Number & Operations

Numbers and Operations mean that the children are able to work with numbers and understand their relationship with one another.  Children need to be made aware of numbers and how they are used everyday both at school and in life.    They need to be taught not only to rote count but to recognize numbers written and using counters.  Once children have an understanding of numbers, they will be able to use them to solve simple problems (We have 10 children for lunch, how many plates do we need?).   As children learn to count objects, start with the items in a straight line.  Once they understand that 3 items equals 3, then begin to show them three in different arrangements.  Being able to recognize the number of items in a small grouping is a critical skill needed for more complex math.  Children have an easier time generally subtracting before adding (I have three crackers and I eat one, now how many do I have?).

Resources

1-2-3 How Many Do You See?  (Hold up 1-10 fingers)

3 similar objects and 3 dissimilar objects still make 3. 

More-Less   Same-Not Same

Counting objects do not need to be in straight rows.  You can count front to back or    back to front, the number is still the same.

Make a number line with the children to stand on to line up.

Which set has more?  Less?  Equal amounts?

Today is September 4, tomorrow will be September 5.

Put up a number line on the wall 1-10.  Show it in dots, number form and writing.

Do we have more boys at school today or more girls at school today?

Put out 4 objects, take 2 away, now how many do we have?

Play money to count and name.

Sort objects by an attribute and then count how many you have in each set.  (red squares and blue squares).

Add an abacus to your classroom for counting objects.

Trace around a child’s hand and label the fingers 1-5.

8 bears are hungry, what will each eat?  (Have children name and write their responses on a paper.  Count the 8 different foods the bears will eat).

Make a hop scotch board to jump from 1-10.

How many ways can you make your fingers show 4?

Practice writing numbers.

Act out number songs (5 Little Ducks)

I have 4 (put one more beside), now how many do I have?

Teach the children number symbols + – = < >.

Put out 1-5 objects, can you count with just your eyes?

Counting rhymes and finger plays.

Make a set to match this number, 2.

How can we count all the children in our classroom? All the trees on our playground?

Use a calendar to count days to an event and not so much for day to day.

When doing art that has parts, ask the children to count the parts.  (You made a truck from shapes, how many squares did you use?  Circles?).

Please make 2 sets of cars that are equal.

First ______will have a turn and then you can be second and I will be third.

Use books that have numbers involved.

Child rolls a dice. If she rolls a 2, she can color the number 2 scoop. Next child’s turn. Children play until they have colored in all their ice cream scoops by rolling the corresponding number on the dice.

How many are in the center?  How many are allowed?  Is there room for you?

Have each child color the 3 cars 3 different colors. Take this outside where you can see the road clearly. Tell the children that for 5 minutes they will make a mark next to the color car if it went by. How many blue cars did you count? How many trucks?
Use to make a number chart 0-10.
Give each child an animal picture. Put colored cubes or dots into a bag. The child must draw one out and then color a square the matching color. How many of each color did you do?
Tell the child,”I see ____ pennies in your piggy bank”. The child then counts out the correct amount of pennies to put on his bank. When they get good at this, try saying,”put on one more than 5 or put on two less than five”.
Use for daily sign-in one week.
Make a number line 1-20. On a cube make the following marks one per side. +1, +2, -1, -2, skip, roll again. The children take turns rolling and moving up and down the number line until someone gets to 20.

Put your number line on the wall and say the following rhyme. “I’m thinking of a number and I know that you can guess. I will tell you if it’s more or if it’s less”. Then children take turns guessing numbers 0-20 until one of them guesses correctly. Then begin again.