Showing posts with label preschool math. Show all posts
Showing posts with label preschool math. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

STEAM by Usborne Books and More

This one is for you Preschool Engineer fans! I scoured the Usborne Books and More website and chose some nonfiction books for you to enjoy with your young children. Most of these are listed for the older set of preschoolers 5+ or kindergartners but, in my experience, any "Lift the Flap" or "See Inside" books work with young children, too.

There are more STEAM books about science for the older set, too. For learning beyond preschool, check out the Illustrated Dictionaries, Stories of Science and Inventions, This is Not a Math Book, and Academy Books.

To go straight the the List I created on Usborne Books and More click here.

Science

There is a huge range of topics within "science" and Usborne Books and More touches on a lot of them. General science, life science, weather science, and space science are among them. Here are my top picks for science...

The Usborne Illustrated Elementary Science Dictionary tells it straight and simple, explaining everything children and parents need in order to understand basic level science. This book will help to lay a firm foundation for confidence and success in science. Readers can dip in for quick explanations or work through by subject to build knowledge step-by-step.






A quirky lift-the-flap book that answers children's questions about science. A fun book to dip in and out of, it has lots of quirky and interesting facts children will find fascinating.




Science Activities Series: These bright, exciting books respond to the growing emphasis on scientific exploration for young children.





See Inside Science Books like this one!

A lift-the-flap information book that introduces readers to the science of weather. Filled with facts from how hurricanes and floods happen to how global warming is affecting the Earth’s climates.



Technology

Like everything in the acronym, Technology and Engineering overlap quite a bit. For purposes of this list, I am focusing on technology as "tools."
An interactive introduction to information and communication technology, which explains what goes on inside computers to make them do what they do. With lots of flaps to lift and look beneath, fact-hungry children will devour the fascinating data contained in this bright and engaging non-fiction book. A return to the days when Usborne was a market-leader in computer books for children. Many of today's tech professionals were inspired by Usborne's coding books from the 1980s.





Have you ever wondered just what happens when you flush a toilet, or what goes on inside a light bulb? Do you want to know how a digger scoops up soil, why boats float and what keeps planes up in the air? Lift the flaps to see inside how things work--from everyday inventions to massive machines.



Engineering

For the Engineering section, I chose books about how technology is put to use in everyday life. As trains, buildings, and spacecraft.
Trains hold a fascination for just about everybody and this lift-the-flap history of locomotion tells it all from Stephenson's Rocket to the bullet trains of today.Lift the flaps to explore all kinds of exciting trains, from a luxury steam train fit for a queen to super-fast trains that run on magnets, trains that can climb up mountains, and lots, lots more.

Part of a collectable series of interactive information books.





Whoosh around the globe to explore soaring skyscrapers, elegant cathedrals, leafy parks and bustling shopping streets. With fun flaps and stunning illustrations, this book takes you inside some of the greatest cities in the world.





Blast off for an amazing inside view of spacecraft – from the early days of the Space Race to building a space station, exploring Mars and more.



Art

I have to admit that that I chose "Famous Paintings" book because my young children have enjoyed looking at "grown up" art books with me and they are some of my favorite memories around books. It is listed for the older set but I think you could enjoy it with your little ones, like I did with mine.
This delightful treasury combines dazzling art from around the world with exciting projects to do that will inspire every young artist. It includes famous European paintings, delicate Japanese prints and traditional African masks, and each work of art is followed by a project influenced by the artist's methods or ideas.




Packed with amazing paintings, prints and sculptures, this book invites you to peek inside the world of art. Lift the flaps to reveal how art is made, explore interesting details and uncover hidden clues.



This lavish book provides a picture-by-picture introduction to 35 of the world's best known, best loved paintings, from oil paintings to prints, all beautifully reproduced and explained in a simple, engaging way.






Math


An innovative approach to what can be a dry and tricky subject, this book is perfect for parents and children to share on the road to learning essential math skills.



A brand new series of interactive board books to make it easier for children to learn math skills. Slide the simple mechanisms and see the picture change to show the result of the additions and substractions, making math visual, concrete, and easy to understand!



Children need lots of practice when learning important skills and this durable book allows them to repeat simple math problems again and again.This book introduces very simple addition and subtraction which will lay solid foundations for mathematics.Comes with a special wipe-clean pen which is really satisfying to write with, yet easy to wipe off the shiny pages.



An ideal introduction to numbers and counting, specially designed for children in their first few years at school.Clear and simple explanations with lively illustrations guide children and parents through essential math concepts.Can be used as a dictionary, or to work through to build knowledge and skills step-by-step.Includes internet links to the best interactive websites offering math puzzles, games and practice.





Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Invitation to Learn Multiplication

A Learning Lifestyle

My preschoolers are officially not preschoolers any more. As we step into Kindergarten and 2nd grade, and as a family new to "officially" homeschooling, I recently bought writing curriculum from BraveWriter and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The guidance offered essentially advocates for 1) focusing on creating an environment filled with books, music, and experiences; and, 2) a language-rich lifestyle - one where you listen to your child, respond thoughtfully, and pursue ideas together. (This builds on what we know about how preschoolers learn, too. ) She, of course, weaves writing lessons into the day and provides structure so parents don't have to come up with everything on their own. (Whew!) 

Books, Music, and Experiences

Despite being regulars at the library, I often find myself scouring the catalog and shelves for books that might work to answer my child's question or delve deeper into the subject du jour. It is no wonder why lists are some of the most popular blogs in the world. You know the ones: "101 Books to Read Before Kindergarten," "10+ Children's Books to Inspire Kindness," and my own  "24 Books for Preschool Engineers."

A Smaller, More Approachable List

The problem is that sometimes we want a smaller, more approachable list. One with fewer books that includes other things. I just want a few good books, a CD, and a video, perhaps a toy. Something like a thoughtful little themed basket.

Invitation to Learn

It is in the spirit of having a small sampling of one topic that I am writing Invitations to Learn. Each invitation grows from our homeschool life and is a pint-sized unit of study for the DIY crowd. With this list, I am inviting you to learn alongside your child and giving you a small amount of guidance for creating a rich learning environment in your home or school.

Read a book one day; listen to an audiobook another day; watch a movie a different day; go on a field trip a different day. By offering one great thing at a time, you are inviting your child to learn with you and enjoy learning with you! Over time you and your child will consider the topic in several different ways, using different materials, have different but related conversations about it, and you will grow your knowledge in wonderfully robust ways.

INVITATION TO LEARN MULTIPLICATION

These are things we found at our library. (We stream many audiobooks for free.) For your convenience, I will also include affiliate links to Amazon.

Multiplication and Our Bodies

The Three-Headed Monster
We have a trail near our house that we call "Coyote Trail" because of the wildlife that scurries around out there. With two young children exploring the wildnerness, it is common knowledge in our neighborhood that we need to educate them about how to be as safe as possible when sharing the space with snakes, coyotes, and other creatures. The simplest thing to do: look big.

Looking big is hard to do when you are three years old though and so the three of us decided it would be better to stick together so we look like a three-headed, six-legged monster. Staring at the shadow our three-headed, six-legged monster cast on the ground, we have the opportunity to see part of the 3s multiplication table:

  • 3 humans x 1 head per human = 3 heads, and 
  • 3 humans x 2 legs = 6 legs. 

I have said before that there is no need to do worksheet math with young children. But talking about math in these organic situations is invaluable.

Fingers & Toes 

Using fingers (and toes) to count presents a unique opportunity to learn preschool multiplication, too. With your child you can use just hands to learn the 2s times tables:


  • 2 hands x 1 finger per hand = 2 finger
  • 2 hands x 2 fingers per hand = 4 fingers
  • 2 hands x 3 fingers per hand = 6 fingers
  • 2 hands x 4 fingers per hand = 8 fingers
  • 2 hands x 5 fingers per hand = 10 fingers
Add toes and learn 4s!
  • 4  extremities x 1 digit per extremity = 4 digits
  • 4  extremities x 2 digits per extremity = 8 digits
  • 4  extremities x 3 digits per extremity = 12 digits
  • 4  extremities x 4 digits per extremity = 16 digits
  • 4  extremities x 5 digits per extremity = 20 digits
Ready to add some books and music to explore Multiplication? Read on...

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox, Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

"There was one little baby / who was born far away. / And another who was born / on the very next day. / And both of these babies, / as everyone knows, / had ten little fingers / and ten little toes." No matter which part of the world a baby comes from—born on the ice or in a tent—that baby has “ten little fingers / and ten little toes,” the pleasing refrain of this wonderful, rhyming tribute to the chubby, sweet universality of babies of all colors. Helen Oxenbury’s soft, rounded babies are captured perfectly in soft, rounded watercolors.

Recommended age: 3+




"Moose in a Treehouse" by Brent Holmes

Counting Cookies by 1s, 2s, 3s, and 4s. I can't imagine a more enticing way to bring times tables into the lives of our young people!



Moose Multiplication Video

My kiddo and I loved the Moose in a Treehouse song so much that I made a little video about it... Includes imagery to see how the multiplication tables stack up!




10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle

"Ducks overboard!" shouts the captain, as a giant wave washes a box of 10 little rubber ducks off his cargo ship and into the sea. The ducks are swept away in various directions. One drifts west, where a friendly dolphin jumps over it. A whale sings to another. But as the sun sets, the 10th little rubber duck is left all alone, bobbing helplessly on the big wide sea. Small readers and listeners will empathize with the little duck's plight—and will rejoice at the heartwarming surprise ending.
In this poignant and funny story, illustrated with strikingly designed collages, Eric Carle takes readers on an exciting voyage of discovery. Following the little ducks as they float to all parts of the globe, young explorers can see for themselves the meanings of directional words and learn simple math concepts, such as counting and the use of cardinal and ordinal numbers. Each creature the ducks meet is seen in its own habitat and behaves in a true-to-life manner, offering a very simple first view of biology and geography.
"A wonderful read-aloud for storytimes or one-on-one sharing. It's a definite 10," commented School Library Journal in a starred review. "Beautifully composed illustrations," said Booklist. "As sublimely simple and endearing as the playthings it portrays," agreed Publishers Weekly.
This board book edition with sturdy pages is perfect to share with toddlers. Note that this edition does not include a squeaker at the end.

Recommended for Preschool - Kindergarten


Lift-the-Flap Times Tables by Usborne

Lift-the-flaps to find tips, tricks and practice questions to help you learn all the times tables up to 12x12. You can discover why the tables are so helpful, use the number machine to answer any tables question, and test your knowledge with the times tables challenge.

Recommended age: 6+


LEGO and LEGO-like Bricks

The nature of LEGO bricks make them perfect for doing a lot of maths learning, including multiplication. I am a fan of just letting children build with them and letting them get a visceral understanding of quantity.

For our smallest learners there are MEGA Blocks:


Duplo is a LEGO brand and the bricks are smaller than MEGA Blocks but bigger than LEGO originals.


And, of course, LEGO. There are sets that build something specific or just boxes of bricks for free play...


So get playing with multiplication! I'd love to hear how it manifests in your life!



Monday, July 10, 2017

Usborne Books & More - Special Picks for Preschool Engineers

Finding Needles in Haystacks

Have you ever struggled to find high-quality books about trucks, machines, and other topics that are mechanically interesting and/or about STEM? Probably. Because I have, too. That's why I started this Preschool Engineer blog!

I've Found Some Needles for You

I have done some digging for you and found the Usborne books that I thought your Preschool Engineer would love. Why buy from the Usborne site?

  1. High-quality Books
  2. Buying through my site will help support me and ensure that I can continue bringing you awesome information about STEAM learning that you love. (I write this blog and manage the corresponding Facebook page because I am passionate about early childhood development and learning STEAM, but I would be grateful for some small income to support my time and effort.)
  3. You won't find Usborne Books for less. (I've searched other online and local sources and have not found them for less.)

Look at the Awesome Usborne Titles Below!

I have scoured Usborne titles for you and put together Special Picks for Preschool Engineers (and Beyond). Scroll down for more info...


That's Not My...
Speaking of grabbing hands… Usborne offers books that support sensory development with their Touchy-Feely Books.
Bonus learning: the “not” statements offer pre-Logic education.

If you asked your kiddo(s) to fill in the blank, “That’s Not My _____.” what would he or she say?
Search "That's" to see a whole list.


Big Books

The Big Books are Fold-out books for kids who have outgrown the Baby Fold Outs. Non-fiction topics are taught with BIG images, plus a little text, which is perfect for Preschoolers (and their grown-ups).
Which Big Book would work for your family? Machines? Space? Bugs? Dinos? Body?



See Inside and Illustrated Dictionaries
Elementary School Children still delight in books that are image-heavy. Look at these picks for your Preschool Engineers who have grown into Elementary-aged school children because you’ve been with me since the beginning...

Search "See Inside" Books (there are many many more topics) or "Illustrated" Dictionaries…


Shine a Light On
These books are neat because the design is so clever. Images are intentionally printed so that by shining a light from the back of the page the reader reveals the overlapping designs that are “hidden” images.
Check them out here at this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05dn7u-qFFI
Shine a Light on Construction Site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipEhNupjVRU



Where would your child hide with a flashlight and a Shine a Light On book?


Search "Shine" at the following website to see more than a dozen themed books!


Sticker Books for Building 2D
Stickers are always recommended for keeping little hands busy. My son was never compelled to play with stickers...until Usborne’s ROBOT book. And my daughter? Well since she was two she has just LOVED playing Dolly Sticker Dress-up.
Search "Sticker Dolly" to see a gazillion picks for dress-up.

Search "Build Your Own" to see all the machines one can build in 2D.


Any Doc McStuffins fans out there?
Dog hurt his foot, Sheep scratched her tummy and Bear sat on a splinter! What will make everything all better? Clean it, kiss it and put a bandage on it! Young readers will delight in the five animal friends’ misadventures and be eager to help make things “all better” with the five reusable and repositionable stickers.



Wipe-Clean
We LOVE the Wipe-Clean books, activity cards, and optical illusions by Usborne. Check out these titles to keep little hands interested and creative! There are options for all ages!!!

Search "Wipe" to see more than 40 choices and pick one or two that are right for your Preschool Engineer!




Lift-the-Flap Questions and Answers

Life's Biggest Questions (and Answers) in awesomely interactive Lift-the-Flap Books!
Search "Lift-the-Flap Questions and Answers" to see all the awesome Q & A support offered to you and your Preschool Engineer by Usborne!


Story of...
For your Preschool Engineers who are now Elementary Engineers... More narrative, more information, same spirit of learning!
Search "Story of" to find these titles (and a few more).



Saturday, April 22, 2017

Repetitive Play: Becoming Who They Are



It was spring semester of my freshman year. I had been living beneath the overcast skies of a Michigan winter for months. Things were dragging and I found solace in the strangest of places: differential equations.

In my dorm room, I sat at my desk and worked problems from the textbook. Then I worked them again. It felt good. The patterns, the rhythm, and the difficulty all gradually increased from 1 to 99. I did the set again. In fact, I did them over and over again. Differential equations became my mantra.

Weird? I know. But merely the academic manifestation of playing with your favorite thing, your favorite patterns. I remember finding great comfort in doing my maths homework over and over again. It seemed like a winning way to spend my time because I was escaping from the drama of dorm life by studying. (Brilliant!)

It turns out that comfort is just one reason repetition is good for you (and for your kids). Repetition invites us to be imagined participants rather than passive dummies. Consider how...

...How Repetition Strengthens

Read the rest at Fat Brain Toys...

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Vlog - Intro to Equilateral Triangles

Follow along to learn about the smallest Magna-tile: the equilateral triangle. All three sides are the same length and all three angles are the same.

Mikey wants you to know that he shot this video just outside the art studio where his sister was attending art class.


Related Books


Little Kids will love seeing shapes and how they go together in Lois Elhert's "Color Zoo."



Older Kids will enjoy learning all the proper terminology for triangles in David Alder's book, "Triangles."



Thursday, February 23, 2017

Get Ready for Seuss-a-pallooza

Dr. Seuss was born on March 2, 1904. That means in a week readers all over the world will be celebrating Dr. Seuss's great contribution to the world. Here are a couple ideas for celebrating Dr. Seuss...

Ten Apples Up on Top 
"Ten Apples Up on Top" is one of the books that Dr. Seuss wrote using one of his other pen names: Theo LeSieg and someone else illustrated it (gasp!). I like the boardbook version for preschoolers...



After reading it, you might want to try balancing apples on your heads and otherwise stacking apple-like objects. Try any of these ideas:


Balloons (5")
Static Electricity
- Blow up the balloons.
- Rub a balloon all over your head, which will give it static cling.
- Stick it to your head!

Balloon Tower
- Blow up the balloons.
- Use loops of tape (or other ingenuity) to make a stack of balloons.

Paper
Perfect Posture (Think Walking with a Book on Your Head)
- Cut Paper Circles
- Place one paper circle flat on your head and walk across the room.
- Place more paper circles flat on your head and walk across the room.


Green Eggs and Ham
"Green Eggs and Ham" is a classic for a reason. The skepticism of not wanting to try a new weird food and the insistence by another person that "no, really! You'll love it!" is something that I think most people can appreciate...especially young children.



Why not make a tasting game out of it?! [Alert: I guess food allergies is a good reason. But surely, you can think of some safe foods to try...] After reading the book, offer new foods to try like star fruit, pomegranate seeds, or even a new combination like celery with peanut butter.

Tip: Something I learned from food therapy: tasting involves many senses. If they don't want to try it then they shouldn't have to. But there are smaller steps that just taking a bite. Maybe just smell the food, or lick it. Then if they are up for it they can take a bite!


The Cat in the Hat 
At some point, every young reader should get their hands on Dr. Seuss's revolutionary book "The Cat in the Hat." However, I am well-aware that the story sometimes inspires mischief. So if you want to read "The Cat in the Hat" and have an activity to go with it, consider having Hide and Seek, Fort Building, or some other childhood favorite.





If you want to kick it up a notch, then consider getting a Cat Hat for Adults or a Cat Hat for Kids for the leader of the activity to wear.



Or if everyone needs a Cat Hat, then you can get a whole bunch of Paper Hats.









The Great Doodler
I love learning biographical stuff from picture books. This book, Dr. Seuss the Great Doodler, provided us (ok, me) with as much info as we cared to know about the great man.


One of my favorite parts of his story is that he wrote and re-wrote, sketched and re-sketched. This is the part that I would use as a jumping off point for an activity with older preschoolers (or anyone for that matter). All you need is a timer, a pencil, some paper, and a simple drawing prompt. Then explore how creativity manifests differently given 10 seconds to draw versus 10 minutes to draw.

Still not sure? Watch this video to see what I mean...



For more ideas for celebrating Dr. Seuss, surf over to http://www.seussville.com/.

And I found this complete list of the books he wrote: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Seuss_bibliography