Posted in guest post, Math, Science

How to Introduce Your Child to Basic STEM topics!

The Importance of STEM Education.

The Rise of STEM:

Starting STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education early is imperative in today’s society where technology is rapidly changing and evolving. In the short span of a couple of decades, we have seen the advent of electric cars, smartphones as well as increased accessibility to knowledge at your fingertips through lightning-speed Internet and search engines such as Google.

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We have also seen the increased intersection between education and technology, no better exemplified than through the ongoing pandemic where educators have worked tirelessly to shift their instruction style to a form that can accommodate students learning at home on their computers with applications such as Zoom. According to the U.S Census, “Nearly 93% of people in households with school-age children reported their children engaged in some form of “distance learning.”

STEM Education

Moreover, the US Bureau of Labour Statistics states that “STEM Jobs are projected to grow 8.8% between 2017 and 2029, compared to 3.7% for other occupations.” The jobs in these fields include computing and engineering as well as advanced manufacturing. As outlined, the importance and relevance of STEM within our lives, both professionally and personally, will only keep growing. If you are wondering how to introduce STEM concepts to your children in an engaging manner that doesn’t sacrifice fun, continue reading! We’ll talk about themed learning as well as easy ways to give your child a technical literacy that will allow them to flourish now and later in life, in an increasingly STEM saturated society.

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Themed Learning

One of the most effective ways to teach children and sustain their attention is through the idea of themed learning. This goes for introducing your children to STEM topics as well! What is themed learning? It’s focusing on a specific topic and exploring it through a variety of mediums so that they recognize what they are learning as meaningful and not just a grade or something that they have to memorize and recite back.

A lot of STEM learning takes place or even begins in schools, where teachers are given a set curriculum that they teach in-depth, using the tenets of themed learning. For example, children may learn about measurement not only by learning what the marks on a ruler mean but by using a ruler and measuring different objects.

 However, an interest that is only fostered within the school environment can sometimes be difficult to sustain. In 2019, the US Census reported that women remain statistically underrepresented in STEM, making up “about 27% of STEM workers in 2019 in the United States,” and that according to a PEW Research survey students don’t pursue STEM degrees because they “think these subjects are too hard.” The reality of this statistic shows that somewhere along the lines, kids and especially girls decide to not pursue STEM-related fields despite the increase in STEM-related jobs.

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Themed learning can be used to engage with your children about STEM topics, outside what they learn in school in order to sustain interest and excitement about the field! This doesn’t have to be a daunting or time-consuming endeavor as there are so many resources online including YouTube videos and STEM-themed games. Playzenik.com offers an online learning platform that combines traditional learning (lessons), interactive learning (games and quizzes), and hands-on learning by sending a DIY STEM kit straight to your house. The combination not only ensures a comprehensive education but makes learning about these topics meaningful and relevant to their own learning style and encourages an interest outside of what is being learned in school where there is often pressure to achieve certain grades.

Themed learning can also be executed by watching STEM videos with your children! There are so many resources to be found through a simple search and offer a great opportunity for dialogue after, where you can talk to your child about what they have learned or what they are confused about. Plus, these videos are just as fun and engaging as Paw Patrol or Baby Shark!

There are many STEM-related videos to be found on YouTube! Watching one can lead to suggestions for many others, and help craft a digital landscape that promotes learning as well as entertainment. (Video Source: Climate (STEM Lessons for age 4-6))

Speaking of the array of learning resources that can easily be found on the Internet, introducing your child to STEM concepts at an early age also builds a relationship between them and the devices they are using and will continue to use as they grow older.

For example, many children learn tactile functions through using an iPad, simply by watching YouTube videos and tapping the screen. However, children today often do not think about how the images on screen came to be, or investigate to find out. With the overabundance of technology and media, simply introducing the concept of coding can dramatically redefine a child’s relationship to the devices they use to consume their favorite content. You can also:

  • Introduce Java, Python, and HTML as just another language they can learn. Just as how people communicate with each other in different languages such as English, Spanish, or Mandarin — computers use a language made up of strings of numbers and specific words that do specific things!
  • Never pass up an opportunity to remind them that games, websites, and videos are created by people! Children can become so immersed in games and forget that they are more than just a means of entertainment, but also the result of creativity and hard work. Let your child know that the games they love are created by real people and that they could even create a game that people love just as much one day as well!
The game Zenik’s World featured on the online learning platform PlayZenik was created by a group of inspired and hardworking coders that wanted to create a game where each level was inspired by a different STEM topic
The game Zenik’s World featured on the online learning platform PlayZenik was created by a group of inspired and hardworking coders that wanted to create a game where each level was inspired by a different STEM topic

The world of STEM is wonderful, wide, and only getting bigger, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming! As parents, you can take small steps to engage and incite or renew your child’s interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

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Tasha Lee is a recent graduate and budding writer with a keen interest in education — Whether that be through tutoring or providing live captions in order to make education more accessible. Currently, she is working at TechZenik, a company with one main motive: offering comprehensive STEM education to young children in order to afford them more opportunities later in life and doing this in a way that is as barrier-free and inclusive as possible!

Posted in guest post, Homeschool, Math

Top 10 Play-Based Ways to Teach Math to Preschoolers

Many families find that teaching preschool math through play is an appealing option. A play-based curriculum gives children the freedom to choose manipulative materials based on their learning concepts. It provides parents with the opportunity to use games that children love!

To help your preschooler develop early math skills, here are ten play-based activities.

Learn and Play with Money

Playing with money is a fun and easy way to teach children about math. You can let your child practice counting coins by giving him or her play money in different denominations. Your child will learn to recognize the value of each coin by playing this game. You can take it a step further by having your child count out the exact amount of change needed to buy an object or snack in the house.

Counting Activities

Counting activities are fun ways to teach kids how to count. They can use objects found around the house or in the classroom to practice counting. Kids can count plastic farm animals, crayons, blocks, or even people!

It’s important to count aloud with your child to reinforce the language associated with numbers and to let them know what they’re doing right. In addition, make sure you use different amounts and types of objects every time you do this activity so that their minds aren’t bored by doing the same thing repeatedly (which would cause them to disengage from learning).

Number Puzzles

A number puzzle is a simple game where you create a grid of squares containing numbers. Your child has to find a path through the numbers from one side of the grid to another. For example, he might have to work out which way he needs to go for the numbers on the squares he lands on to add up to seven.

Number puzzles are compelling because they’re good at developing problem-solving and math skills and can be played by kids of all ages. They are also adaptable for older children.

Make the rules more difficult or increase the number of squares in the grid if your child is in primary school.

Counting Routines

Learning math with your child is a lot of fun. It might not be the best way to teach math, but there are still plenty of ways to make learning enjoyable. As a parent or teacher, it’s essential to keep things lighthearted. Learn some counting routines so you can count out loud while walking around the house or while driving on the highway (the latter is also a great way to practice verbalizing numbers and other information).

Start by helping your child count objects as they go past them (for example, if you’re going shopping, you could ask him if he sees any oranges)—finally, many kids like counting games. If your kid enjoys playing with blocks and Lego bricks, find out what number he comes up with for each block or Lego piece, and then try counting it out loud.

Hands-On Math Games

Math games are a fun and easy way to include math in your child’s day. From simple counting games to more complicated addition, multiplication, and division skills, there are tons of math games that kids will love.

It can be challenging to know where to begin with many options available.

It’s time for you to get your game on. I mean, math on!

Color Collages

As they work, your kid will be exposed to various shapes and sizes, introducing them to the concepts of volume and area. They’ll also begin to understand the properties of different materials, like what happens when you glue or staple pieces together, which is an introductory science lesson.

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They can hang these colorful creations on their bedroom wall or turn them into greeting cards they could send to Grandma. Colored paper collages are fun to make, and kids have tons of creative freedom – who knows what kind of colorful works of art your child will create next?

Patterned Planting

When you teach patterns using seeds and pots, you can place the seeds in various designs.

Use a variety of materials to teach patterns to preschoolers. You can use plastic animals, pom-poms, or other small objects you may have on hand. Tell students they will play with different shapes and make different pattern designs each day.

Press the pieces into modeling clay and tell students that each color represents a number. Show them how to match up the numbers and ask them which is more or less than another number. Patterns aren’t limited to only math concepts; you can also use patterns as writing activities for your preschoolers by having them draw or color different patterns on paper for practice purposes.

When teaching preschoolers about patterns, you may use any object, such as buttons, blocks, or even random household items like spoons and forks, to teach kids about varied sizes and shapes while reinforcing mathematical concepts like more/less than comparisons.

Card Games

Playing card games to teach preschoolers math is an interesting one. It’s a concept I tried with my daughter when she was young, and I had some success in that regard. The basic idea is to use a set of cards, each with a number on it—like playing poker or solitaire—and have the children learn about addition and subtraction by seeing if they can match their cards to the teacher’s cards.

Tracing Shapes

shape tracing and crafts with kids

In addition to these things, tracing shapes helps build self-confidence in children as they feel a sense of accomplishment when they see their final work come together. It also helps spark creativity in children because there are no rules when it comes to tracing shapes.

Your kid can draw each shape in any color or pattern they desire. Have your child pick out a sheet and then trace over the lines on the sheet using crayons or markers in whatever colors they want. Using different colored lines makes it easier for them to follow along and get feedback as they go along.

Measuring Ingredients

You can also teach measuring units like teaspoons and tablespoons by asking them to use a tablespoon to scoop up some flour or put three teaspoons of baking soda in the bowl. They can also be introduced to order—as in, “First we put in 3 cups of flour.”

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Teaching ratios is another skill that kids need for math literacy. When you’re making a recipe with your preschooler, talk about the ingredients you’re using: “We’ll need twice as much flour as sugar” or “We’ll need 2 cups of butter for every 3 cups of sugar.” These are all skills that will help when they get older and have to do calculations independently.

Painting With Shapes

Painting with shapes is an easy, fun, creative way for preschoolers to learn about conditions.

Using a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes of shapes in your painting can make the artwork enjoyable. You can use these techniques with paint on paper or other surfaces. The art is also great for other projects such as collages or scrapbooks.

You can cut out the different shapes you need from cardboard, wood, or even heavy paper. If you have a computer and printer available, it’s also easy to print out the required shape templates on card stock before cutting them out with scissors.

Encourage your preschooler to experiment! It doesn’t matter if they don’t color each shape carefully within its lines; they should enjoy creating with color and patterns as they paint their masterpieces.

You can easily teach your preschooler basic math concepts through play.

Play is an essential component of quality early childhood education. Through play, children learn and develop a wide range of skills.

It also aids children in developing their social and emotional skills, as well as their knowledge of math, science, and literacy. Play provides kids with natural opportunities to make sense of the world around them.

Researchers have found that play connects with the pleasure centers in our brains, which encourages learning and creativity. Play teaches self-regulation and promotes resilience because it allows you to try out new ideas that may not work right away.

You can easily teach your preschooler basic math concepts through play. The simple act of counting items together or stacking blocks reinforces essential number recognition while having fun playing together.

About Our Guest Post

Andrea Gibbs is the Content Manager at SpringHive Web Agency, where she helps create content for their clients’ blogs and websites. She is currently a blog contributor at Montessori Academy, a blog dedicated to helping parents with the ins and outs of parenting children within the Montessori tradition. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and her dog.

If you want your article featured on Unabashedkids.com – submit a request form.

Posted in Math

3 Interactive Counting and Subtraction Song Activities for ages 2 to 6

3 Interactive Counting and Subtraction Song Activities for ages 2 to 6

Ever tried to get a kid to sing or count along with you, but they were too distracted? 

Getting a little one to start counting when there are more interesting distractions around (cocomelon, classmates, toys, or kids playing games on youtube) can be a challenge. This list of 3 interactive counting activities and songs can help you compete with all of the distractions stopping the child you’re working with from counting along with you.

4 behavioral management tips for educational activities with young children.

  1. The first tip is to remove all distractions. Television, smart board, i-pad, and/or cell phones must be off and put away. 
  2. Remove the child from any toys that are not a part of the activity. 
  3. Before you begin clearly let the child or children know that it is time to count or sing. This is important because then they know what will come next and can be mentally prepared for what you expect from them. 
  4. Give signals that counting will be a fun activity. This can be as easy as a smile or happy voice. If counting has been a fussy or tantrum causing activity in the past, then the prior tip is of the utmost importance. 

Make Counting Songs Interactive 

There are plenty of children’s nursery rhymes that include numbers, counting, addition, and subtraction skills.  This article will highlight 3 of these songs. 

  • 5 Little Speckled Frogs
  • 5 Little Ducks
  • 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the bed
Image of 5 Little Ducks interactive song board. Includes lyrics of nursery rhyme, mother duck, little ducks, and hills.

How to use the interactive Song boards in a Pre-K or Kindergarten classroom – 

Below you will find a FREE interactive board to go along with each song. It’s simple to use. Sing the lyrics on the board, while cueing the child(ren) to remove an animal as the number gets smaller. 

A full classroom can interact by taking turns pasting the frogs, ducks, or monkeys on the velcro board or an individual child can bond with an adult while singing the song.

“The children in the Pre-K classroom loved this interactive game during circle time.”

The printouts provided for FREE will be good for small groups or an individual child. Teachers can choose to write the lyrics of the song out on a poster board to make the activity more group friendly. Children can take turns pasting the animals on the board or removing them as the song goes on. The children in the Pre-K classroom loved this interactive game during circle time. Make sure you sing the song at least 2 times to give each child a turn or sing more than one of the interactive songs. 

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**** If you do not have a laminator or velcro you can store the pieces in a zip lock bag and do the activity at a table. Placing each piece on the paper as you sing the song. ****

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