Using fine motor activities involving hand and finger movements is a great way to get a young child to practice and remember number concepts.
Here are two easy ways to mesh fine motor and simple math readiness skills for your kindergarten or 1st grade student.
You will need four items: index cards, any color marker, glue, and salt (or sand or sugar)
- Use one index card for each number.
- Write the numbers 0 to 10 with the marker in the middle of the card. Make the numbers large enough to be seen easily, about 4 to 5 inches.
- With the glue, make a glue line to cover the number.
- While the glue is wet, sprinkle the sand, salt, or sugar over the card.
- Set the cards aside to dry overnight.
- When completely dry, shake any excess salt off the cards.
- Have your child close her eyes and trace the number to identify it.
- When she can easily “feel” and recognize 0 to 10, repeat the process for numbers 11 to 20.
You’ll need index cards or strips of construction paper, a handheld hole punch, and a pencil.
- Write a simple addition sentence on the card or paper strip, leaving a line at the end for the answer. For example 2 + 3 = __
- Using the hole punch, direct your child to squeeze the correct number of holes under each number—two holes under the 2, three holes under the 3.
- Have him count the total number of holes to find the answer to the addition sentence, and then print the numeral 5 with the pencil on the solution line at the end.
- Adding math to fine motor activities subtly reinforces facts while strengthening the small muscle groups of a young child’s hands and fingers.