Son, The Transformer:

Last night while I was making dinner my son asked, "How many more minutes until it will be ready?" I said, "About five." and continued cooking not noticing what he was doing with his fingers. He came over and said, "So this many?" and held up a two on one hand and a three on the other hand. I stopped what I was doing and said, "Wow, that is one way to make a five do you know another way?" I watched him move his little fingers making the three into a four and the two into a one. Not only did he come up with this idea on his own, but he made his own sound affects, like one of his Transformer(R) action figures changing from one position to another.

I began to wonder how else I could expand my son's knowledge of numbers from one to ten without pushing him to level of understanding that he was not ready for. I have written a lot on my blog about finding math in your child's everyday life to encourage counting and their development in math. Those moments might come when you least expect them and when your hands are full. Take just a few minutes to stop everything and see math through your child's eyes.

Video: Different ways to make a number

Finger Patterns in a Tree

Rewind: Why do finger patterns?

My four year old is turning five next week. I can't believe it. He is ready to start preschool and while I am still in denial that he will be in kindergarten next year, I have a feeling is going to enjoy it. He will meet new friends and learn new things. He will also be going to school with the confidence that he understands numbers.

Working with my son on finger patterns has provided more conversations about numbers, counting and math than I ever imagined. More importantly, finger patterns have engaged us as a family while we play, work or even get ready for bed.

The video below is over a year old. My son is dressed up in a bear costume, wearing a bike helmet, climbing a tree and firing away his finger patterns. I speak and write a lot about making numbers part of your child's world and as you can see here, the day that I filmed this video, we were definitely in my son's world!

Rhyme Time with Finger Patterns

Using Finger Patterns with Rhymes for Counting

My busy boys love to dance, sing, jump and rhyme.  I started looking for preschool rhymes that we could incorporate with finger patterns.  Below are just a few of our favorite rhymes that can be used with finger patterns to encourage memory, visualization and counting forwards.

Finger Pattern Rhymes for Counting Forwards

Five Fat Peas

This is a great one to use fire away. Start with all fingers in a fist, the thumb holding the other fingers in place. Count from one to five with just one hand then count one to five with both hands at the same time. 

Five fat peas in a pea pod pressed 

(children hold hand in a fist) 

One grew, two grew, so did all the rest. 

(put fingers up one by one starting with pointer finger ending with thumb) 

They grew and grew 

 (raise all five fingers in the air very slowly) 

And did not stop, 

Until one day 

The pod went POP! 

(clap hands together)

Turtles 
My two year old loves this rhyme because you can make all the motions while you make the finger pattern.  When we say, "Two baby turtles crawl to the sea." we make the number two on our fingers and the two "crawls."   

One baby turtle alone and new. 

Finds a friend, and then there are two. 

Two baby turtles crawl down to the sea. 

They find another, and then there are three. 

Three baby turtles crawl along the shore. 

They find another, and then there are four. 

Four baby turtles go for a dive. 

Up swims another, and then there are five.

For more rhymes:

http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/preschool-rhymes.htm

http://www.nurseryrhymes4u.com/NURSERY_RHYMES/COUNTING.html

Summer Fun with Numbers

Make counting fun. We went tractor "hunting," counted the tractors and pretended to drive them. 

Summer is the perfect time to notice numbers.  Whether you are on a road trip, at the pool or just shopping at the grocery store, point out numbers to your child.  We just went on a road trip and I couldn't believe how many numbers my son found or the things we counted. Even if they can't read the number, just pointing out the number encourages young children to begin identifying numerals.  

Vacation Counting:

1.  Numbers at the pool:  My four-year-old loves to jump off the edge of the pool, so I asked him to jump from the number 3 (marked for 3 feet deep).  Once he found the 3, he wanted to jump from the 5. 

2.  Numbers at a hotel:  When taking the elevator I asked him to push the number 1 or any floor that we needed.  He noticed there was a number outside our room and matched it with the room key. 

3.  Numbers on the road:  We looked for speed limit signs.  Even though some of the two-digit numbers were hard for him to say, he could find one number he knew.  

4.  Things to count:  We counted trains and trucks at a construction site.   Anything that had multiples, we tried to count. 

5.  Numbers at the store:  We went to buy souvenirs and I asked my son to find the price tag on the train he wanted. He asked, "What does it look like?"  I said, "Little numbers on a sticker.  Can you find it?" He surprised me when he read, "It says 12, mom."

Only Way Back is Forwards

Only Way Back is Forwards

I am totally amazed at the amount of counting/math that is involved with finger patterns.  It begins on their fingers going forwards, then isolating a finger pattern to name the number, linking finger patterns to an actual quantity, instantly recognizing a finger pattern that is flashed and linking finger patterns to real life scenarios such as counting wheels on a car. 

Lately I have noticed my four year old using his fingers to help keep track of "things" such as presents at a birthday party.  I have noticed a confidence build inside him as he notices numbers everywhere.  Now that he has an underlying confidence and really understands forwards counting, I have been talking to him about counting backwards.  

Beginning to Count Back

1.  Tie the counting back into something fun, such as jumping into the pool or racing your child around the house.  I say something like, "When I get to 1, go. Ready 3, 2, 1, go!"

2.  Depending on your child's age and ability level you can start with going back from 3 to 1 and then build from 5 to 1 and eventually from 10 to 1.

3.  Have fun while counting back.  We were watching the space shuttle take off and my son noticed the countdown so we now say, "blast off" after we get to 1. 

Video of Blast Off

This first clip is counting back from 5 to 1 without finger patterns.

The second clip is counting back from 5 to 1 with finger patterns.

Finger Patterns and Days of the Week

Finger Patterns Monday to Sunday

Have you ever noticed your child confusing the days of the week? Do they constantly ask you "What day is it today?" or "When will it be the weekend?" My four year old always wants to know when his soccer game is so we started keeping track of the days of the week on his fingers. This is a great skill to get your child ready for pre-school, kindergarten or even first grade.  

There is so much learning inside the math. With this simple skill, he has learned the vocabulary for the days of the week, the sequence the days go in by keeping track on his fingers and how each day corresponds to a finger pattern. This is not the traditional calendar model, but allows your child to see the week on two hands.  Start the week on Monday.  Monday through Friday are on one hand and correspond to finger patterns 1 to 5.  This helps him understand that the school/work days are on one hand.   Saturday and Sunday are on his other hand and correspond to the weekend (finger patterns 6 and 7).

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

                                          

                                           Saturday

Sunday

(C) 2009 Kellie Merrill

How old are you?

FAWFP: Fun with birthdays

My nearly-two-year old has an advantage over his big brother. He has been watching him count, do finger patterns and talk about math since he was a newborn. He is very busy, as most are at this age. He loves to count along with his brother and play the tickle game (see previous entry) as much as picking up his favorite book. Just a few weeks ago I started telling him he had a birthday coming up and showing him on his fingers how old he was going to be. Not long after that he started making two and showing me two when I asked him "How old are you?" 

Please watch the clip below to see him hold down all his other fingers to show me two. Now that he has it down he loves flashing his two!