Many parents believe that babies need to study math when they are going to primary school. Mathematics is too difficult for Xiao Baobao to make sense. Actually, it's not. In fact, when the baby 1-3 years old, it has already entered the "mathematical sensitive period".
Pascal, a French philosopher, believes that the human mind is actually a mathematical mind, and Montessori, a preschool educator, is also convinced. She wrote that "children love mathematics very much, and love the science of precision, order and wisdom".
It can be seen that the baby is actually interested in mathematics from an early age. Mom and dad can fully mobilize the baby's various senses by using all kinds of objects, and combine the virtual "number" with the concrete "thing" so that the baby can feel and learn mathematics better in play. 1-3-year-old baby's mathematics enlightenment can mainly start from three aspects: number, quantity and shape.
Know the relationship between numbers and things.
Before the age of 3, the baby still stays in the shallow stage of mathematical concepts, such as knowing only a few numbers, but not clear about the meaning of numbers. Many parents spend a lot of time teaching their baby to count from 1 to 20, so it is not comprehensive to think that the baby is learning math.
Numbers are abstract to babies. Parents should not only teach their babies to read, but also match numbers with objects to help them understand the relationship between numbers and things, so as to achieve real mathematics enlightenment.
1. Know the numbers and feel the numbers.
In life, mathematics and numbers are everywhere. In normal life, parents can show their babies the numbers around them. For example, you can look at the license plate number and bus number on the street, count the steps and floors when you go upstairs, and teach your baby to look at the numbers on the clock, the numbers on the mobile phone and so on.
Teaching your baby to know and feel numbers can also be done in daily games, such as clock toys, telephone toys with sound and light effects, cash register toys, etc. Through touch, hearing, vision and other senses, as well as parents' explanations, let the baby deeply feel the numbers in repeated play.
2. Learn to do oral calculations
1-3-year-old babies develop rapidly and have a good memory. Teaching your baby to learn to count at this time is not only an exercise of your baby's language ability, but also a good foundation for teaching your baby to match numbers with things in the future.
To teach your baby to count, you can start with children's songs and nursery rhymes with numbers, and use cheerful melody and rhythmic language to enhance your baby's interest in retelling numbers. When teaching your baby to count, you should pronounce it clearly, from less to more, and repeat it frequently, which can deepen your baby's memory of counting.
3. Match numbers with things
After the baby knows and feels about numbers, and gradually learns to count, parents can focus on helping the baby understand the corresponding relationship between numbers and things. This will enable the baby to better connect abstract numbers with specific items and deepen the brain's understanding and memory of numbers.
(1) points to objects and counts them.
In daily life, parents can ask their babies to count specific items and explain them at any time, such as: "Baby, there are three biscuits in the small bowl now, please count them, 1, 2, 3." The baby's repeated counting actions and numbers can greatly improve the accuracy of the baby's counting.
(2) Counting in the game
In addition to explaining at any time in daily life, you can also play house games with your baby, for example, let your baby cut two cakes for yourself, let three plush toys be guests together, and distribute plates and cups to each "guest"; Or let many little dolls "line up" and let the baby count while posing.
(3) Simple understanding of addition and subtraction
When the baby initially understands the relationship between numbers and objects, simple addition and subtraction can be explained, which can help the baby to understand the relationship between numbers and objects more deeply, and at the same time, it can also cultivate the baby's sense of numbers and establish specific underlying logic for learning more complicated mathematical content in the future.
You can start within 3, for example, "Baby, you see that Mom has 1 candy in her left hand and 1 candy in her right hand. Now we have two pieces of candy. " Or "Baby, there are three pieces of candy now. Now take 1. How many? " From less to more, step by step, the baby can quickly understand and accept.
In addition, you can also use toys such as beading and counting beads to let the baby stir and play by himself, and learn the basic concepts of "one more" and "one less" in the game, so that it will be easier to understand "addition" and "subtraction" in the future.
Preliminary perception concept
Besides "number", "quantity" is also a very important mathematical concept, which is closely related to life. From concrete quantities such as "how much" to abstract quantities such as "speed", babies can feel all kinds of "quantities", which is very helpful for future life and math study.
1-3-year-old babies mainly rely on sensory learning. When you take your baby to know the quantity, you can first change from a specific and tangible quantity to a more abstract concept of quantity.
1. Perceive the specific quantity
Specific quantity refers to some quantities that can be intuitively felt, such as size, quantity, height, length and thickness. It is a very quick and effective way for parents to show their babies different "quantities".
In daily life, parents can deliberately describe things in words, such as: "Look, baby, mom is taller than baby and shorter than dad." Coupled with the baby's own perception, the baby can better understand the simple image concept of "quantity", which is a very important mathematical enlightenment.
2. Perceive the concept of "abstract" quantity
As your baby's cognitive range expands with age, you can start telling your baby some "abstract" quantitative concepts to help your baby build his thinking ability and deepen his understanding of things, such as the length of time, speed, temperature and volume.
Mom and dad can explain some phenomena in life to the baby at ordinary times, and also help him understand them during playing: for example, explaining the speed with a toy car and sensing the temperature with touch. And integrate mathematics enlightenment into daily life.
3. Learn to classify and sort
Piaget, a famous Swiss psychologist and mathematician, studied children's thinking of learning to calculate. His research results show that classification and sorting are necessary forms of intellectual games in children's learning and calculation, and are the basis for children to form mathematical concepts. So sorting is very important for 1-3-year-old babies to learn math.
Mom and dad can combine the classification game with the concept of "quantity", such as letting the baby separate the big from the small, the long from the short, and so on; It can also be combined with understanding graphics, such as classifying circles and triangles. In addition, it can be classified by color, type and purpose.
When sorting, it can be arranged in a certain way according to different objects, according to certain rules or orders. Such as size, length, thickness, sequence, quantity, etc. Sorting and sorting games are very flexible, and gradually adjusting the difficulty according to the baby's actual situation can increase the baby's interest in learning.
Perception of shape and space
Dr. Howard gardner, a famous American developmental psychologist and professor at Harvard University, put forward the theory of multiple intelligences, including linguistic intelligence, mathematical logic intelligence, spatial intelligence, body movement intelligence, musical intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, self-cognitive intelligence and natural cognitive intelligence, which is usually called eight intelligent.
Theoretically, it can be seen that in addition to mathematical logic intelligence, spatial intelligence is also very important for the baby's development. Spatial intelligence refers to people's three-dimensional thinking and expressive ability. This ability should be based on geometric cognition, and then feel the three-dimensional space.
Therefore, when the baby 1-3 years old, parents should take the baby to know graphics and feel graphics from life. On this basis, let the baby feel the concept of space.
1. Know the plane shape
Since the baby is 1 year old, parents can teach the baby basic graphics, such as circles, squares and triangles. In the teaching process, it is best to use physical objects, such as puzzles, Montessori teaching AIDS, building blocks, magnetic films and other toys with graphics, which are more in line with the learning characteristics of babies of this age.
Pay attention to be clear and accurate when describing the figure for the baby, such as: "Baby, look at this triangle, touch it, it has three sharp corners ... count it, 1, 2, 3." In addition, you can also take your baby to find various shapes around you, and closely combine mathematics with life.
2. Feel the three-dimensional concept
The baby can have a three-dimensional concept around 1 year and a half, so after knowing the plane figure, the baby can begin to feel the three-dimensional concept. You can start with well-understood cubes, cuboids and spheres, so that your baby can feel the difference between three-dimensional graphics and plane graphics.
Mom and dad can build cubes, cuboids or other three-dimensional graphics with magnetic disks or building blocks, so that the baby can feel the process of a graphic from plane to three-dimensional. You can also split the three-dimensional graphics into plane graphics, which can make your baby's feelings more intuitive.
3. Know the spatial position and relative position
2-3 years old is the period when children's spatial intelligence develops fastest. Babies can establish more accurate spatial concepts about the size, shape, up and down, front and back, left and right, distance, etc. From 1 year old, you can gradually let your baby understand simple location concepts such as "up and down" and "before and after".
As the baby grows older, you can let the baby know the relative position: give a reference and then give the baby an instruction. For example, "Baby, can you show me the blue stool on your left?" "Baby, I want a white napkin next to the water glass."
The accurate description of the position, together with other key information that the baby knows, can help the baby quickly understand the relationship between relative positions in daily life.
Mathematics is not just numbers and figures in textbooks, but is integrated into all aspects of life. Mathematics is interesting and rich, and babies are naturally sensitive and interested in mathematics. Let the baby know the number, quantity and shape in a way suitable for his age, which can cultivate his learning ability and interest.