Preschool mathematics is centered around counting and number recognition. Teachers should give students items to count, such as marbles, toys, buttons or blocks. They can use the classroom as a math lab, encouraging students to count the number of desks, the number of students during circle time or the number of books on the bottom shelf of a bookcase. Teachers should also fill the reading center with counting books and post numbers on the walls of the classroom.
Teachers should teach preschool students about science by giving them an opportunity to observe the natural world around them. They can take their students outside to collect leaves, flowers, rocks and moss, put a bird feeder outside the classroom window so that students can watch birds and plant flowers to attract bees and butterflies. They can also take students outside after a rainy day to see earthworms or collect some in dirt for students to observe in the classroom. Finally, they can fill the science center with natural artifacts, such as seashells, sand and dirt, and keep an aquarium filled with fish and snails and let students take turns feeding them.
Children begin recognizing shapes in preschool. Teachers should provide students with blocks in different shapes to build and stack, decorate the classroom with different shapes, point out the shapes in everyday objects, such as clocks, which are circles or desks, which are squares, and provide paper and writing utensils and encourage students to practice drawing different shapes.
Measuring is another important preschool skill. Teachers should provide students with tape measures, rulers and items to measure. Pipe cleaners, pieces of string or paperclips also work as measuring devices. Teachers should encourage students to measure the objects around them, such as their desks, the circle time rug or a book.
Preschoolers learn best through hands-on activities. A sensory table allows students to experiment and learn through play. Teachers can fill a sensory table with water, give students buckets and cups and show students how to make small waves or demonstrate how some objects float while others sink. They can also fill the table with cold water or ice to engage students' senses or perform a science experiment by dropping ice cubes into warm water to see what happens.