The Wamponoags showed the Pilgrims how to gather nuts during their first winter. Using pictures, and real nuts, we sorted walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts into three piles. Sorting and classifying objects help children begin to notice how items are alike and different, and creates an awareness that is vital for math learning. Learning to distinguish between things feels like a major accomplishment for preschool children, and using real nuts made the activity that much more fun!
When young children categorize items, they are beginning to perceive the relationships between things. As they evolve in their ability to compartmentalize objects, they start to understand how things work together. In this activity, your budding mathematician learned how to recognize and continue number patterns within the scope of our ghost theme. Using buttons, black pasta, and plastic eye balls, we placed five items onto three paper ghosts, counting and naming the patterns that emerged as a result. We rearranged items, extended patterns, and described the differences we saw.
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