To kick off our first unit in math our 1st graders were challenged with becoming NUMBER DETECTIVES! We used magnifying glasses and hunted around the room to discover all of the places we noticed numbers. We found numbers on the calendar, number line, dice, rulers, stickers, etc. Ultimately we were able to discover that numbers are everywhere within our classroom, school, and community.
Encourage your 1st grader to notice numbers all around them in their everyday lives! Look for numbers on road signs, sports jerseys, advertisements, etc. Choose a number and ask your child to tell the number that is one more and one less, or choose two numbers and ask your child to compare which number is more and which is less and explain how they know.
Math Games
Reinforcing skills and concepts through games is a large part of the 1st grade math curriculum. Our children thrive on learning through play. Last week we learned our first math game of the year - Penny Dice. This game reinforces counting skills and one-to-one correspondence to 20, as well as number comparisons.
To play Penny Dice partners use a bank of twenty pennies. Each partner rolls the dice, and in turn, takes the number of pennies from the bank that is indicated by the dice. The game is over when there are no more pennies left in the bank. At this time both players count their pennies and determine who has more. The player with the most pennies at the conclusion of the game wins.
Play this game at home by gathering 20 pennies (or 20 of any object if coins are at a minimum - legos, pebbles, macaroni - anything will do!) and dice. Don't have dice but have an iPhone or iPad? Download the virtual Dice app for free! (This app will come in handy for games throughout the year.) If your 1st grader needs a challenge, use more than 20 objects in the bank, and when determining a winner, have them count their pennies in groups of five while using their math vocabulary to explain more and less.
Happy Gaming!
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