Bug Math Printable { Learning After School }

$math worksheet for kindergarten$ My son loves math. Adores it. What he doesn’t love is writing practice. So even though this printable worksheet I made (a rare thing in itself) is a math review my goal was actually getting him to write and specifically to write smaller.

You may notice that my son looks a little younger in this post and you are right we did this 6 months ago just as he was finishing up Kindergarten. He is a good student but handwriting has always been a struggle so to mix in a little practice with something he loves like math is a good way to make use of a little after school time. Homework may be all you have time to do and please do not push your kids to do more if they are given homework often or a heavy load. That is your priority. These Learning After School activities are meant for times when you have free time. They are short but worthwhile and hopefully fun!

How to Use Bug Math Printables

Gather your materials. You will need a Bug Math Printable ( click for the sheet), a pencil with a good eraser and a kiddo ready to learn.

Go over the first example with them and then let them at it. This sheet I made specifically for my son. I included many easy bits but spelling out eight as well as how small the spaces were to write the answers were a good challenge. I am such a firm believer in balancing success and challenges to engage kids. $bug math worksheet for kindergarten$

Review their answers. If something is wrong don’t correct it immediately. Instead, say something like “Does this one look right to you? ” if they dismiss it as right ask them to explain their answer to you or try again. As you can see I suggest encouraging “kid spelling” also known as invented or phonetic spelling. Allowing children to use their existing knowledge about letter sounds to construct words will help them become better spellers in the long run. When my son specifically asks how something is spelled I will ask him to try first and then walk him through it. Some words can’t be spelled phonetically but giving kids the chance to try is really beneficial.

$math and invented spelling$

Simple and quick little bits of practice pay off just make sure that before you do an activity like this that your child has a clear understanding of the concepts presented. I prefer to use independent activities like this for review and reinforcement. Worksheets are not my style of teaching and you won’t find a lot of them in my preschool materials. However, for older kids who are eager to do short independent activities like this, they aren’t a bad choice as long as they aren’t the only choice. For some outdoor math activities check out these ideas.