Tools for Teaching Math for Pre-K

We used these tools for learning and teaching Math when Gab was Pre-K.   We have started him on few concepts in addition and subtraction and some basic geometry, sorting and patterns then we got these when we think that he was ready for more fun math activities. These manipulatives are good for toddlers for hands-on learning of mathematics.

Books on Learning Math.

I bought the book Teach Your 3-7 Year Old Math from Amazon.com. I need something to guide me on what exactly to teach.  The book Teach Your 3-7 Year Old Math not only gave a good set of math concepts to teach but also provided a way to teach them using a Montessori approach.  The book is a very helpful guide for starters. Now, I know where to start teaching Gab some math and have fun at the same time.

Unifix Cubes.

I got the idea of buying Unifix Cubes from a book. It looks like Lego blocks but only comes in on cube each.  It can be stacked easily and can be removed easily by my 3-year-old.  Unifix Cubes comes in sets 100’s, 300’s, and 500’s.  The 100 Count is just fine and I don’t think I would need more of these. But the 500’s will be useful as you go with bigger numbers.

We are still using this now as we are learning about multiplication and division.

Melissa and Doug Wooden Abacus.

This did not look necessary after getting the Unifix Cubes.  An abacus seems to have limited activities compared to the cubes.  But the Melissa & Doug Classic Wooden Abacus is less messy and just as interesting a the cubes. It can be placed prominently on the table so Gab can just grab it anytime he feels like counting.  We keep the cubes in a box to make the house less messy so it is less likely to be used spontaneously.

This article first appeared in DaddyAndTheCity.com, published last October 2014.

Check out tools and manipulatives for teaching math in Amazon: