How to Teach a Child About Negative Numbers Using Stairs

Member

By Cassandra Gregg
User-Submitted Article

Article Rating: (8 Ratings)

Teach a Child About Negative Numbers Using Stairs

Children intuitively grasp the concept of up and down from a very early age. You can use these familiar concepts to give your young child a head start on understanding numbers and the number line, or to give a frustrated student a fresh perspective on the subject.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Stairs
Masking tape or paper & pen

Step 1

Prepare your stairs. Number each step with masking tape, paper, or whatever you have on hand. If you have access to one, choose a set of stairs with a landing in the center, and number the landing zero. If not, number the center step zero. Label the top of the stairs "POSITIVE(+)", and the bottom "NEGATIVE(-)".
Step 2

Have your child start on the center step or landing, at zero. If you are working with a young child, be sure to have another adult or an older child accompany him or her on the stairs!
Step 3

Have your child take one step up, in the positive direction. Ask him to tell you his step's number. Encourage him to look at the label if necessary.
Step 4

Have your child take one step down, in the negative direction. Ask him to tell you his step's number. Go over what you've done. You took one step positive, and one step negative. One step positive and one step negative equals zero.
Step 5

Have your child move down a step, in the negative direction. Ask him to tell you his step's number. If necessary, remind him that the "-" is the sign for negative, and "goes with" all the steps under zero
Step 6

Another step up, and we're back at zero. One step negative and one step positive equals zero.
Step 7

Repeat steps 2 through 6, this time taking two or three steps in the positive or negative direction. Continue to return to zero each time, and keep this up until your child can confidently announce his step number without looking at the label.
Step 8

Have your child take three "positive" steps, then two "negative" steps. What is his number? Three positive and two negative equals one. Now add two more negative steps. What is his number? This can be a tricky point! If necessary, go back to zero and try again.
Step 9

As your child becomes more comfortable with navigating the number line, mix it up a little. Instead of telling him how many steps to take, tell him what step you'd like him to be on. Then ask him to tell you what direction he'll need to go in, and how many steps he'll need to take. Encourage him to count the steps if necessary. He doesn't know it, but your child just solved his first linear equation!