For a lot of kids, kindergarten is the beginning of an amazing learning journey. This is a time to learn new things, make new friends, and start growing their minds. For these young minds, learning isn’t just something they do in school, it happens all day long. So what can parents do to make learning, a major subject like math, not just something that happens during school hours? One way to do this is by using kindergarten math worksheets.
Kindergarten math worksheets are designed to help children practice what they learn in school. Working on counting, addition, and subtraction at home with parents is a great way for kids to practice, share what they are learning, and be confident in math. Today, find out some great ways to use kindergarten math worksheets to help children succeed and provide a few tips on how to get the most out of these math worksheets.
What Are Kindergarten Math Worksheets?
When deciding what extra practice worksheets you want your children to use, you want to make sure they match up with what they are learning. Many online math programs, like Kumon and VISPARK, have practice materials, like worksheets, broken down by the school year and educational topics. Making sure you have kindergarten math worksheets that match up to what your children are learning in school, is important so children don’t feel overwhelmed by new concepts.
Kindergarten math worksheets function best as a supplement rather than a replacement. Supporting in-person learning, or learning with live teachers online, is the main goal of practice materials. Using worksheets that kids don’t understand can hurt their confidence when they start learning new things. Making sure math worksheets are appropriate for your child’s grade level, makes learning more consistent for your child.
Benefits of Using Kindergarten Math Worksheets
There are a million ways for kids to get the answer to math problems. From online math games to using a calculator on your smartphone, you can get the answers to math questions everywhere. So why do we use kindergarten math worksheets and are they worth it?
A study from the Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia in Canada has shown kids thrive and love learning by interacting with subjects in fun ways. From coloring books to toys, there are some things kids love doing no matter how much technology is around. Kids love screen time and giving kids a way to be productive during that time is essential. With worksheets focused specifically on kindergarten, kids get to interact with math concepts they are learning in fun ways. Counting can be used to create a picture by connecting the dots, or learning to count apples and butterflies. Experiencing math, in a fun way, helps young kids think of math as something challenging and fun.
Using Kindergarten Math Worksheets in Your Child’s Learning Journey
Using any educational tool for children, especially younger kids, is a group effort. Making sure you’re involved in their learning is important to show your support and interest in what they are learning. Using worksheets, games, videos, and online classes from professional education sites like VISPARK, Kumon or any education site is a great way to start making math part of everyday life. Here are some tips for getting the best out of these worksheets so kids.
A. Choose The Right Worksheets for Your Child’s Level
There’s a reason we keep using the phrase “Kindergarten math worksheets”, parents need to make sure that the practice you give to your child is based on their grade, and what they are learning. When trying to make learning fun, you want to create a little bit of a challenge, but not work outside of their skill level. Math is a skill that builds up based on what you know. Kids can’t count numbers with our learning numbers, can’t multiply if they haven’t learned addition. Kids want to be challenged but if the challenge comes without support or knowledge it can actually make kids turn away from math completely. Let your kids have fun using the skills they learned at level they are comfortable with.
B. Utilize Different Types of Math Worksheets
“Variety is the spice of life!” That’s a phrase that has been used for years, but what does that really mean? Even if pizza is our favorite food, if it was the only thing you ate for a year, brussels sprouts would be an exciting change. Worksheets are the same thing. If you have the same types of kindergarten math worksheets every day, you won’t keep your child’s attention.
There are thousands of ways to practice the same skills in fun and exciting new ways. Find sheets with different activities. Worksheets don’t have to be all about doing problems. Use connect the dots puzzles to work on counting, make sure the problems you use have fun pictures to keep kids involved or to color after solving the problems and most importantly take time to work with your child on problems. Using skills in new ways is a great way to show how math is for more than just equations.
C. Set Aside Time to Practice with Worksheets
Young kids do well with routine and knowing what to expect. It can be helpful to set schedules. Screen time, playtime, and nap time are all regular aspects of a kindergarten student’s life. Make sure to add math time to that schedule. Practicing math shouldn’t be a punishment, or busy work when parents are trying to do something. Taking 15-30 minutes every few days to focus on practicing math creates a routine that helps kids make math part of every day. Why is it so important to make math a normal part of life? The more you do anything the more normal it becomes, and the more normal math becomes, the more confidence kids have in doing math and learning new math concepts. The more time kids have to master math, the more it’s not only a skill they know, but they might even fall in love with it.
D. Make Learning Fun and Exciting for Your Kids
The most important part of worksheets, or any additional practice math material, is that kids enjoy it. Especially when dealing with preschool and kindergarten kids, we know making learning fun is key. Making math fun, challenging, and filled with practice of new skills is the best way to make kids feel comfortable and ready to learn more. Working together with families helps build kids’ confidence and interest in math. Parents can engage their kids about how they approach a problem and solve it. The best part of doing kindergarten math worksheets with your children is seeing them explain how these concepts work. If they can explain the concepts to you then you know they truly understand the concepts they are studying.
Math worksheets aren’t just busy work, they support and help kids practice what they learned. Worksheets can be a way to help kids master skills or find where they are struggling to understand a concept. With great supplemental worksheets, kids can get away from a screen, practice math, create art, and most importantly builds confidence.
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