articlesforchristians

A calendar is a great tool for teaching math, science, and some social studies. Just look at all the things that you can teach with calendar math.

• Days of the week
• Months of the year
• Yesterday
• Today
• Tomorrow
• Numbers 1-31
• How many days until ____?
• Holidays and other special days
• Seasons
• patterns
• shapes
• colors

Now let’s talk about how to teach these various topics. Not all topics need to be taught on the same day.

• How to teach the days of the week, months of the year, seasons, weather, today, yesterday, tomorrow, and numbers up to 31:
  • Get a calendar
  • Everyday say “today is (day of the week, Month of the Year, and then the number).
    • for example,” today is Wednesday, August 20th”.
    • As you say every part of this point to the part of the calendar that tells us this.
  • Now ask some questions:
    • If you make your own calendar, put a number out of place then ask the child to find it.
    • What day was yesterday?
    • What day will be tomorrow?
    • How many days are in a week?
    • What are the days of the week?
    • How many months are in a year?
    • What are the months of the year?
    • What was last month?
    • What is next month?
    • Ask what is the current season?
    • Ask what was the last season?
    • Ask what is the coming season?
    • Ask questions about the season/weather such as:
      • What kind of clothes do you wear in this season?
      • What kind of weather do we normally have in this season?
        • Is it hot, cold, rainy, snowy, etc.
      • Ask what is the weather today?
        • Is it sunny, cloudy, partly cloudy, raining, snowing, etc.
        • Is it hot, warm, cool, or cold today?
• How to teach counting up to 31 or down from 31 or less.
  • Count the days in the month, pointing to each number as you count it.
  • Count backwards from any number.
  • Ask questions:
    • How many days until the end of the month?
    • How many days have we had in this month?
    • If there is a special day coming up, ask how many days until (special day)?
• How to teach about Holidays and other special occasion:
  • As you get close to any Holiday or special occasion, do these things:
    • Explain that (Holiday / Special occasion) is coming up.
    • Point out on the calendar where the day is.
    • Ask how many more days until (Holiday/Special occasion).
    • Tell about the Holiday / Special occasions the days leading up to it.
• How to teach patterns, shapes, and colors.
  • Every month pick a different pattern to teach. The patterns could be:
    • shapes
    • colors
    • shapes and colors put together
  • Now decide what kind of pattern. It could be:
    • abab
    • abbabb
    • abcabc
    • ect.
  • Draw the pattern on the calendar.
  • On the 1st day have the child look at the calendar and see it he/she can find the pattern.
  • Discuss the pattern daily with the child. Ask questions about it such as:
    • If the pattern was extended what would the next color/shape be?
    • What type of pattern is it?
      • abab
      • abbabb
      • abcabc
      • ect.