Tuesday, September 24, 2013

ZERO THE SUBITIZING HERO



How about a quick, inexpensive, multi-functional game today? 

WHAT?  small photo album (available at Walmart or a dollar store), construction paper, markers

WHY?  RAN – otherwise known as Rapid Automatic Naming - is the ability
to look at a picture or image and retrieve the name for it.  This is an important pre-reading skill, but it transfers over to recognition of sight words, math facts, and many other academic tasks.

The advantage of this game is that you can play it when you have two or three extra minutes before lunch, after math, etc.  Adapt the game for very young children with pictures of animals, fruits and vegetables, etc.  For older children use shapes. Letters, numerals, words, fluency phrases, math facts…there are endless possibilities!  Change the “joke” card to relate to a holiday, season, or theme.  For example, in November use turkey stickers and the children can stand up and “gobble.”  When doing a dinosaur unit use pictures of dinosaurs with the word “ROAR!”
This version is for children to practice “subitizing,” or recognizing the amount without counting.  When the blank card appears they jump up with their arms in the air and say, “Zero the Hero”!
 
HOW?  Cut paper the size of the photo album.  Make dot patterns on the cards.  Leave several blank.   Insert in the album.  When you flash through the children quickly call out the amount.  When the blank/zero amount comes up they pretend to be Zero.                       



*You add the magic in any game!  Be dramatic, be silly, and they’ll love you and the game!