How to teach math to an advanced 4 1/2 year old child?

Question

My 4 year old son already knows the multiplication table, can add and subtract in the hundreds, and just loves math and numbers. His teachers in a Montessori school are doing a great job nurturing his love for math as well.

As a parent, what can I do to help him and nurture his passion for numbers? Any recommendations as to books or websites I can use?

Thanks for your advice

Answer 1

Get him some hands on math puzzles, like Cuisenaire Rods.  Teach him how to use an abacus.

Get him interested in 3 dimensional objects like cubes and spheres to ready him for volume.

Measuring things with yardsticks and rulers are entertaining to kids.  That rolls right into division and Algebra.

If he is that gifted in Math, then things like distance and speed will be fun to learn as well.

When he realizes how much of our world uses Math, his interest will be endless.

Answer 2

Teach him abacus

Show him how math is used everywhere.

SUDOKU! It's not really math, but it's a fun thinking game that uses numbers.

Get puzzles that involve math.

Do the math-a-thon for St. Judes. The workbook/CD have math problems in a more entertaining mode.

www.funbrain.com is a fun website for kids too.

Also, remember to encourage him in other areas, like writing.

YOur son is a very gifted child, except you have to remember one thing:

TO let him have fun and free time sometimes too. ^.^

Answer 3

Instead of concentrating on teaching him memorization- try challenging him with thinking skills, like word problems using numbers.

Answer 4

How about adding depth to his learning by teaching him practical use of what he's learning & some useful life skills at the same time.  Always make it fun!

For instance cooking - let him read the recipe & measure the ingredients as well as helping him mix & cook them.  Show him how you can double the amounts for a bigger cake or more biscuits etc.  Encourage him to time the cooking.  See if he can work out how much equal shares would be for each person there.

Money handling - First he needs to recognise the coins  & notes and get to know their values.  Then let him have a little spending money and help him learn to recognise what he can afford, then let him pay for it & check his change.

As you go you will see lots of other ways to help reinforce & extend his learning.

You will find that a bright child often needs 'extension work' or he gets bored with learning/school & this can lead to problems with behaviour and a bad attitude to school.

Answer 5

There is a book called "What Is  A Million" and it is great for a kid like him.  I will lead to many ideas.  Also, with kids like this you want to go horizontally in educating, which means take what he already knows and extend it, think of activities that use the same skills but are more detailed rather than just going up by grade level.  Go on the computer and make graphs of all kinds using numbers he has found by taking a survey.   I did this with my school students.

Answer 6

go to a school supply store and get him like a fourth grade math book or something, that's usually where kids are subtractin hundreds and stuff.