In Pearl class we encourage children to take part in cooking. It provides wonderful opportunities to help your child learn mathematical vocabulary. How better to learn phrases like ‘more than’ or ‘less than’ than by weighting out ingredients. Let your child feel a 1kg bag of sugar to feel how heavy it is. He or she could also feel other packages to help to develop estimation skills.
Your child will gain experience in counting and recognising numbers. If decorations are to be added to cakes, let your child add a specific number and counting opportunities can arise while setting the table. Through the use of different cutters, children can learn the names of various 2D shapes. You can discuss how many corners or sides these shapes have so that children will learn the properties of many shapes. Your child can learn about timing too.
During the activity, it would be useful if you use the vocabulary below:
Counting
•enough
•not enough
•nearly
•just over
•how many …?
•count
Measuring
•measure
•enough
•not enough
•too much, too little
•too many, too few
•nearly
•just under, just over
•thick, thin
•long, short
•longest, shortest
•weigh, weighs
•heavy, light
•heavier, lighter
•weight
•full, half full
•empty
•holds