When I arrived at Joey’s house on Monday he was just waking up from a nap, and not too happy about it. We got him into his chair but he looked unimpressed as I presented him with our typical activities he normally enjoys. We started reading books, but he interrupted to tell me “mad like he.” [Read more…]
Incorporating Math Skills into Storybook Read Alouds
“What’s today?” I ask Joey, after we’ve counted all the numbers already posted on his wall calendar. “What comes next?” I hold up two possible choices, and every time – every time – Joey grins, stares, and then carefully moves his arm so he can clutch the card with the correct answer. It never gets old watching him proudly select the right number to put on his calendar. Although he is always correct, as his teacher I try to stay fully aware that being able to recognize what number comes next in a pattern is different than a full development of age-appropriate number sense. There are so many facets to developing mathematical thinking, and I want to be sure Joey is getting a well-rounded foundation, despite his limitations. [Read more…]
Happy Birthday Joey!
About a month ago, Joey turned four. Four! The big two plus two equals four. No longer the three-nager but not quite ready for kindergarten. What does it mean to be four?
Chip Wood, author of Yardsticks, writes “Four year olds tend to be ready for everything. They are explorers and adventurers who are soaking up the world of knowledge with incredible speed.” Although Joey is not your typical four-year-old, he still shares many characteristics with his typically developing peers. I find it helpful to remember children’s age related developmental stages. [Read more…]
