Math and Science All Around
Find easy ways to support and nurture your child's natural curiosity.
Toby, age 4, loves his evening bath. He has lots of special bathtub toys, but his favorite item is a set of plastic cups and pitchers. Over and over, he pours water from one pitcher to another. One day, he says, "Look Mommy, two of these cups fill this one to the top, and it doesn't spill over!" He then proceeds to try to see how many cups of one size it takes to fill another cup, counting "one, two, three" as he works.
Toby is learning math and science, hands on. He is counting and learning fractions; he is experimenting, observing, and making conclusions; and he is exercising his small-motor skills, which will help him get ready for writing. Best of all, the learning is self-motivated and happening while Toby is enjoying his playtime in the bath.
The beauty of math and science is that you can find them everywhere, and they are thoroughly interconnected. In fact, you could say that math is the language of science. Estimating, counting, sorting, and patterning are math skills that are also necessary for experimenting in science. For example, when children reach kindergarten, they begin to represent data, like how many birthdays occur each month, in simple bar graphs. They learn about patterns when they go outside to explore their natural surroundings, and they learn about measuring and cause and effect through cooking.
Even if you don't think of yourself as a math or science whiz (though you probably know more than you think), you can support your child's natural curiosity by tuning into your surroundings and engaging him in discussions about the world around us. When you encourage your child to observe, ask questions, make connections, and talk about newfound knowledge, you are fostering essential skills like critical thinking, observation, problem-solving, and communication.
As you talk about discoveries, you help your child develop vocabulary and verbal skills. (Remember, little children love big words.) The observation skills that come from science activities translate into paying closer attention to everything in the learning environment, which will serve them well in preschool and beyond.
Seeing Science
Making Math Child's Play
Recipes
Seeing Science
Perhaps the best way to help strengthen your child's science skills is to be curious about everything yourself. If you find a penny lying on the street on your way to the park on a sunny day, pick it up and let her feel it. Say something like, "Wow. This penny is really warm. Why do you think it's so warm?"
Everything can be observed, discussed, and studied. When you talk to your child about science facts, you are deepening his understanding of important basic concepts. Science is rich in new vocabulary. You can give him powerful word knowledge just by thoughtfully answering his questions and naming and labeling everything you see each day. On a walk at the park, you might want to name the plants you see. Ivy, oak, and fern may be new words to your child. Observe the bodies of insects. What do they use their antennae for? Why do fish have scales? These are great questions to explore together, perhaps the next time you're at the library.
Even with the youngest child, you can point out things you want her to notice, or follow her gaze to share her interest. When your child finds something that truly fascinates her, even if it's a simple rock or twig, share her enthusiasm. Anything can be turned into an experiment. Here are some of our favorite ways to encourage science:
Build with blocks. When your child plasy with blocks, he learns important concepts through trial and error: a wide base creates a stronger building (balance); if a building is asymmetrical (symmetry) or too high and narrow, it will fall down. As your child works on his buildings, you can introduce these terms. He will love the sound of these new "grownup" words.
This is a great time to ask "What if?" questions: "What will happen if I try to build a tall building with this one block on the bottom?" Let him respond with his ideas and then say, "Let's experiment and see what happens."
Experiment in the kitchen. As you cook with your child, you are doing science and math in a real-world context. Following recipes and measuring ingredients are math activities, and as you stir, beat, and bake you are engaging in chemistry. She is also experiencing the properties of solids and liquids as she watches the batter (a liquid) become a solid cookie, cake, or bread. When cooking with your child, let her know that cooking is a form of science.
Make play dough. Preschool teachers love making play dough with children for a reason: It provides plenty of fun, experimentation, and imaginative play.
Play with Oobleck. Oobleck is a wonderful variation of play dough, and is an excellent medium for introducing the scientific process. It provides an engaging experience with solids and liquids, since it displays the properties of both (it's a discrepant substance). When it dries out, it reverts to cornstarch.
Before you begin, read Bartholomew and the Oobleck, by Dr. Seuss. Bartholomew Cubbins is the star of this story about the king of Didd, who is tired of having the same old things fall from the sky. He wants something new to fall, and, unfortunately, he gets his wish with a shower of Oobleck!
Invite your child to play with and observe the Oobleck. Discuss this strange form of matter. Is it liquid? Is it a solid? How would it feel if this fell from the sky? Can he roll it into a ball? What happens when you he pokes it with his finger? What happens when a penny or other small object is put into the Oobleck? If your child is reluctant to put his hand into the Oobleck, put a small amount into a sealed plastic bag and let him feel it through the bag.
Experiment with "paint chemistry." Color mixing often happens by chance as children paint or use markers, but it can easily be turned into an intentional science lesson. Begin by reading Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni. When you're ready to paint, cover a table with newsprint. Provide drawing paper and several small containers of red, yellow, white, and blue paint. Put a small piece of sponge near each container, and have extra pieces on hand.
Explain to your child that she will work like a scientist, experimenting with mixing colors of paint. Demonstrate how to dip a sponge lightly into the paint and make a print on the paper, and invite her to try, using a different sponge for each color.
If she hasn't already done so, ask her to put one color over another to see what happens. Ask some questions to spur her observations, such as "What happened when you mixed yellow and blue?" and "What happened when you put white paint over the other colors?" You can reaffirm that blue and yellow create green, red and yellow create orange, red and blue create purple, and white makes the colors lighter.
Take a bath! The bathtub is a wonderful science lab. Simply provide measuring cups, funnels, and tubes as bathtub toys. Or, using a sink or large bowl, try a variety of sink-and-float experiments with different objects (a small rock, a plastic spoon, small and large plastic toys).
Blow bubbles. This is a terrific outdoor activity, and you can use a variety of found materials as bubble makers: plastic strawberry containers, plastic cups with holes in the bottom, or pipe-cleaner wands. Let your child experiment with various bubble makers, wind direction, and his breath to make discoveries.
Back to top
Making Math Child's Play
Math can become a seamless part of your child's play. It will blossom if you provide materials, invite questions, and encourage activities that include counting, sorting, and finding and naming shapes. Education pioneer Jean Piaget said that if children played with objects before they were asked to solve a problem, they would be more creative and successful in their thinking.
Everyday tasks provide opportunities for building math skills. Sorting laundry, pairing socks, and stacking groceries all contribute to the picture of math in the real world. Here are some ways to bring out the math in your child's play:
Play with blocks. Through blocks, your child gains experience with geometry, shape recognition, fractions, and counting, as well as spatial relations, creative thinking, problem solving, and decision-making, which are essential higher-order math and science skills. They also give him the opportunity to organize his play, share materials, negotiate with others, and cooperate with building partners. Plus, they are fun - an essential component of learning!
When you engage in block play with your child, you are helping him build literacy skills by listening, talking about his discoveries, and using math vocabulary. You can point out, "This block is a rectangle. This one's a triangle. This one is half as big as that one. When you put these two halves together, it makes a whole circle."
Blend math into pretend play. Take a "field trip" with your child to a local store or restaurant, and then invite her to open his own establishment. She will gain math vocabulary, additional practice in higher-order thinking skills such as organizing, decision-making, and problem solving, and the most essential early childhood skill of cooperative play. Provide related materials and props: play money, play food, empty food packaging, stickers for pricing, and paper for order-taking or making receipts.
While the restaurant or store is active, observe how she is playing and talk to her about it. You will learn a lot about her ideas on money and how the "real world" works.
Go on a shape-hunting walk. Invite your child to point out shapes he sees all around every day. This can be done while walking to school, the grocery store, or the park. Help broaden your child's geometric knowledge by introducing other shapes he might not know about. Too often, we focus on children being able to recognize and name only common shapes like squares, rectangles, triangles, and circles.
Invite your child to help out with simple chores. Your child can help you sort silverware for setting the table; put away toys by color, size, shape, or category; or place groceries into categories (fruits and vegetables, for example) when you shop.
You probably have many experiences with your child every day that inherently include math and science. The thing to do is name it — for yourself and for your child. Use science and math vocabulary as you talk to your child. Affirm your child's discoveries as science or math, and, whenever possible, turn their discoveries into teachable moments. It is so important to send the message, "Math and science are fun, and you can do them!"
Back to top
Recipes
Play dough: Mix two cups of flour and one cup of salt. Gradually add water until in becomes pliable, but not sticky.
Oobleck: Mix 2 cups cornstarch, 1 cup water, and a few drops of food coloring. Add the water to the cornstarch slowly and stir with a craft stick — you may need to add a drop or two of water or a sprinkle of extra cornstarch to get the right consistency. The Oobleck is ready when it resists a hard punch, but a finger gently pushing against it goes right in. Put the Oobleck on a sheet of wax paper so that you can manipulate it.
Bubble solution: Mix one gallon of distilled water, liquid dishwashing detergent, and 2 ounces of glycerin (available in the hand lotion section of drugstores).
Back to top
Barbara Sprung has 40 years of experience in early childhood education. Currently, she is co-director and co-founder of the Educational Equity Center at AED (Academy for Educational Development).
