MathemAntics

MathemAntics activities help young children to learn about basic number.

MathemAntics is a suite of enjoyable math activities for young children, roughly ages 3 to 6 or 7 years. Based on a decade of research at Teachers College, Columbia University, MathemAntics is a playful (Antic) approach to learning early math. MathemAntics helps children to learn basic math concepts, methods, and strategies in several fundamental domains. There are 7 different activities. In each case, adults-especially teachers and parents-can adjust the settings to make the app appropriate to the level of the individual child.

More, less, and same is a set of activities in which young children, beginning at age 3, learn to compare two groups of musical instruments to determine whether both have the same number, or whether one group has more or less. Children can use several tools-scattering instruments to reveal if any are hidden, lining them up in rows of up to 5, and lining them up in columns of up to 2. Older children learn to use the symbols <, >, and = to express their judgements.

Counting frogs in a pond is an activity in which young children, age 3 or so, learn the basics of counting. Children can drag frogs into and out of a pond. When a frog is dragged into the pond, a voice counts them one at a time. As this happens, the written number showing the number of frogs appears on the screen. When a frog is dragged out of the pond, the voice counts out the number remaining in the pond, and the written number of the remainder appears on the screen. The app teaches the child to learn the spoken counting numbers, to count forward and backwards, and even to read the number on the screen. Counting forward one by one is the simplest form of addition; and counting backwards one by one is the simplest form of subtraction.

Quick! Is a game that helps children of all ages (adults too) learn to see number without counting. This MathemAntics activity is the most game-like of all. After the child touches a lever, musical instruments appear briefly and then go into a box. Because there is not enough time to count the objects, child must learn to "subitize" them-that is quickly see how many there are.

Counting Musical Instruments is a more advanced counting activity than Counting frogs in a pond. Children from 3 to 6 years touch a lever to produce a certain number of musical instruments. The task is to determine how many instruments are on the screen. The child can determine the number in several ways. One is to touch each instrument and move it aside while saying the correct number. Another method is to use the line-up tool that arranges instruments in rows of up to 5. A third method is to use the tool that groups objects in columns of twos. A fourth is to use the scatter tool to reveal if any instruments are hidden under others.

Explore is an activity that lets the child explore the various tools and other capabilities of MathemAntics. The child is not assigned any task to solve, but instead can try out the various tools and features of MathemAntics. One new tool is a "box" or grouping feature that allows the child to explore grouping objects by 2s, 3s all the way up to 10. This feature can be used to teach repeated counting and eventually even multiplication.

Adding and subtracting frogs in a pond and Adding and subtracting musical instruments both provide introductions to addition and subtraction. The frog activity is simpler than the musical instrument app. In both cases, children have the experience of solving simple addition activities. Eventually children come to remember the number facts, but the goal here is to help children understand the meaning of addition and subtraction and to develop strategies for solving numerical problems. The musical instrument task provides children with powerful tools for solving addition and subtraction problems, namely lining up by columns of 2, rows of up to 5, and grouping boxes.