HOW TO INTRODUCE THE BASIC CONCEPTS OF ADDITION TO FOUR YEAR OLDS

Firstly, I will say show me 5 fingers! (They will all show me 5 fingers with one of their hand up)

Then I will say show me 5 fingers but use two hand, and they will all put put both their hands 🙌 up and I will say, hmm that’s 10 fingers and they will start thinking

And I will let them have time to think about it, eventually, some of them will get it.

And he/she  may then show me 3 fingers in one hand and 2 fingers from other hands)  And I will be like, wow look at that well done that’s 5 fingers.

“So, 3 and 2 makes 5 ( 3 ➕ 2 = 5 )

Then once they understand the concepts of putting numbers together to make another number, I will then introduce the vocabulary- plus sign ➕ addition ➕ equation.

Show them the plus sign and say – when we add we put it together.)

And we then use different manipulation such as cubes, counters and sticks to add two numbers together.

And then the final step is to let them add using equation worksheets. 

And that’s how I show my kids the basic concepts of addition.

Thanks for reading through.

Olu