Fun and Engaging Math Curriculum for Preschool
Preschoolers have an inherent aptitude for foundational mathematics. Their natural curiosity fuels a desire to explore quantities, patterns, and relationships in their environment. The right preschool math curriculum – packed with high-interest activities – can turn math time into playtime and build a strong foundation for future learning. It’s a win-win for preschoolers and teachers!
This article dives into how to teach essential math skills through developmentally appropriate and meaningful activities your little learner will love. Save this post for many fun math curricula to spark preschoolers’ curiosity and set them on the path to math success!
An effective preschool math curriculum goes beyond rote memorization. It uses engaging activities and play to make learning fun and interactive. Instead of dry flashcards, imagine sing-alongs about counting, building towers to compare sizes, or sorting colorful objects by shape.
Turning math time into playtime can help our little learners develop a love for numbers and problem-solving that will last a lifetime.
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How Do You Teach Math To Pre-K Students?
Teaching math to preschoolers doesn’t involve memorizing equations or using flashcards. Instead, it’s about fostering a love for numbers and exploration through hands-on activities. Children can develop a concrete understanding of math concepts using manipulatives like counting bears, blocks, and colorful objects.
What Math Do Preschoolers Learn?
Preschool math isn’t just about counting. It encompasses a variety of fundamental skills that prepare children for kindergarten and beyond.
Here’s a glimpse into what your little learner will explore:
- Number Sense: Counting objects, recognizing numerals, and understanding the relationship between numbers form the core of number sense.
- Shapes and Spatial Sense: Identifying, sorting, and comparing shapes are key foundational skills in geometry.
- Measurement: Preschoolers learn concepts of measurements like length, height, and weight through fun activities.
- Patterns and Logic: Recognizing repeating patterns and sequences builds logical thinking skills.
- Graphing and Data: Preschoolers learn basic skills in data collection, sorting and organization, and reading simple graphs.
Preschool Math Curriculum
Here at Stay At Home Educator, our Daily Lessons in Preschool Mathematics offers a fun, activity-based program that teaches young learners all areas of math. Each day brings engaging exercises, introducing new skills, revisiting learned concepts, connecting math to reading, and encouraging independent practice.
This comprehensive 40-week Pre-K curriculum uses a spiral approach, ensuring concepts are revisited and reinforced throughout the year. With proven teaching methods at its core, the curriculum clearly outlines what math skills to teach, the ideal sequence for introducing them, and the most effective teaching strategies.
Here are the different unit concepts in the curriculum:
Comparing & Sorting Preschool Lessons
This unit includes a year-long plan, daily routines, engaging activities, and printable math centers that target sorting skills. You’ll also find literacy connections, teaching tips, and bonus activities, making this unit a one-stop shop for fostering sorting mastery.
Counting 0-5 Lesson Plans for Preschool
This unit focuses on developing strong counting skills from 0-5. It has 26 fun and engaging math printable activities, including:
- Spin and Build Five Frames
- Counting Cards
- Number Playdough Mats
- Collecting Bears Grid Games
- Dot Counting Cards
- “Show Me” Five Frame Counting Cards
- Number I Spy
- Dice Counting Cards
Shapes Preschool Lesson Plans
Preschoolers get introduced to the world of shapes in this unit, including identifying basic shapes, recognizing specific attributes (like sides and corners), matching shapes, and even spotting them in tricky positions like upside down or sideways.
Hands-on fun continues with shape formation and sorting by attributes, making this unit a well-rounded exploration of geometry.
Counting 0-10 Preschool Lesson Plans
This unit also explores preschoolers’ math skills, explicitly counting 1-10. This includes engaging activities:
- Spin and Build Ten Frame Counting
- Ten Frame Puzzles
- Ten Frame Number Match
- Ten Frame Towers
- Ten Frame Four in a Row
- Ten Frame Tracing Cards
- Ten Frame Clip Cards
- Count and Build Mats
Positions & Patterns Lesson Plans for Preschool
The Positions & Patterns Unit offers engaging activities designed to teach preschoolers patterning and spatial skills. This unit incorporates a variety of learning experiences, from hands-on, teacher-directed activities to printable math centers to keep young learners engaged and focused.
Counting 0-20 Activities Preschool Lesson Plan Ideas
This unit helps young learners develop strong counting skills through a combination of short, engaging activities. It includes weekly activities like printable math centers, discovery concept exploration, and integrated literacy experiences to solidify understanding.
These activities target specific skills, with examples including “Spin and Build to 20,” “Sequencing Mats to 20,” and “Number Tracing 0-20.”
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Measurement Lesson Plans for Preschool
This unit equips you with everything you need to teach essential measurement skills. From comparing “more” and “less” to exploring concepts like length, height, and weight, your child will develop a strong foundation for future math success. Measurement Unit even incorporates fun, non-standard units like blocks or their own feet, making learning a breeze!
Graphing Activities for Preschool Lesson Plans
This engaging graphing unit incorporates hands-on activities and teacher-led instruction, which is the program’s foundation. These are then solidified through weekly printables, discovery concepts, and integrated literacy activities.
Addition & Subtraction Lesson Plans for Preschool
This unit tackles essential addition and subtraction skills through short, engaging daily routines combining hands-on learning and teacher guidance. Weekly activities reinforce these concepts further, with printable math centers offering independent practice, discovery activities sparking exploration, and integrated literacy activities weaving math into familiar stories and rhymes.
Math Story Books
Math storybooks are an excellent way to reinforce math concepts captivatingly. If you’re looking for one, choose storybooks that incorporate counting, shapes, or measurements into each story.
Here are some of the fun and engaging math storybooks you can try:
Quack and Count
Quack along with seven fluffy ducklings as they wiggle, splash, and take the plunge! This delightful book, full of Keith Baker’s bouncy rhymes and vibrant collages, follows their big day of learning to fly – and helps little ones discover numbers, too!
- Quack and Count By Baker Keith
- Baker, Keith (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
One is a Snail; Ten is a Crab: A Counting by Feet Book
This delightful story takes you on a beach adventure, introducing numbers from one to one hundred in a playful way. Join a cast of colorful characters, from sunbathing crabs to curious snails, as they wiggle their toes and flutter their wings for silly counting combinations!
- Sayre, April Pulley (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 40 Pages – 03/14/2006 (Publication Date) – Candlewick (Publisher)
Who Eats First by Ae-hae Yoon
This vibrantly illustrated book uses a hilarious story about six hungry animal friends to introduce young children to key math concepts. Packed with hands-on activities, the story gently reinforces early math skills like data organization and measurement, all wrapped in a delightful tale of friendship – with a surprising twist!
Inch by Inch by Leo Leonni
This vibrantly illustrated story with a fun search-and-find will keep young readers guessing as our clever inchworm outsmarts the nightingale with a giggle-worthy solution! Join a fantastic inchworm, the coolest measurer around! He tackles everything from robin tails to flamingo necks with his inching expertise. But a hungry nightingale throws him a curveball – can he measure a song?
- Lionni, Leo (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 03/06/2018 (Publication Date) – Dragonfly Books (Publisher)
Have You Seen My Monster? by Steve Light
Join a little girl on a whirlwind adventure through a bustling county fair. She’s on a mission to find her furry friend, but can you spot him, too? This colorful picture book is a sneaky learning adventure. As you search for the monster, you’ll discover twenty different shapes cleverly hidden throughout the fair. From the spinning teacups to the towering Ferris wheel, see if you can find squares, stars, and even tricky shapes like ovals and trapezoids!
Use Math Manipulatives
Manipulatives are a preschool math teacher’s best friend. It’s another tool for teaching math concepts. These hands-on tools, like counting chips, blocks, and puzzles, help children visualize and understand abstract math concepts. They are powerful tools that can revolutionize how children grasp abstract math concepts.
- Each set contains 160pcs of plastic stacking chips in 4 different colors(40pcs red, 40pcs blue,…
- It is made of high quality plastic,sturdy and durable,no sharp edges and the edge is thicker than…
- The size of these chips are approx 1 1/2 inch/38mm which is much bigger than others for easier pick…
- ✅MATH MANIPULATIVES DESIGNED BY TEACHERS – Colorful and differentiated Base Ten Blocks Set are…
- 🎁PERFECT GIFT TO SUPPORT LEARNING AT HOME OR IN A CLASSROOM – Simply Magic Colorful Base Ten…
- ✅PERFECT MATH MANIPULATIVES FOR 1ST, 2ND, 3RD GRADE – Simply Magic Colorful Base Ten Blocks are a…
- 250-PIECE SET: Features 6 different shapes and colors, and is great for classroom activities
- RECOGNIZE PATTERNS: Get young students learning geometry and pattern design. These are great pattern…
- PARENT AND TEACHER GUIDE: Comes with storage bucket and not only helps educators and parents stay…
- Math skills (one-to-one correspondence, counting to 100, skip counting, Comparison, Making 10,…
- School Readiness for Kids : Promote school readiness with activities that support math skills…
- Montessori Materials Math : Cubes easily snap together on all sides of each cube with geometric…
- PRACTICE COUNTING, SORTING & MORE: Develop early math skills, counting, sorting, and color…
- HANDS-ON TACTICAL LEARNING: These teddy bear counters are great for hands-on tactical learners.
- 102 BEAR COUNTERS WITH ACTIVITY GUIDE & STORAGE: Set includes 102 bear counters in 6 vivid colors,…
Best Math Curriculum For Preschoolers
Ditch the boring worksheets! This preschool math program makes learning fun with all kinds of activities. Your little one will be a math whiz in no time, working on new skills, practicing old ones, reading and writing about math, and even doing things on their own!
Daily Lessons in Preschool Mathematics offers a unique and comprehensive solution. Unlike other programs, it utilizes a spiraling approach, systematically revisiting key concepts throughout the year for optimal learning.
This curriculum is designed with educators and homeschooling parents in mind. It provides a clear roadmap for:
- Curriculum Scope: Identify exactly what math skills are essential for preschoolers.
- Skill Sequencing: Learn the optimal timing for introducing and reinforcing each concept.
- Effective Instruction: Discover proven teaching methods to maximize student engagement and understanding.
Daily Lessons in Preschool Mathematics takes the guesswork out of planning. Open your binder, choose the day’s lesson, and watch your students thrive!
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Product on sale*** Daily Lessons in Preschool Mathematics CurriculumOriginal price was: $135.00.$99.00Current price is: $99.00.
Preschool Math Curriculum Ideas
With countless options online, all promising to unlock your child’s inner mathematician, it’s easy to get tangled up in features and overwhelmed by choice. Here’s the good news: you don’t have to go it alone!
Here are some resources to guide you:
This esteemed organization sets the standards for math education and offers valuable insights into early math development.
- ZERO TO THREE: Problem Solvers: A Free Early Math Curriculum
This program from ZERO TO THREE focuses on building a solid foundation in problem-solving skills, a crucial component of early math learning.
Preschool Math Activities: With engaging online activities and downloadable resources, Education.com is a one-stop shop for fun and effective math practice.
Building a solid foundation in math starts early. By incorporating these playful learning strategies, you can nurture your preschoolers’ curiosity and set them on the path to becoming a math whizs!
I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.
