Math Moments

In every classroom at any time during the day, the potential for a "math moment" exists. The room is one big learning center where strands of mathematical discovery are continually being woven. Children learn to make sense of their world through everyday experiences. To stimulate a math moment, teachers use a variety of materials and ideas to create an environment in which children explore math concepts.

In the math/science centers there are board games, puzzles, matching and guessing games, pattern blocks, and collections of objects that give children opportunities to recognize numbers and build math skills. But math moments do not occur only in the math/science centers. In play, children construct cities (by sorting and organizing) and use words like long, short,small, and tall. At snacktime a child passes out one napkin per child and the same number of crackers for each person. When the class takes a vote on what stories to read or for some decision, children compare quantities.

Over the last several months the Tel Aviv children have been collecting, and counting the brown seeds they find beneath their feet in the soil on the playground. The children collect the seeds and place them in a bucket and/or bag. As the children find the seeds they count them 1,2,3... Often they will say "What comes after 12, or what comes after 20?" Today Noah asked me to help him count his seeds. He poured them out on to the plastic table and proceeded to count all the way up to 33 seeds, one at a time. At 19 he asked me, "What is next?" I said "20" and he took it from there. He was so pleased with himself as he counted the seeds! At the end of the day Noah put all his seeds back in his plastic bag. Now that's what I call a "math moment!" Every day the children take home bags of seeds. Sasha and I often wonder what happens to the seeds when they get home? Parents might want to find a "math moment" at home and count the seeds all over again! Your children will love it! Have fun!