Math Language

I just found this great website that students, teachers and parents can use to access lots of "virtual" math manipulatives. Math is full of language concepts! Words like before, after, below, around, more than, less than...and don't forget those math word problems!

The website has items arranged by grade level (preK through 4). The "help" button at the bottom of the screen gives a good explanation of how to use the tools. There are a couple of ways that I can see this as a fun teaching/practice tool for language...

 Under the PreK to grade 1 "manipulatives" tab, click on Bears in a Boat. Click and drag the boat onto the work and have your child follow your directions to put bears into the boat. Use position words, "Put a purple bear in front of (next to, behind) a red bear;" or time concepts, "Put a red bear in the boat after/before you put a blue bear in." You could practice following directions with quantity concepts such as, "Make all but one of the bears in the boat yellow;" or "Make some of the bears in the boat green."

Under the manipulatives tab, choose calendar.  Help your child fill in the calendar for the month, clicking and dragging the numbers, days of the week and name of the month.  Talk about the day that is after Monday, or the week after Valentine's day.  Use words like before, after, next, last, first.  Write in special days or appointments with the text tool and then print the calendar for your fridge.  Try some real-life word problems such as, "We are going to the dentist on the last Friday of the month.  How many days until we go to the dentist?"

There are many more ways to use these tools...explore and have fun!

CLICK HERE for the website.

Did you say Pirates?

If you are looking for a fun way to practice following directions and understanding concept words, you might want to try my Gold Giveaway PIRATE game.  It's best if played with more than 3 players (although it will work with 2).  I have included a printable version and a PowerPoint version.  The links are below...

Gold Giveaway (PowerPoint)
Gold Giveaway (printable version)

I've also added another version of The Krabby Patty game on the My Games page.  You can use it as a motivator and to keep your child's interest in articulation practice (I hope!).

Have a wonderful weekend!