In the maze of different apps, it’s sometimes hard to know where to look for those that will help students gain new competencies. Today we’ll point out to you those that will work great for learning math in kindergarten.
Within the activities presented you will find teaching basic math skills, but also related to distinguishing and writing the characters themselves. Some of them are hidden within another purpose of the application. Others, meanwhile, contain a hint of fun, but kindergarten is a special place where it is wise to play.
Writing numbers with Knowla
- Planet M – Write the numbers after the trace
Let’s start with knowing the signs themselves and learning how to spell them correctly. As part of this activity, we also train small motor skills. With a marker pen we draw along the trace and fill it with magic dust.
Distinguish between signs in practical tasks
- Planet M – Color the numbers
- Planet M – Dominoes
- Planet M – Look for the numbers
- Planet M – Sudoku 3
- Planet PI – Code with colors
- Planet Dz – Color by numbers
All of the mentioned applications include numbers or numerals. However, they do not require knowledge of their meaning. While having fun, they teach the shapes of the signs and how to distinguish them, which will be an important skill at later stages of education.
Let’s demonstrate this with an example. In the Color Code activity, we are supposed to mark all occurrences of the indicated number with a given color. Painting the box with the wrong color will fail. We don’t need to know how many “4’s” it is or which number in the sequence it is. We focus on the notation itself. It is enough to distinguish it from “3”.
Serialization
- Planet Sigma – Play the rhythm
- Planet Sigma – Compare Collections 1
- Planet Hopsa – Complete the ranks
Serializing, or otherwise putting elements in order, is an important skill for future mathematicians. It’s also a process that requires analysis and decision-making, which supports children in solving problems and finding strategies in situations that require logical thinking. It prepares them to compare numbers. Supports logical thinking skills or pattern recognition. Teaches organizing data and analysis.
Open Rhythm from Planet Sigma combines serialization with music. Each object has its own assigned sound. Our task is to line them up to arrange the suggested melody. Once approved, we get feedback on which items are in the right place.
Counting elements
- Planet Sigma – Count the figures 1
- Planet Sigma – Zliczanka 0
- Planet Hops – Numbers
- Planet Fruu – Count the animals
The time has come to count the elements on a given board. The application we have in mind is Countdown. In it, you need to rearrange as many apples as indicated by the number at the top.
Another app from Planet Fruu, which is free on any Knowla device, is also particularly worth mentioning at this point. It already requires knowledge of character notation and supports fine motor skills.
Numbers in order
- Planet Sigma – Count on scale 1
- Planet Hopsa – Color and Count
- Planet Hopsa – Number coloring book
- Planet Fruu – Connect the dots
- Planet Fruu – Growing squares
- Planet Spe – Connect the dots tight line
- Planet M – Look for the numbers
From a combination of knowledge of serialization and knowledge of numbers and their values, we can already talk about setting them in order. Some of the presented applications do this in passing, when the purpose of the action itself is different. In the Number Coloring Book app, we can only paint a certain number of boxes with a given color. This number changes with the next painted field.
Also worth noting is the Count on the Scale Level 1 application. Within it, our task is to move around the scale, adding more creatures until we reach the right number. The number of creatures changes along with the number. The excess ones appear crossed out. Here we also get into addition slowly, and in later levels also subtraction.
Comparing
- Planet Sigma – Compare Collections 1
- Planet Hopsa – Traveler
Since we are already at the comparison of sets, let’s stay at it for a while. In both of the applications shown, we have to mark with signs which of the sets shown is larger.
Below is the activity from the Compare Harvest app.
Simple addition and subtraction
- Planet Sigma – Count on a scale of 1, 2
- Planet Sigma – Countdown 1
- Planet Hopsa – Mathematical Scales 1, 2, 3
Not requiring full understanding of the construction of addition and subtraction notation itself. Allowing you to experiment and test your answer yourself.
In the case of the Mathematical Scales, our task is to throw in enough balls to equal the weight of the creature on the other scales.
Clocks
- Planet Sigma – What time is it?
- Planet Sigma – Set the Clock
If we want to start teaching children how to read the clock as well, Planet Sigma will also include two apps to aid this process.
Geometry
- Planet Sigma – Count the figures 1
- Planet Sigma – Missing Element 1, 2, 3
- Planet Hopsa – Geometric Puzzle
- Planet Hops – Shapeshift
- Planet Hopsa – Find the shapes
- Planet Fruu – Find the figures
At the very end we left geometry. Each of them is based on distinguishing figures and counting them or arranging them on the board.
For Find Shapes, we have to point out all the hidden geometric figures on the board.
Which packages are best to buy?
For math for preschoolers, it’s best to consider Planet Sigma or Planet Hopsa.
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