Kindergarten Student MATH work ...
Patterns are important in the Kindergarten classroom and we do a lot of them. We color, cut, glue, build, name, extend, and talk about patterns all the time.
The first patterns we make are AB patterns. The patterns below are colored on graph paper.
Our classroom theme during November was "Friendship" so students were asked to make some friendship patterns. To do these, students first used pattern blocks to build a pattern, then used construction paper cut-outs of the pattern blocks shapes to glue their pattern on the paper. The trick was that one person had all of one color pattern blocks, and the other person had all of the other color, so they were required to work together to complete the assignment.
Race to 20
One of my favorite counting games for primary grades uses base ten blocks. For most grades we "Race to 100" to learn to trade ones for tens and tens for hundreds. In Kindergarten, I generally start out with "Race to 20" so the game will be shorter. Once students learn to trade every time when they reach ten, they can play this game independently in small groups.
This picture shows students playing Race to 20 using counting charts which they made themselves (with help) to help them count. They go up to six because dice are used in this game.
Graphs I try to do a couple of graphs a month, and to record the data in a variety of ways. Here are some close-ups of a few of our graphs. Sometimes these graphs are created in whole class lessons; other times, students are given directions and then add their data to a graph as one of the required daily choices. All the graphs are on display above the chalkboard for several months or until we run out of room and need to replace one.
Here are just a few of our graphs.
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When are our birthdays? ~ This is the first graph we do. Students get a small square of paper on which to draw a birthday cake, then we have a class meeting to talk about birthdays. Students glue their cake on the appropriate month. When all cakes are on the graph, we count the number of birthdays for each month and write that number.
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How many letters do we have in our names? ~ Students used graph paper to write their names with one letter in each box, colored and counted the boxes, then decided whether it was less than 5, exactly 5, or more than 5. This was a required choice activity. |
