In this early math activity, singing and chanting number songs encourage children to practice counting and subtraction skills.
Learning Area(s): Math
MATERIALS
- Items to be used as math counters (cubes, blocks, cups, colored chips, etc.)
LET'S PLAY
Together with your child, chant or sing a number song with decreasing quantities (counting backwards from five down to one). You can ask your child to hold up five fingers. As the song progresses, he can put down a finger. Alternatively, any type of math counter can be used to represent the item in the song (for example, use five cubes or five plastic cups at the start of the song and take one away for each line).
Some number chants to use are:
Five little cookies in the bakery shop,
Shining bright with the sugar on top.
Along comes (child’s name) with a nickel to pay.
He buys a cookie and takes it away.
(continue with four, three, two, and one)
OR:
Five little ducks went out one day,
Over the hill and far away.
Mother duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack.”
But only four little ducks came back.
(continue with four, three, two, and one)
TIPS
After each line you can check to see that your child understands that one is being subtracted by asking, “How many are left?”