1

KindergartenMATHEMATICS

EssentialsWeekby

Week WEEK

I SpyI Spy a Classmate

Play “I Spy a Classmate.” To help childrenlearn their classmates’ names, play this variationof an old favorite, by giving clues to identifymembers of your class.

1

2

3

4

I Wonder??? ?

Let’s Count

Fingerplay - “Five Little Monkeys”

See Blackline Masters Week 1 for completewords.

Create your own hand motions!

123

341 2

Growing Mathematically

Adjustments/Transitions Home/SchoolAs your K’s make the transition from home ordaycare to school we, as their teachers, must keep inmind that even positive change can be unsettling.Not only are they adjusting to the obvious -- newsetting, new people, exciting equipment, etc. butalso to the unseen -- new schedule, new rules,different expectations. During the first few weeks ofschool the most important task for kindergarteners isto make this important transition. Teachers can helpby providing time for social experiences andestablishing clear classroom routines.

Most children enter school confident in their ownabilities, curious and eager to learn about numbersand other mathematical ideas. In general, youngchildren devise their own methods to find solutionsto mathematical problems. Teaching in the earlygrades should encourage and build on the strategiesof children to develop more general ideas andsystematic approaches in mathematics.

Take time to appreciate the gifts and enthusiasm thatkindergarteners bring to this first classroomexperience!

1

?? ??

What Do You Think?

(1.01a)

(5.01)

Pasta NecklacesMaterials: a variety of pasta shapes, string with tapeon one end

Students make necklaces or bracelets with pastashapes. How many piees of pasta will it take to fillyour string? Have students compare their creations.

(2.01)

Getting To Know UsMaterials: paper, crayons

Have students draw pictures of themselves.Lay pictures on the floor with boys in one row,girls in another. Let students compare to seewhich is longer.

(4.02, 5.01)

2

Materials we need formathWe are collecting your good“junk” for our classroom.Things that you might throwaway we can use for sorting,counting, building,patterning, graphing, and soon. Here is a list withexamples of items we can use:

• Containers and lids such asegg cartons, plastic tubs ofdifferent sizes and shapes,tops of spice jars, shampoobottles, and galloncontainers.

• Natural objects such asinteresting sea shells,different pine or fir cones,nuts, dried beans, anddifferent shapes ofmacaroni.

• Collectibles such as keys,buttons, nuts and bolts, clips,and old jewelry.

• Paper things like toilet paperor paper towel rolls, cups,wrapping paper or wallpapersamples, sandpaper, catalogswith pictures of toys or foods,and large puzzles.

Also, we will be cooking. Pleaselet me know if you can sendsome ingredients. I have a list ofitems needed for our cookingprojects.

An Activity-filledMathematics ClassroomWhen you visit our school, youwill see children actively engagedin learning mathematics in avariety of ways. Someexplorations are student-initiated and others are teacher-

directed. In all parts of themathematics program,children learn by doing. Theclassroom is set up so thatchildren can explore,investigate, estimate, makepredictions, count, build, andtalk about their ideas.Children are encouraged totell how they arrive at theiranswers and to look foralternative ways to solveproblems. They usemathematics in all of thecenters so that mathematics isrelated to daily living, not asubject apart. New ideas arerevisited in a variety of waysso that children haveopportunities to developunderstandings over time andin their own style of learning.

Supporting your child at schoolIt is important for home and school to join hands in helping every child learn mathematics.Mathematics is a tool for solving problems, computing, and completing spatial tasks. Thismonthly newsletter is about what we are doing at school in mathematics and tips for things whichparents or families can do with their child at home.

Math is a very important tool. Here are ways you can help your child be successful in learningmathematics:

• Encourage your child to think of himself or herself as a mathematician.• Be sure that your child comes to school ready to learn -- rested, nourished,

and ready to be part of a larger group.• Let your child know that you expect him or her to be successful and to

participate in class.• Talk with the teacher, visit the school, and read carefully the materials that come

home with your child.

Math News for Parents

3

KindergartenMATHEMATICS

EssentialsWeekby

Week WEEK

I Spy1

2

3

4

I WonderTo help children learn to make choices and as anearly graphing activity, have children record theirlunch choices on a simple graph. One easy way to dothis is to make a magnetic marker with each child’sname, which can be attached to any metallic surface.This could become part of your daily classroomroutine.

??? ?

Let’s CountTo introduce one-to-one correspondence andlunch room procedures, model placing theappropriate number of each item on a cafeteriatray. Discuss as a class how many of each itemeach person needs. Extension: Discuss howmany items would be needed for different sizegroups.

123

341 2 Growing MathematicallyAdjustments/Transitions Home/SchoolWhen creating a math-rich environment, one of the firststeps is to collect and make available a variety ofmanipulatives. In order to understand mathematical ideasand relationships, children need to be actively involvedwith materials. It is important for children to use avariety of materials so they won’t associate an idea with aparticular manipulative. However, it is better to have a lotof a few manipulatives than a little of manymanipulatives, so that children don’t have to worry aboutrunning out. Please see page two for a list of some basicmanipulatives and suggested quantities.

To promote independence, store materials where childrencan have access to them and can help with setting up andcleaning up at math time.

Begin the school year with a period of several weeks forself-directed, free exploration. This gives students anopportunity to work with the math materials using theirown ideas. It also gives the teacher a chance to do someindividual assessment and to establish routines for usingand caring for the manipulatives. For more informationon free exploration see Mathematics Their Way, chapterone and/or Math Time pp. 16-37.

2

?? ??

What Do You Think?

(1.01a)(4.01)

Take a Peek

Place between two and five objects on the

overhead before turning it on for five seconds.

Turn it off and cover the objects. Ask studentsto tell how many objects the saw. Repeatseveral times and observe student reactions.

Getting To Know Us

Materials: pictures from Week 1

Have students lay their pictures in rowsaccording to hair color. Let students compareto see which is most and which is least.

(4.02, 5.01)

4

FAMILIES DINNER IN YOUR YARD LAUNDRY

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5

KindergartenMATHEMATICS

EssentialsWeekby

Week WEEK

I SpyTo help children learn about calendar timebegin a daily calendar activity session. Be sureto include plenty of songs such as, “Days of theWeek,” by Greg and Steve; and “Today is a JollyGood Day”

See Blackline Masters Week 3.

1

2

3

4

I Wonder??? ?

Let’s CountChildren need lots of practice when learning torote count. Keep it interesting by adding somesound and motion. As you count togetherfrom 1-10, clap, stamp, jump, blink, etc. foreach number..

123

341 2

Growing MathematicallyOne of the most important things thatkindergarteners should learn is to take responsibilityfor their work and actions. If materials are stored inan accessible location and work stations are inassigned places, students can be responsible forsetting up and cleaning up. Children should beallowed to choose what material(s) they want to workwith. When children are allowed to choose, they aremore committed, interested and involved. Becausethey are working where they chose to work, weexpect them to be accountable for staying focused,working hard and taking care of materials. Theyshould be allowed to move from place to place whenthey are ready to work with a different material.However, if you have students who tend to “wander,”it may be helpful to limit their number of choices.

Developing the ability to work independently is amajor goal at the beginning of the school year.When your students have accomplished this goal, itwill free you up to work with small groups andindividuals as needed. In her book, Math Time,Kathy Richardson states, “...we want children to beengaged learners in tasks that absorb their attention.”(This attitude is actually very important for thechildren’s future. Think about those employers whoadvertise for ‘self-starters.’)

3

?? ??

What Do You Think?

(1.01d)

(2.02)

Getting To Know Us

Materials: paper, crayons

Students draw a picture of how they come toschool each day. Have students lay their picturesin rows according to their means oftransportation. Students can compare to seewhich method is used most, least.

(4.02, 5.01)

Grab Bag

Materials: paper bag, snap cubes in 2 colors

Students reach into bag and pull out a handfull ofcubes. Student connects the cubes to form a stick ineach color. Student compares to see which is shorter,taller, longer.

(2.01)

6

Rote Counting (1.01d)In a one on oneinterview say to thechild, “Count for me.”Record how far eachchild can count withoutmaking an error.

Upfront AssessmentTo help in planning appropriate instruction it is important to assess children’sunderstanding of some basic concepts early in the school year.

Colors and Shapes (3.01)With each individual child, show an exampleof each color and shape that you want toassess. Record which ones the child is able toidentify without prompting.

Rational Counting (1.01b)

Set up the following sets of counters on the table:

Ask a student to count each set of counters. If s/he countsall sets correctly move to the next student. If s/he countssmall sets correctly challenge her/him to count a larger set.

Record the largest number a child can count. Observe the strategies the childuses to count objects, i.e. one-to-one correspondence.

3 10

156

Numeral Recognition (1.01c)Work with one child at a time. Shownumeral cards (0-10), one at a time, inrandom order. Record which ones the childcan identify without prompting.

Numeral Formation(1.01c)Ask children to write thenumerals as far as theycan go. This could bedone in their math logs,or placed in a portfolio.

See Blackline Masters Week 3 for blank recording grid/checklist.

7

KindergartenMATHEMATICS

EssentialsWeekby

Week WEEK

I Spy“Inside Out”

Use masking tape to create two or more largegeometric shapes on the floor or play area.Divide children into groups and use directionssimilar to the following:

• Put your whole body inside the shape.

• Put your feet outside.

• Put one hand on the shape.

• Put your head inside the shape.

1

2

3

4

I WonderHave the children sort themselves into groupsaccording to gender. Give girls one color marker*and boys another. Have them place markers on thefloor to form a graph. Compare and discuss results.

*squares of construction paper or unifix cubes willwork well

??? ?

Let’s CountCreate class story problems using your students’names and class situations.

Students can use the classroom storymat tomodel each problem. For example: If there aresix boys and four girls in the lunch line, arethere more boys or more girls? or, If there aretwo girls in the block center and one more girljoins them, how many are playing with blocks?

Create your own!

123

341 2 Growing MathematicallySorting and classifying are essential early childhoodmathematics concepts, and lead to the developmentof logical thinking. To help your students be fluentsorters, choose sorting materials with care. A goodmaterial for sorting varies in several attributes, suchas color, shape, size, composition, etc. Sea shells,rocks, sticks, keys and buttons are rich sortingmaterials which present many possible classifications.Materials which have less sorting possibilities includeunifix cubes and pattern blocks.

4

?? ??

What Do You Think?Choose students to go into one of two groupsat the front of the room. Have students guessyour rule for sorting. For example: boy/girl,glasses/not glasses, shorts/long pants.

(1.01a)

(3.03)

(5.01)

(4.01)

8

9

KindergartenMATHEMATICS

EssentialsWeekby

Week WEEK

I Spy“Hands Up”

To introduce positional words, play this quickgame. Have students follow directions, such as-- put your hands between your knees, overyour head, on your chest, under your chin, etc.Use as many different positional words aspossible! This is also a great review of bodyparts.

1

2

3

4

I WonderOn a large index card, have children draw a picture ofhow they come to school. Create a graph by laying cardson the floor or taping to a piece of posterboard. Compareand discuss.

Extension: Graph how students go home and comparethe two graphs.

Literature Connection: Bus Story by Donald Crews

On the back of this page is a school bus storyboard.Make a copy for each student and use to create storyproblems and to model positional language.

??? ?Let’s Count

“Teacher’s Helper”Children love to be classroom helpers! Lettingthem help with simple classroom tasks developsresponsibility. It is also a great way to work onone to one correspondence. Invite helpers todistribute materials to their group. Encouragethem to figure out how many the group willneed..

123

341 2 Growing MathematicallyHere is a list of some directional/positional wordsyou want your students to understand:

above over below

under around through

between beside near

far top middle

bottom left right

on in out

off in front behind

Students should be able to use these wordsreceptively and expressively. Receptive example:Jessica, put the bear on top of the block. Expressiveexample: Rachel can you tell me where the bear is?

5

?? ??

What Do You Think?Model sorting on the overhead. Tell childrenyour sorting rule and have them predict whereeach item should go. You could sort buttons(size or number of holes), bingo markers(color), overhead attribute blocks (color, shapeor size), seasonal confetti, or shape pasta.

(1.03)

(3.03)

(5.01)

(4.01)

(3.03)

10

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11

KindergartenMATHEMATICS

EssentialsWeekby

Week WEEK

I Spy“Box It”

Add some pizazz to your math center witheasily recognizable logos. Save the front panelof cereal boxes, sports shoe boxes, greeting cardsetc. Cut into simple five-piece puzzles. Storein zip-lock bags.

1

2

3

4

I Wonder“Footwear Fun”

Have students remove one shoe. Discuss how theyclose i.e., tie, slip on, buckle, etc. and show preparedcards that reflect each category . Create a concretegraph on the floor using their shoes and the cards.Discuss results using the math vocabulary more andless.

Literature Link - Extend lesson by learning “The OldWoman Who Lived in a Shoe” and/or read The Elvesand the Shoemaker.

??? ?

Let’s CountTo introduce estimation, use containers ofclassroom supplies, i.e., can of pencils, basket ofcrayons, box of scissors. Show one container ata time and ask the children, “Do we haveenough ___ for everyone in our class?” (Be surethat there are enough of some objects and notenough of others). After the children maketheir predictions, ask for ways to verify, e.g.,pass out pencils and see if everyone can get one.

123

341 2 Growing MathematicallyEstimation develops the student’s ability torecognize when numbers are reasonable andmake sense. In teaching young children toestimate it is essential to convey that “gettingclose” is the goal, not being exact. Begin byestimating quantities less than ten for at leastthe first nine weeks. Gradually increase thequantities to be estimated not to exceed 20items. Repeated exposure is important, so besure to estimate weekly.

6

?? ??

What Do You Think?Divide children into small groups, and workwith one group at a time. Select one junk boxand have the group work together to sort it.Talk about how they sorted it. Then push allthe junk back together, sort by a different rule,and discuss. Repeat as appropriate.

Extension: After this experience, children canwork with partners to sort various materials.

(1.01a, d, f )

(3.04)

(5.01)

(4.01)

(1.01f )

12

“Shells On The Beach”The teacher needs to model this activity first. Later the children can repeat it with partners.Begin by placing two shells on the beach. Ask how many shells there are, count them aloud.Then tell the children that a big wave came and moved the shells around. Pick up the shells andrearrange them on the beach. Talk about what has changed and what is the same. Ask how manyshells are on the beach now. Count to check, if needed. Emphasize that the number of shells hasnot changed, only the position. Repeat. Repeat with other numbers of shells up to nine. Thisactivity gives the teacher a chance to assess each child’s conservation of number. Those who donot conserve need many more experiences of this nature.

Variations: pumpkin seeds on a pumpkin cutout

bears on a bed story board

flowers on a field story board (1.01a, 1.10b)

13

KindergartenMATHEMATICS

EssentialsWeekby

Week WEEK

I SpyUse bead stringing to practice position words.Invite a small group of children

(three-four) to string five-six beads in sequentialorder, i.e., red, first, then blue, etc. Lay the beadstring on the floor or table being sure each child’sstring is in the same order and ask questions using abead as a reference point.

Ex. What bead is beside the blue one?

Extension: Describe bead position with ordinalnumbers i.e., third, first, fourth, etc.

1

2

3

4

I Wonder“Estimation Necklaces”

Materials: string cut in various lengths; beads; paperand pencils for recording.

Instructions: Show children a string and have themestimate how many beads it will take to fill the pieceof string. Record the estimates. Ask children to thenstring the beads and count. Have children work withpartners and repeat the activity.

Limit number to ten or less for initial experiences.Increase the number as the year progresses.

??? ?

Let’s CountReinforce rote counting and one-to-onecorrespondence in a tactile way with thisactivity. Divide children into small groups oftwo or three, and give each group laces andbeads. The children count in unison by ones asthey string the beads.

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341 2

7

?? ??

What Do You Think?Give children simple logic tasks to solve such asthis one:

John has three beads, one red, one yellow, andone blue. The red bead is not first. The yellowbead is second. Draw a picture of John’s beadsin the correct order.

(1.01b, d)

(1.01d, 3.03)

(1.01e, 3.03)

(1.01a, b, c, f )

Growing MathematicallyBefore children can understand nonstandardmeasurement, they must have many experiences withcomparing objects and must develop vocabulary todescribe those comparisons. Here is some essentialcomparative vocabulary.

Length Capacity Weight/Mass

big/small empty/full heavy/light

large/little more/less heavier

tall/short half empty/half full lighter

wide/narrow equal to balance

thin/thick

(2.01)

14

Bead SortGive pairs of childrena small portion cup ofassorted beads. Havethem sort and resorttheir beads and telltheir rule each time.

The Manipulative ConnectionBeads, Beads, BeadsBeads are an excellent and inexpensive math manipulative that can bepurchased locally or through catalogs. Here are some “beady” ideas forsorting, graphing and probability.

Which Bead?Here is a simple probability activity to be donewith the whole class or a small group. Placefive beads of one color, two of another andone of a third color in a paper bag, i.e., fiveblue, two red, one yellow. Have childrenpredict which color will be pulled out mostoften. Let one child at a time pull a bead fromthe bag, record the color and replace the bead.After all children have pulled out a bead,discuss results. You could repeat on anotherday and compile the different sets of data. Record with tallies

Blue Red Yellow

|||| || ||| |||

Graph-a-BeadSee Blackline masterWeek 7 to make agraphing mat for eachpair of children. Afterthey have done “BeadSort” have them placebeads on the mat tocreate a concretegraph.

Which bead did you have the most of?

Draw shapes of beads here tolabel columns

(5.01)

15

KindergartenMATHEMATICS

EssentialsWeekby

Week WEEK

I SpyCollect school milk cartons for each child. Coverthem with construction paper and form a littlevillage. Ask children to put their bear counterbeside, in front of, or near the building that is beingdescribed. Cut off the top of the carton and use itas a removable roof to explore the position wordinside. Again, ask children to work in pairs withtheir milk cartons and bears. One child givesdirections using position words while the otherchild places the bear in the proper place. Encouragechildren to verbalize the positions of the bear afterplacing it. “My bear is between the houses.”

1

2

3

4

I Wonder“Left or Right”

Divide class into partners and pass out sheets ofpaper. Ask students to record name. As they finish,ask them to put the hand holding the pencil flat ontheir paper and have their partner trace around it.Repeat procedure for the partner providing assistanceas needed. Gather students in a group to predicthow many left or right handed students there are.Graph on floor and discuss results.

??? ?Let’s Count

“How High Can We Go?”While sitting in a circle, the children count inturn. The object is to see how high the groupcan count before missing a number. A markercan be placed on a number line to record thelast correct number. Repeat and compare thecurrent score with the recorded score. Movethe marker forward when the old record isbroken.

123

341 2

Growing MathematicallyAssessment Questions

Good questions are not geared to getting the child torepeat the right answer. Rather, they ask children toexplain or show what they are thinking or doing. Toevaluate questions, ask yourself, “Do I already knowwhat the answer will be, or am I really curious aboutwhat the child is thinking?” Here are some goodopen ended questions:

“Are you sure?”

“How do you know?”

“Can you show me?”

“Why do you think that happened?” “Can you prove it?”

Excerpted from Math Time: The LearningEnvironment by Kathy Richardson

8

?? ?? What Do You Think?

(1.01d)

(3.03)

(4.01)

Getting to Know UsHave students draw a picture of their favoriteanimal. Students lay their pictures in rowsaccording to type. Let students compare to seewhich is most and which is least.

(4.02, 5.01)

16

BOOKS TOYS OUTSIDE AT HOME

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17

KindergartenMATHEMATICS

EssentialsWeekby

Week WEEK

I SpyLiterature Link

Read the book, Monday, Monday by Martin orCookie’s Week by Ward during story time.After discussing the story have students repeatthe days of the week in sequential order.

Extension: See if students can relate specificstory events to certain days.

1

2

3

4

I Wonder“Extending the Focus Center”

Take items from the focus center sorting activity andform concrete graphs.

Example: Focus idea -- things with holes.

Classification: square holes, round holes, triangularholes.

Graph: There were the most items with square holes.

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Let’s CountUse classroom storyboard (Week 4) and schoolbus storyboard (Week 5) to model numbers andto act out solutions to story problems. Forexample: Show me three bears on your bus.

Use numbers 0-5.

123

341 2

Growing MathematicallyTime & Money: Tough Ideas

On the following page is a sample “Stumper”calendar. It’s purpose is to provide a shortindependent thought-provoking activity to engageyour students as they begin their day or math time.These activities can be used for assessment; observechildren as they work and keep a checklist ofprogress/accomplishment. The paper/pencilactivities can be kept in a math log or portfolio.These suggested activities cover the content of themath curriculum. Please feel free to adapt ideas to atheme or unit and remember to increase the level ofdifficulty as the year progresses. Use the grid forcreating additional stumper calendars. See BlacklineMaster Week 9.

9

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What Do You Think?Select a topic for students to “focus” on such as,a color, a shape, or things with holes. Havestudents bring items from home to contributeto a class collection. Discuss as a group whythese things go together and review the mathterm “rule”. Then have children reclassify itemsand discuss their new “rules” for sorting.

(1.03)

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(5.01)

(4.01, 5.01)

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