This is a book about a boy, his imagination, and the amazing music he makes with two sticks. Max uses his two sticks to tap out a variety of rhythmic patterns that he hears all around him in his neighborhood: pigeons startled into flight, rain tapping against a window, a train thundering down the elevated track. Read it with your kids and then encourage them to tap out the patterns they hear in their world.

Age range: 4 to 8

Educational value: This book supports early algebraic thinking – making and replicating patterns. Additionally, it encourages creative thinking and imaginative play.

App – Kids Builder: Joy Preschool

App Name: Kids Builder Joy Preschool

Price: $1.99

Seller: JP Game LLC

Age Group: preschoolers

Review: Help Hippo and Piggy build houses, fair grounds, and much more using 14 different geometric shapes (triangle, semicircle, trapezoid,…). The game is simple and the directions are very clear. Children click on a flashing space in their chosen scene. A friendly voice tells them which shape is needed to fill the space. Four shapes appear to choose from. Once the correct shape is chosen, its name is flashed on the screen and Piggy shakes pom-poms or Hippo plays a congratulatory tune. Gifts are awarded for helping to complete each scene.

Educational Value: I’d give this 4 out of 5 stars for 2-D geometric shape recognition. With 14 shapes, this is not your boring ‘circle, square, triangle’ game.

Style Points: 3 out of 5 points for fun-ness, cuteness, repeatability (kids will play it more than once), and number of different scenes to choose from.

Game – How Tall Am I?

For 2 to 4 players. Made in USA. About $11-$14.

Don’t let the cover of How Tall Am I? deceive you. It is a really well made game that kids will enjoy playing over and over.  Players roll the die and stack up parts (hats, faces, shirts, shoes…) to create a crazy character. The 30 interchangeable pieces are thick, durable (unbendable) cardboard (much like the pages of a boardbook). When the character is finished, use the custom measuring ruler to find out how tall the character is. The tallest character is the winner!

The How Tall Am I? game provides good, silly fun for preschoolers as they build a different funny character every time they play. The game supports the math areas of Measurement and Data Analysis.

To keep the game fresh: you could have the shortest character, the tallest hat, the shortest shoes… be the winner. Let the kids decide before they play.

For extension activities: have your child use the ruler to measure shoes, hats, shirts… around their house or classroom.

Book – Count On It! One 1

By Dana Meachen Rau (2008), Published by Marshall Cavendish

For ages: 3-6

This simple text and attractive color photos make this a great beginning counting AND reading book. The text has a repeating format that focuses on the number 1.

Once you are done reading this book with your child:

• Creating your own book of 1 by drawing, taking pictures, or cutting pictures from magazines.
• Go on a 1 walk around your home or neighborhood to look for 1 of things (i.e. 1 red hat, 1 white fence, 1 striped cat…).

Winnie the Pooh Talks about Math

“Piglet is so small that he slips into a pocket, where it is very comforting to feel him when you are not quite sure whether twice seven is twelve or twenty-two” ~ A.A. Miln

Young children want to use and understand math, but sometimes they need a little comfort and encouragement – a small piglet in their pocket – to help them.

As a professor of Early Childhood Education I hope to use this blog to provide information about marvelous math toys, books, and apps I’ve found that can help support young math learners while they play.