If there’s one thing that Darah’s Montessori education so far has taught me, it’s that learning needs to be multi-dimensional. All the senses need to be incorporated when learning a concept, and the more tactile stimulation a child can get while engaging in a lesson, the better.
Hand 2 Mind is a company that firmly believes in learning by doing, and they have created some outstanding resources to help teachers and parents promote academic success and true learning, not memorizing.
I have been perusing the Hands-On Standards Deluxe Edition Grades PreK-K book and have been creating some supplemental lessons for Darah at home all about math. Math is a subject I feared as a child and adolescent, and that fear continues in me even as an adult. I do not want the same fate for Darah at all, so I want to get past my own fears and make sure we talk about math and “do” math frequently at home!
This assessment book is perfectly designed for teachers, or for homeschooling parents or even for parents who just need some ideas for ways to teach match concepts without being abstract. I am REALLY enjoying reading this. Pinterest projects are great for getting some cool teaching ideas, but this is a very comprehensive booklet that teaches concepts that it never would have occurred to me to attempt or to know how to communicate, and in very tangible ways.
I love that this book also demonstrates the research that is backing this approach to learning. I’m a data-driven parent, which means I want to know why certain ideas in parenting and in educating our children should be considered. What studies have been performed to prove that these methods are effective? This booklet shows you, and I really love that.
While specific manipulative objects are recommended in the book, and can also be purchased through Hand 2 Mind, you aren’t restricted to these specific items. With a little bit of advanced planning, you can find excellent substitutes for what is shown in each lesson by looking around your house or planning a quick trip to the dollar store or the craft supply store. This book has 57 different lessons that teach the following concepts:
- Count up and back
- Identify sets of numbers
- 1-to-1 correspondence
- Ordinal numbers
- Basic addition
- Identify basic shapes in the real world
- Sort objects by 1 or 2 attributes
- Gather and record data
- Order objects by height or length
- Compare relative sizes of containers
I am extremely impressed with this book and I know it is going to go a long way toward helping me make sure that math is something we do and love, not something we fear. I would highly recommend hand2mind.com for their helpful kits and books designed to ensure your children stay engaged in learning, both inside and outside of the classroom. The book I reviewed retails for $49.95.