Made in Humane Club
How To Teach K-5 Math to Children (Age 4-7)
Co-authored with Ritvvij Parrikh.
Children learn and absorb knowledge through observation, listening, and active engagement with their surroundings. They instinctively mimic the behaviors and actions of those around them, particularly their parents, which enables them to seamlessly acquire elemental skills such as walking, social norms, motor skills, language, and more.
However, math is not as naturally integrated into daily activities as skills like walking or speaking, making it less intuitive for children to grasp. Learning math often requires explicit teaching and guided practice, typically referred to as “study time.” Culturally, study time is often perceived as the opposite of playtime.
As proponents of experiential parenting, we found building a study plan for math both exciting and challenging. We broke the problem into five stages:
- Build familiarity with Math
- To bypass the ‘study time’ branding, we needed to convert math into a daily routine
- Use math in daily life
- Have fun with math
- Introduce competitive math exams
Why it matters: In our opinion, without fluency in math, one cannot master 21st-century skills like a scientific mindset, coding, and computational thinking—essential for AI.
This is how we approached it for Sabi and here’s her journey:
Nursery: Age 4-5
At this age, most of our focus with Sabi was to teach her how to read and visually communicate. In relation to math, we had only two simple goals:
- Introduce ‘study time’: She needed to learn the concept of sitting in one place and focusing on cognitively demanding tasks. Therefore, we began helping her solve puzzles, a “game” that requires problem-solving and patience.
- Introduce math: We used simple, tactile methods that felt more like play than study. Hands-on tools such as abacus beads for counting and sticks for teaching basic addition were our go-to resources. This was also the time when we started playing ‘Monopoly’ with Sabi.
We’ve found that teaching preschoolers math with an abacus has lots of benefits. The abacus lets kids get hands-on with numbers and math, making it easier for them to understand. It also helps them with visual and spatial skills, recognizing patterns, and staying focused. Using the abacus builds their confidence in math and helps them learn addition and subtraction early on, which is great for problem-solving. Plus, it’s good for their fine motor skills. Learning to use an abacus can also teach them about different cultures and traditions, which is pretty cool. Just remember, it’s best to mix abacus learning with other math activities for a well-rounded education. How you use it matters too, so keep that in mind.
CopiedKindergarden: Age 5-6
By this time, we began spending 30–60 minutes daily on math (even on weekends). We worked together on concepts like the number line, simple addition and subtraction (and later vertical), and multiplication tables up to 5. Finding this time was challenging for both Sabi and us as working parents, but we aimed for consistency.
Note: Although the journal entry below is from when Sabi was 7 years old, she has been maintaining her weekly calendar since the age of 5 or 6.
When raising Sabi, we often faced a common question: “How does Sabi juggle so many tasks at 7?” Our method? Think about how you organize your days as young adults, and we did something similar for her.
We have mass-printed weekly planners for Sabi. On the left side, we outlined essential tasks—like brushing teeth or practicing math. Beyond that? She got to fill in the rest, mapping out her week.
Each week, she used two sheets. Every Sunday night, she sketched out her ideal week. Then, as each day passed, she noted what she really did on a second sheet. She’d review her notes every morning, setting the tone for her day.
Notice the phrase “prepare for”? The planner has inculcated the habit to not just show up, but to plan ahead and make the most of from showing up.
Copied- Sabi initially struggled to switch between problems like 4 + 7 and 7 + 4, and would get confused adding smaller numbers, followed by bigger ones
- We actively encouraged her to perform these calculations on paper so we could understand her thought process. We realized her neatness impacted accuracy, so we worked on improving her presentation skills.
This was also the year Sabi started selling bookmarks (Snug Monsters). Every time a customer bought something, she had to add or multiply and then subtract. Luckily, all her customers were patient and encouraged her to do her math carefully. Conversations introduced her to the idea of word problems:
- Addition or multiplication: “I’d like to buy five ₹1 bookmarks and four ₹5 bookmarks.”
- Subtraction: “I have a ₹100 note. How much change should you give back?”
Selling Snug Monsters Sunday after Sunday taught her the real-world utility of math.
Class 1: Age 6-7
This year wasn’t much different from the previous year:
- We continued with daily at least 30 minutes of math practice covering topics like multi-digit multiplication and division with remainders and introduction to fractions.
- She continued growing her business, Snug Monsters, began maintaining accounts, and introduced high-value products. All of this made math a regular part of her daily life.
- We also started taking her to the local mandi (wholesale market) regularly, where she bought her raw materials and negotiated prices. It may seem like a small thing, but imagining and understanding numbers in relative terms (less or more) during conversations is a skill in itself.
A man approached Dhara and asked her permission to teach Sabi about negotiation. After a brief walk, he returned to bargain with Sabi. Although Sabi’s Snug Monster Bookmark was priced at ₹10, the man insisted that it was worth only ₹8. After some haggling, Sabi eventually relented and sold the bookmark for ₹8.
Dear Future Sabi, know the value of your work and time. Stand your ground. If a price doesn’t sit right with you, it’s okay to say no. Most times, the stakes will be more than ₹2. Whether someone is persuasive or pushy, stay firm. Know your worth.
1CopiedMath can only be learned sequentially since it builds on prior knowledge. Hence, it was important for Sabi to get past this phase—addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division—was challenging for her.
Outlet for frustration: Here’s a doodle we found she had created to express her frustration and motivate herself.
Class 2: Age 7-8
By this time, spending 30 minutes daily on math had become second nature. This year, she learned addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of fractions. She also started performing operations with decimals and solving word problems.
Beyond this — with the basics out of the way, her interest in learning math accelerated.
Experiential Learning
She started noticing and appreciating numbers in everyday life:
- Thanks to Snug Monsters, she was already familiar with the concept of money. Last year, she was also introduced to the concept of units while manufacturing her Basil Tea—one of her products at Snug Monsters.
- We bought her an old-school analog watch, which helped her grasp the concept of time. We would often tell her she could do a certain activity for 17 minutes, and then Sabi had to calculate and tell us the exact time (current time + 17 minutes) when the activity should end. As part of her running training, she was also introduced to the idea of stopwatches.
Reading
By now, reading had become second nature to Sabi. However, most of her reading consisted of fiction. We also wanted to instill the habit of self-learning, which is why introducing the concept of ‘textbooks’ was so important.
The first books we gave here was The Manga Guide To Linear Algebra and Statistics. These books introduce advanced math topics but in comics format. Obviously, both of these topics are ahead of her age but it introduced her to the idea that ‘reading books on math’ can also be fun, even if you don’t fully understand it. Here’s what she learned:
- One of Sabi’s favorite examples was the karate tournament, where concepts like rotations and scaling were explained through karate moves. By imagining a competitor pivoting or adjusting their stance, Sabi could visualize how matrices represent and manipulate spatial transformations. The dynamic setting of the tournament brought the math to life, helping Sabi understand how linear algebra describes real-world actions.
- Another example was the miniature golf game, which introduced the concept of vectors. Sabi learned to think of a golf ball’s movement as a vector, where its direction and speed represented its path and magnitude. Concepts like vector addition were demonstrated by combining strokes to navigate the ball around obstacles and into the hole. This playful analogy made understanding direction and magnitude much more intuitive for her.
- Sabi learned that statistics are tools for organizing and understanding data through relatable examples like school test scores and surveys. She also learned how to visualize data using bar graphs, pie charts, and line graphs, which helped her identify patterns more effectively.
Her next book was ‘What’s the point of maths?‘. This book provided historical context and explained how math has shaped human history. It illustrated how ancient civilizations used geometry to construct buildings, how early traders relied on arithmetic for commerce, and how modern technology depends on mathematical principles like coding. It helped Sabi understand the relevance and impact of math throughout history.
Around this time, I was pregnant with my second child, which meant that Sabi and I had fewer outdoor activities together. Bedtime Math became a wonderful way for us to bond through a bedtime routine, replacing traditional stories with math challenges. Solving puzzles together at night became a special ritual for us. The book’s format was both engaging and practical, embedding math problems into relatable, everyday scenarios that felt more like stories than lessons. One example that stood out was the noodle activity on page 9, where a hilarious scenario had Sabi laughing nonstop and eager to solve the noodle-related word problems on the next page. Pages 78 and 79 also offered equally engaging activities that kept her curiosity alive.
So far, all the books had fun stories and cartoons. How to Be Good at Math was the first book which was close to being a textbook. The visually engaging and child-friendly guide made complex mathematical concepts easy for Sabi to understand, particularly fractions and measurement. The book’s relatable examples, step-by-step explanations, and colorful illustrations turned learning into a fun and interactive experience.
- Fractions: Sabi often struggled with interpreting visual representations of fractions. For instance, when asked to identify a fraction in a shaded diagram, she mistakenly wrote the shaded part divided by the unshaded part instead of the shaded part divided by the total number of units (shaded + unshaded). The book’s step-by-step guidance and clear visual aids helped her correct this misunderstanding. Through detailed examples, Sabi learned to think of fractions as parts of a whole, significantly improving her confidence and clarity.
- Measurements: The book explained measurement as a way to describe and compare the size, length, weight, or capacity of objects, using everyday examples like figuring out who is taller or how much water a cup can hold. This approach helped Sabi realize that measurement was something she already encountered in her daily life. She was introduced to both standard units—such as centimeters, meters, grams, and liters—and non-standard units, like blocks or her hands. Visual aids, such as rulers, scales, and measuring jugs, were shown alongside objects being measured, making the concepts tangible and relatable.
- Step-by-step instructions, like aligning an object’s start point with the zero mark on a ruler, made accurate measurement easy for Sabi to grasp. Fun activities, such as guessing which toy was heavier or taller and then checking her answers, helped her practice comparison and estimation. The book also tied measurement to real-life scenarios, like baking (measuring ingredients), traveling (measuring distance), or sports (measuring time and height), showing her its practical applications.
Computer Games
While we don’t encourage playing mindless video games or becoming addicted to apps, we recognized the value of tools that make learning enjoyable and interactive. Math Playground stood out because it teaches math concepts through games, puzzles, and challenges that foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills, rather than encouraging passive screen time. We also appreciated its focus on active learning, requiring Sabi to engage thoughtfully with the content rather than mindlessly tapping or swiping.
Whenever Sabi felt tired after a long day and wanted to relax, she would visit the website and play math games, turning it into her downtime.
Here are the games she loved:
- Jet Ski Addition: This game teaches addition in a simple manner. This game got me started on Math Playground.
- Koala Karts: It teaches counting in such a way that you can’t take 5 minutes—you need to be fast, otherwise, you will lose the game.
- Andy’s Golf: This game teaches estimation with a sport (golf in this case). It gives you challenging goals to hit.
- Monster Stroll: Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fractions according to grades respectively.
- Swimming Otters: Easy multiplication.
- Division Derby: Division with numbers from 1–50.
- Canoe Penguins: Two-digit multiplication.
- Monster Stroll X: Multiplication with monsters.
Her first competitive exam
By now, Sabi was already comfortable with the idea of exams. Since the age of 4, she had gradually progressed at her Karate Dojo. However, she hadn’t yet taken an exam in math. The concept of solving math problems correctly and within a set time was new to her.
Her school did not offer math Olympiads, but a school friend’s parent introduced us to an online Olympiad. In January 2024, she took her first competitive math exam (Unified Council Olympiad).
We are actively choosing to not put her certificate and score because her journey of math is about learning and self-discovery and not about marks and exams.
Reflections on the Journey
Sabi’s progress wasn’t linear—there were times she forgot, regressed, and we had to pause, restart, and recalibrate. Here are some key takeaways from our experience:
- Daily Practice Matters: Consistency, even for just 30 minutes, builds lasting habits and skills.
- Adapt to Life Events: Be flexible. Progress may slow, but persistence ensures continued growth.
- Introduce Challenges Early: Activities like Math Olympiads teach resilience and foster a love for learning.
Reaching till this point opened up new possibilities for both Sabi and us—improvements in math learning that we hadn’t imagined or known about.
We came across a Bengaluru-based math genius, who quit his professional job at a major technology firm to teach children math. He has now started mentoring Sabi. 🙏 Since the summer of 2024, Sabi has already read one of his books and has been incorporating his ideas.
I will write a more detailed post about this in a couple of months, once Sabi completes K-7 math.