When you read an article title like “Why Math Might Be the Secret to School Success,” you stop and pay attention.
“We think math might be sort of a lever to improve outcomes for kids longer term,” lead researcher Pamela Morris said.
Now that’s a powerful statement. But here’s a more sobering statement when one considers how closely connected math skills and academic performance are:
“[T]here’s a real lack of math learning in pre-K.”
We have the solution – music and movement classes.
In Kindermusik, children learn:
Geometry: Spaces and Shapes
Moving to music and playing instruments in creative ways causes children to become aware of the space around them, deepening their understanding of positional and spatial concepts.
Try this at home – Rainy Day Playground
Encourage your child to climb over and under pillows, cardboard boxes and sheets turned into tunnels. Talk about how his/her body fits in these new creative spaces!
Patterns
Movement games, circle dances, and instrument ensembles help children listen for and identify the patterns in music which also develops their ability to recognize patterns in math.
Try this at home – Brown Bear, Brown Bear
Read a story with repetitive text. Afterwards, playfully challenge your child to come up with new “pages” that match the repeating pattern.
Numbers and Measurement
Rhymes, songs, chants, and fingerplays give practice with one-to-correspondence, counting, ordering, sequencing, and comparing and deepen early math skills.
Try this at home – Count It Out
Keep the numbers rolling with your child. How many buttons on your shirt? How many steps did we climb? Did we use five blocks or four?
To learn more about how music lays the foundation for early math skills, download one of Kindermusik International’s “Music and Math” ebooks at www.Kindermusik.com.
Contributed by Kindermusik educator Theresa Case, whose award-winning Kindermusik program at Piano Central Studios is located in beautiful upstate South Carolina.