I’m trying to start the year with a clean desk/computer, and you’ll love these ideas I found when I went through some old files. The funny thing is that nobody had ever heard of Common Core at that time, but you’ll be surprised how these activities fit right in with your standards today. Math today…literacy tomorrow!
Write the numerals 1-100 on 2” foam squares and place them in a lunch sack. Each day choose 2 squares and count forwards from one number to the next. Next, count backwards. Which is greater? Less? Which has 3 tens? Can you show it with money? Which is odd? Even?
Hint! Adapt the numbers in the bag to the age and level of your students.
MAKE, DRAW, TELL, DO
Here’s a way to help children “see” math and integrate writing. Fold a sheet of paper into fourths and do the following in each section.
Make: 4
Draw: O O O O
Tell: I have 4 cookies.
Do: 2 + 2 = 4 1 + 3 = 4 (Children use manipulatives to create different ways to make a number and then write the equation.)
ODD AND EVEN
(Tune: “Old MacDonald”)
There was a teacher who had some numbers
And ODD was their name-o.
1, 3, 5, 7, 9
1, 3, 5, 7, 9
1, 3, 5, 7, 9
And ODD was their name-o.
There was a teacher who had some numbers
And EVEN was their name-o.
0, 2, 4, 6, 8…
GIANT HUNDREDS CHART
Make a giant hundreds board on a shower curtain liner. Let children toss a beanbag and identify the number. What comes before? After? What’s greater than? Less than?
NUMBER GRID GAME
Make a grid similar to the one shown and write numbers 1-6 at the top. Roll a die and color in a box on the grid for that number. Which number will win? *Children can play this game independently, with a friend, or with a small group.
ADDITION SONG
(Tune: "Farmer in the Dell")
1 plus 1 equals 2
1 plus 1 equals 2
Hi - ho - adding we'll go.
1 plus 1 equals 2
NUMBER PLEASE
Here’s a super idea for classroom management. Put a number on each chair with a sticky note. Put the same numbers in a bag. Children draw a number and then find the seat with that number on it. That is their seat for the day, week, whatever. You can also use the numbers to line the children up.
*Write numbers on seasonal cutouts, such as snowflakes or hearts.
FOUR SEASONS
(Tune: “Are You Sleeping?”)
Four seasons,
Four seasons
Here we go.
Here we go.
Winter, spring, summer, fall.
Winter, spring, summer, fall.
Seasons come. Seasons go.