Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math: Songs, Stories, and Games

Transcription

1 Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math: Songs, Stories, and Games Introduction At the beginning of the year, it may take several weeks before students are ready to start the formal mathematics program as they learn how the kindergarten classroom operates and get used to the daily routines. During this time, as students do the activities in this unit, you can expose them to basic math concepts (such as patterns, sorting, shapes, and spoken numbers), and teach basic classroom skills (such as signaling answers, volunteering, and taking turns) and basic motor skills (such as pasting and using writing tools). The lessons in this unit therefore differ in several ways from those in the rest of the JUMP Math Kindergarten material. For example, the lessons are generally shorter and less formal, they do not cover any of the Common Core State Standards, and there are no associated AP pages, activity centers, or extensions. Although the lessons in this unit are not required to cover any of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, they do teach skills that students will need to be successful in the JUMP Math Kindergarten program. The suggested activities in these lessons include songs, stories, and games that provide opportunities to learn basic concepts and skills in a fun and engaging way. While these activities are typically ideal for the beginning of the year, you may wish to continue using some of them throughout the year to build and reinforce necessary skills. The lessons are organized into three groups: patterns, basic sorting, and pre-writing skills. The lessons have been ordered in a way that will work well in many classrooms, but you might change the order according to your students needs. Moreover, while you may be able to teach more than one of the shorter lessons in a day, you might decide to cover some of the longer ones in two or three days or to repeat certain lessons. Materials. In addition to the BLMs provided at the end of this unit, the following Generic BLMs, found in section I, are also used: BLM Small Shape Cards (p. I-1) BLM Large Shape Cards (p. I-2) BLM Animal Cards (pp. I-3 4) BLM Bird and Insect Cards (p. I-5) BLM Fruit and Vegetable Cards (p. I-6) BLM More Cards for Sorting (p. I-7) Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math B-1

2 Lesson 1 Patterns: Songs, Chants, and Rhymes Students are exposed to patterns, including patterns in spoken numbers up to 10, in songs, chants, and games. Students practice taking turns and volunteering. none Teaching patterns using songs, chants, and rhymes. Teach students simple songs or rhymes that have patterns, such as repeating phrases. You can first teach the songs or rhymes without actions, then add actions that students do each time a component in the song or rhyme recurs. You can also have students chant a rhyme without a melody, or have them sing it to the melody of a familiar children s song. When students are comfortable with singing a song or playing a game, have volunteers lead the activity. For example, teach the class to sing the Good Morning Song together. Each time you sing, point to a different student, who says their own name to fill in the blank: Good morning, good morning, good morning to So happy to see you, so glad that you re here! This song exposes students to a repeating pattern, in which two lines are repeated over and over except that the name of the student is changed. As a variation, put student in pairs and have each student say their partner s name in turn. Activities Clap, clap, stomp, stomp. Freeze! Teach students the words and the actions for the following chant: Clap, clap, stomp, stomp. Clap, clap, stomp, stomp. Freeze! Say the chant and do the matching actions (clap hands, stomp feet, freeze) as you say Clap, clap, stomp, stomp several times and then suddenly stop and say Freeze! Invite students to join you in doing the actions, and tell them that when you say freeze, everyone has to stand perfectly still. Do several rounds before picking a volunteer to stand in view of the other students and lead the chant. NOTE: By practicing this chant, students are exposed to the AABB pattern. This also prepares them for clapping and stomping in Lesson 3. B-2 Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math

3 2. Counting songs. Teach students some simple songs involving counting forward and backward with numbers up to 10. Two examples are Five Green and Speckled Frogs and Five Little Monkeys (see lyrics below), both of which will be used again later in the year. Five little monkeys jumping on the bed. One fell off and bumped his head. Mama called the doctor and the doctor said, No more monkeys jumping on the bed. Four little monkeys jumping on the bed. One fell off and bumped her head. Mama called the doctor and the doctor said, No more monkeys jumping on the bed. Continue until there are No little monkeys jumping on the bed. NOTE: You can do an online search for "counting songs and rhymes" to find many other counting songs and rhymes. (end of activities) Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math B-3

4 Lesson 2 Patterns: Picture and Story Books Students are exposed to different kinds of patterns in picture and story books. Students predict what comes next in a pattern. none Materials: picture and story books with patterns In advance, choose age-appropriate children s picture and story books that include patterns. You can also find digital and animated versions of many children s stories by doing an online search of the book s title. Look for plot patterns (such as a series of events), language patterns (such as repeated words or phrases or a question and answer format), number patterns (such as repeated threes), and visual patterns (such as color or shape). For example, Pattern Fish by Trudy Harris and Beep Beep, Vroom Vroom! by Stuart J. Murphy have language patterns and visual patterns. Max Found Two Sticks by Brian Pinkney has a plot pattern in which a boy creates beats with the objects he encounters. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss has repeated phrases and rhymes that engage children. Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen features repeated phrases and a predictable plot. Patterns in children s stories. Read Goldilocks and the Three Bears aloud. This story includes language patterns involving opposites and repeated phrases, and math patterns involving threes. In the story, Goldilocks tries three bowls of porridge: the first bowl of porridge is too hot, the second bowl is too cold, but the third one is just right. She also tries to sit on three different chairs: the first one is too tall, the second one is too short, but the third one is just right. By the time Goldilocks tries to sleep on three different beds, you might have students predict the outcomes. After she has tried to sleep on the first bed that is too hard, ASK: What do you think will happen next? (the second bed is too soft, the third bed is just right) Read aloud other children s picture or story books that include different kinds of patterns. Focus on the particular patterns in a story, and have students predict the next element in the pattern. For example, for a story in which the next event can be predicted by noticing the pattern, ASK: What do you think will happen next? B-4 Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math

5 Lesson 3 Patterns: Rhythmic and Kinesthetic Students are exposed to rhythmic and kinesthetic patterns. Students predict what comes next in a pattern. Students practice taking turns and volunteering. none Simon Says. Teach students how to play Simon Says. You can find instructions for the game online. Use a variety of actions, such as clapping hands, stomping feet, jumping in place, raising a hand, raising two hands, raising a leg, or touching your nose. Begin by performing actions in random order. Once students understand the game, play versions where you use a simple pattern with only two kinds of actions, such as clapping and stomping, or raising a hand and jumping in place. Choose patterns of the form ABB, AABB, or AAB, but not more complex than that at this stage. Say Simon says whenever the action follows the pattern, and leave out Simon says only when you deviate from the pattern. Here is an example for an AAB pattern where A is clapping and B is jumping in place: Simon says clap. Simon says clap. Simon says jump. Simon says clap. Simon says clap. Simon says jump. Simon says clap. Simon says clap. Simon says jump. Simon says clap. Scratch your nose! Students should not scratch their noses since that action does not follow the pattern (and you did not precede that instruction with Simon says ). Once you have played a few rounds where the last action deviates from the pattern, progress to choosing actions that are one of the two from the pattern but are out of sequence. For the example above, instead of finishing with Scratch your nose!, say Jump! You can then progress to repeating a pattern, such as AAB, and then pausing at some point to ask students what they think Simon will say next. Clapping and stomping patterns. Teach students simple rhythm patterns, such as the following: Clap, stomp. Clap, stomp. or Clap, clap, stomp. Clap, clap, stomp. Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math B-5

6 Lead the class and have students say the words and do the actions with you. After repeating a given pattern several times, pause and ask a volunteer which word and action comes next. For example, SAY: Clap, clap, stomp. Clap, clap, stomp. Clap, clap, stomp. Clap, clap. ASK: What comes next? (stomp) Once you have played a few rounds, use a variety of other actions in addition to clapping and stomping, such as jumping in place, playing air guitar, or waving arms in the air. You can then progress to having each student do one action, which must be the correct action for the pattern. For example, have six volunteers stand in a line. Start by leading the class in a pattern, such as Clap, clap, stomp. Clap, clap, stomp. SAY: Let s keep this pattern going! Point to each student in turn as you say the pattern. When it is their turn, each student should do the action in the part of the pattern that you have reached when you point to them (e.g., clap or stomp). Repeat with other groups of six students at a time until everyone has had a turn. Activity Patterns in a circle. Have students sit in a large circle. Begin by having students copy actions that you do, such as raising a hand, clapping hands, or touching your nose. After students have practiced copying single actions, have them copy actions that follow a pattern; for example, touch your nose, raise your hand, touch your nose, raise your hand. When students are comfortable with a particular pattern, go around the circle and have each student in turn do the next action in the pattern. At first, you can say the words for the action as you point to each student. If students are successful following the pattern, progress to simply pointing to the next student without prompting the action. (end of activity) B-6 Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math

7 Lesson 4 Patterns: Visual Students are exposed to visual patterns. Students predict what comes next in a visual pattern. Students practice taking turns, volunteering, and signaling answers. Can name colors Materials: connecting cubes in 3 different colors chalk in 3 different colors BLM Small Shape Cards (p. I-1) BLM Large Shape Cards (p. I-2) familiar objects with simple patterns (e.g., American flag, checkerboard, wrapping paper) Patterns with colors. Hold up a red connecting cube. ASK: What color is this cube? (red) Repeat with a blue cube and a white cube. If students know their colors, use the opportunity to teach how to signal answers. SAY: Sometimes I will ask you to answer a question by showing thumbs up for yes or thumbs down for no. Demonstrate how to do thumbs up and thumbs down. SAY: Let s practice. Everyone show thumbs up for yes. When all students are holding up their thumb, repeat with thumbs down for no. Repeat several times. SAY: Show me yes. Show me no. NOTE: For a complete description of signaling, see p. A-20. When students are comfortable signaling answers, encourage them to signal instead of calling out yes or no. Hold up a white cube and ASK: Is this cube white? (yes) Hold up a blue cube and ASK: Is this cube red? (no) Repeat with several examples, alternating between yes and no answers. Affix connecting cubes to the board in the following pattern: red blue red blue red blue red blue SAY: Let s say the colors together as I point to each cube. While pointing to each cube in turn from left to right, lead the class in saying the colors. (red, blue, red, blue, red, blue, red, blue) ASK: What color of cube goes next, blue or red? (red) Ask a volunteer to come to the board to place the next cube. Continue to extend the pattern on the board by asking students each time what color goes next. Give other volunteers the opportunity to place the next cube. Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math B-7

8 Repeat with several other simple patterns, such as the following: Red, red, blue. Red, red, blue. Blue, white, white. Blue, white, white. White, white, red, red. White, white, red, red. Red, white, blue. Red, white, blue. Eventually, switch from connecting cubes to squares or dots drawn with two or three different colors on the board. If students struggle with identifying the next color in a pattern, use simple rhymes as a prompt. Examples: What comes next? Let s think about it in our head. What comes next? Could the color be? (red) What comes next? Let s think about what to do. What comes next? Could the color be? (blue) What comes next? Let s get this right. What comes next? Could the color be? (white) What comes next? It s a color we ve seen. What comes next? Could the color be? (green) Increase the difficulty of the pattern slightly each time (for example, keep the pattern the same but change the colors). Patterns with shapes. Repeat the pattern games using simple shapes instead of colors. Although students will be formally taught shapes in Unit 3, you can expose them to circles, triangles, and squares using simple representations, such as those from BLM Small Shape Cards and BLM Large Shape Cards. In advance, cut out the cards from the BLMs or make your own shapes using white or colored paper. You may wish to vary the patterns by color and shape, and perhaps by size, but do not include the same shape in different sizes or colors until students are comfortable. For example, you might begin with the following pattern: Red square, blue triangle. Red square, blue triangle. When students are ready, proceed to more challenging patterns, such as the example below: Red square, blue triangle, red triangle. Red square, blue triangle, red triangle. Eventually, switch from using paper shapes to shapes drawn on the board. B-8 Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math

9 If students struggle with identifying the next shape in a pattern, use simple rhymes as a prompt. Examples: What comes next? What shape goes there? What comes next? Could the shape be a? (square) What comes next? I m in a tangle. What comes next? Could the shape be a? (triangle) What comes next? Should we ask Mr. Merkle? What comes next? Could the shape be a? (circle) Patterns in familiar objects. Repeat the pattern games using patterns in familiar objects, such as the red and white stripes in the American flag, the black and white squares on a checkerboard, or simple shapes on a sheet of wrapping paper. You might cover part of a familiar object and ask students what comes next. For example, cover the American flag from the middle red stripe downward and ASK: What color stripe do you think comes next? (red) After revealing the next red stripe, repeat, revealing one stripe at a time. If students are familiar with the first three letters of the alphabet, you might show some patterns with these letters. Example: B B A B B A B B A B B If students struggle with identifying the next letter in a pattern, use simple rhymes as a prompt. Example: What comes next? I m not sure what to say. What comes next? Could the letter be? (A) Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math B-9

10 Lesson 5 Basic Sorting: Identifying Attributes Students identify simple attributes, such as color and size of objects. Students practice signaling answers. Can name colors Understands big and bigger and small and smaller Materials: familiar objects that vary by color or size (e.g., apples of 3 different colors, books of different sizes, connecting cubes of 3 different colors) shoe BLM Small Shape Cards (p. I-1) BLM Large Shape Cards (p. I-2) BLM Animal Cards (pp. I-3 4) BLM Bird and Insect Cards (p. I-5) BLM Fruit and Vegetable Cards (p. I-6) BLM More Cards for Sorting (p. I-7) NOTE: Although we use the term attribute in this unit, do not use it with students. Noticing attributes. In advance, gather some familiar objects that vary by color or size. For example, hold up a red apple. ASK: Is this an apple? (yes) Have students signal their answers using thumbs up for yes and thumbs down for no. Hold up a book and ASK: Is this an apple? (no) Is this a book? (yes) Hold up the red apple again and ASK: Is this a book? (no) Is this apple red? (yes) Hold up a green apple. SAY: Apples can be different colors like red, green, or yellow. ASK: Is this apple green? (yes) Is this a book? (no) Is it an apple? (yes) Is it a red apple? (no) Repeat with other objects, such as connecting cubes of different colors and books of different sizes. Repeat with picture cards cut from BLM Small Shape Cards, BLM Large Shape Cards, BLM Animal Cards, BLM Bird and Insect Cards, BLM Fruit and Vegetable Cards, and BLM More Cards for Sorting. Describing objects using attributes. Hold up a shoe. ASK: What am I holding? (a shoe) What color is it? What else can you tell me about the shoe? (students might describe the size of the shoe, or they might say if the shoe has laces or not) SAY: We can use color to tell about the shoe. We can use size to tell about the shoe, too. Hold up a different object, such as a book, and have students describe the book with less prompting. For example, ASK: What can you tell me about this? (it s a book) What can you tell me about the book? Students might describe the size of the book or the colors/pictures on the cover. After students describe one attribute, ASK: What else can you tell me about this book? Repeat with more objects. B-10 Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math

11 Activity I Spy. Play the game with the whole class with you as the leader. Choose an object in the classroom that is visible to all students but do not say what it is. SAY: I spy with my little eye something that is. You can fill in the blank with any attribute of the object, such as its color (for example, a yellow apple). Students take turns to guess the object. If students guess other objects with the same attribute that are visible in the classroom, SAY: You are right, that is yellow, but that is not what I am thinking about. If students are having trouble guessing the object, give more hints. For example, SAY: It is yellow, and it is something you can eat. After students guess the correct object, play again using a different object and a different kind of attribute. Be the leader for several rounds before letting students take turns being the leader. As an alternative, students can play the game in pairs or in small groups. (end of activity) Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math B-11

12 Lesson 6 Basic Sorting: The Same and Different Students learn the concept of same and different. Students identify what is the same and what is different for two objects or two pictures of objects. Can name colors Can identify simple attributes of familiar objects Can signal using thumbs up and thumbs down Vocabulary: different, same Materials: objects that vary by color or size (e.g., connecting cubes of 2 different colors, different kinds of fruits, 2 colors of pencils of different lengths) chalk in 2 different colors BLM Small Shape Cards (p. I-1) BLM Large Shape Cards (p. I-2) BLM Animal Cards (pp. I-3 4) BLM Bird and Insect Cards (p. I-5) BLM Fruit and Vegetable Cards (p. I-6) BLM More Cards for Sorting (p. I-7) Identifying what is the same and what is different. Hold up a red apple and a red connecting cube. ASK: Are both of these red? (yes) SAY: Since both are red, we say they are the same color. Hold up the red apple and a yellow cube. ASK: Are they both red? (no) Are they both yellow? (no) Holding up each one in turn, SAY: This one is red and this one is yellow. ASK: Are they the same color? (no) SAY: Since they are not the same color, we say they are different colors. Repeat with other pairs of objects that are the same or different colors. Repeat the discussion above, but progress to some other attributes, such as kind of fruit or size. For example, hold up a banana and a yellow apple. ASK: Are they both fruit? (yes) SAY: Both are fruit, so that is something that is the same about these two things. ASK: Are they both apples? (no) Are they both bananas? (no) SAY: So they are not the same kind of fruit. They are different kinds of fruit. ASK: Are they both yellow? (yes) What is the same about these two things? (both are yellow, both are fruit) What is different? (they are different kinds of fruit, they taste different) Repeat with other pairs of objects that have some attributes that are the same and some that are different (for example, an apple and an orange, two colored pencils of different colors and lengths). Gradually use less prompting and try to have students identify an attribute that is the same and an attribute that is different. Repeat with pairs of picture cards from BLM Small Shape Cards, BLM Large Shape Cards, BLM Animal Cards, BLM Bird and Insect Cards, BLM Fruit and Vegetable Cards, and BLM More Cards for Sorting that you affix to the board. Prompt students to notice what is the B-12 Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math

13 same and what is different for each pair of picture cards. For example, the giraffe and the bear are both animals, but they are different kinds of animals. Both have legs, but the giraffe has spots while the bear does not. After some practice with picture cards, proceed to drawing pairs of simple pictures on the board. For example, draw a red or a yellow apple and a yellow banana. Activity What is the same? What is different? Give each student pair a set of six to ten picture cards from the BLMs used in the lesson. The cards are placed face up. Partner 1 chooses two cards and asks Partner 2, What is the same about these two pictures? What is different about these two pictures? Partners switch roles and continue playing. (end of activity) Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math B-13

14 Lesson 7 Basic Sorting: By Attributes Students identify what is the same and what is different for a collection of objects and use this understanding to sort pictures of objects. Can name colors Can identify simple attributes of familiar objects Can signal using thumbs up and thumbs down Understands same and different Vocabulary: different, same Materials: bucket containing about equal numbers of red and blue blocks or connecting cubes, one block or cube per student BLM Fruit and Vegetable Cards (p. I-6) BLM Small Shape Cards (p. I-1) BLM Large Shape Cards (p. I-2) BLM Animal Cards (pp. I-3 4) BLM Bird and Insect Cards (p. I-5) BLM More Cards for Sorting (p. I-7) Noticing attributes in the context of basic sorting. Pass around a bucket containing about the same number of red and blue blocks. Have each student take one block from the bucket. Ask all of the students with a blue block to stand at one end of the classroom and all of the students with a red block to stand at the other end. Pointing to the students with red blocks, ASK: Do all of the students on this side of the classroom have red blocks? (yes) Pointing to the students with blue blocks, ASK: What color block do all of the students on that side have? (blue) Pointing to the students with red blocks, ASK: What is the same about all of the students on this side of the classroom? (all have red blocks) Pointing to the students with blue blocks, ASK: What is the same about all of the students on that side? (all have blue blocks) What is different about the blocks on this side? (the blocks are a different color) Repeat with other examples of similar objects, as needed. Activity Does it belong or not? Affix two fruit cards and two vegetable cards from BLM Fruit and Vegetable Cards on the board. ASK: What is the same about all of the cards? (they are all foods) One at a time, hold up another card, either from BLM Fruit and Vegetable Cards again or from BLM Small Shape Cards, BLM Large Shape Cards, BLM Animal Cards, BLM Bird and Insect Cards, or BLM More Cards for Sorting. For each card, ASK: Does this picture belong with the other pictures on the board? Students should signal thumbs up for yes and thumbs down for no. If necessary, prompt students by asking whether the picture shows a food. When B-14 Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math

15 students have correctly identified several cards that belong and several cards that do not, repeat the activity using a different category of cards (e.g., animals, squares, birds). For advanced students, play the game without specifying the category until after they have identified a few cards that belong and a few cards that do not. (end of activity) Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math B-15

16 Lesson 8 Basic Sorting: Finding Specified Objects Students notice what is the same and what is different for a collection of objects or pictures of objects, and use this understanding to find specified objects or pictures of objects. Can name colors Can identify simple attributes of familiar objects Can signal using thumbs up and thumbs down Materials: blocks of many different colors, including red and blue bucket BLM Small Shape Cards (p. I-1) BLM Large Shape Cards (p. I-2) BLM Animal Cards (pp. I-3 4) BLM Bird and Insect Cards (p. I-5) BLM Fruit and Vegetable Cards (p. I-6) BLM More Cards for Sorting (p. I-7) Finding a specified object in a collection of objects. Place one red block and five blue blocks in a bucket. SAY: There is one red block in the bucket. Let s find it! Hold up one block at a time as you take it out of the bucket, starting with all of the blue blocks, and tell students to say stop when you hold up a red block. Repeat, at first including increasingly more blue blocks, and then using blocks of many different colors (always use only one red block). Repeat using picture cards from BLM Small Shape Cards, BLM Large Shape Cards, BLM Animal Cards, BLM Bird and Insect Cards, BLM Fruit and Vegetable Cards, and BLM More Cards for Sorting. For example, use the picture of a dog and several other picture cards and have students say stop or raise their hand whenever you hold up the dog card. Affix several picture cards on the board, and have students find a specified picture card (e.g., the card with a cat, the card with an apple). Increase the challenge each time by taping more and more cards on the board for students to choose from. Activities Finding the picture. Give each student pair nine picture cards from the BLMs used in the lesson. Partner 1 places five cards face up, selects one secretly, and without pointing to it, asks Partner 2 to find the card showing what they have chosen. For example, Partner 1 says Pick up the dog. Partner 2 needs to pick up the correct card. Players switch roles and continue playing. After several rounds, students place six, seven, eight, or eventually all nine cards face up to make the game more challenging. 2. Students play I Spy (see activity in Lesson 5) in pairs. (end of activities) B-16 Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math

17 Lesson 9 Basic Sorting: Two Groups Students identify to which of two categories a given picture of an object belongs. Students practice pasting small pieces of paper inside an outline. Can identify simple attributes of familiar objects Understands same and different Materials: BLM Dog and Apple Cards (p. B-23) 2 bins or boxes BLM Dog and Apple Sorting (p. B-24) tape glue BLM Animal Cards (pp. I-3 4) BLM Fruit and Vegetable Cards (p. I-6) Activities Give each student a dog card or an apple card from BLM Dog and Apple Cards. Place two bins or boxes, each labeled with a picture of a dog or an apple, at the front of the class. One at a time, each student holds up their card so that everyone can see and then places the card in the correct box. 2. Repeat Activity 1, but after each student holds up their card, the whole class points to the correct box. Keep the boxes far enough away from each other so it is clear which box students are pointing to. 3. Cut along the dashed line on BLM Dog and Apple Sorting and tape the side showing the dog and the side showing the apple on different sides of the board. From a pile of shuffled dog cards and apple cards from BLM Dog and Apple Cards, pick up one card at a time, and ASK: Where does this card belong? After students point to the correct side of the board, demonstrate how to carefully tape the card inside one of the outlines under the dog or apple. Repeat until you have affixed two dog cards and two apple cards. Provide each small group of students with a shuffled pile of dog cards and apple cards. Give each student glue and BLM Dog and Apple Sorting. Each student picks a card from the pile and pastes it inside one of the corresponding outlines on the BLM. Students repeat until they have glued at least one picture card on each side of the BLM. NOTE: Activity 4 is best suited for advanced students. Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math B-17

18 4. Give students BLM Dog and Apple Sorting and have them repeat Activity 3 but using a shuffled pile of cards from BLM Animal Cards and BLM Fruit and Vegetable Cards. Students should paste any animal card below the dog picture and any food card below the apple picture. (end of activities) B-18 Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math

19 Lesson 10 Basic Sorting: Which Pictures are the Same? Students identify two matching pictures in a collection of pictures of objects. Students practice volunteering and coloring. Can identify simple traits in familiar objects Can signal using thumbs up and thumbs down Understands same and different Vocabulary: different, same Materials: BLM Small Shape Cards (p. I-1) BLM Large Shape Cards (p. I-2) BLM Animal Cards (pp. I-3 4) BLM Bird and Insect Cards (p. I-5) BLM Fruit and Vegetable Cards (p. I-6) BLM More Cards for Sorting (p. I-7) BLM Which Pictures Are the Same? (pp. B-25 27) Identifying which pictures are the same. In advance, gather picture cards from BLM Small Shape Cards, BLM Large Shape Cards, BLM Animal Cards, BLM Bird and Insect Cards, BLM Fruit and Vegetable Cards, and BLM More Cards for Sorting. On the board, affix two cards showing identical dogs and one other card showing a picture that is not a dog. Point to each card in turn and ASK: Is this a dog? Have students signal thumbs up for yes and thumbs down for no. Ask a volunteer to come to the board and point to the cards showing dogs. Repeat with other pictures that show two identical objects and one different object. Progress to using two, three, or more pictures of objects that are all different from the two identical pictures. Increase the difficulty slightly each time (for example, add one more card that is not one of the matching pair, or place the matching pair of cards farther away from each other on the board). Repeat using simple pictures drawn on the board. Once students identify the matching pair, have a volunteer color the pictures that match. Repeat as needed. When students can successfully do matching activities with pictures of objects that are identical, progress to pictures of objects that are of the same type but not identical (for example, two kinds of cars or two kinds of birds). Activity Coloring pictures that are the same. Students complete BLM Which Pictures Are the Same? (1. apple, 2. rabbit, 3. tomato) (end of activity) Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math B-19

20 Lesson 11 Basic Sorting: Which Picture Is Different? Students identify which picture in a collection of pictures of objects does not match the others. Students practice volunteering and crossing out pictures. Can identify simple attributes of familiar objects Understands same and different Vocabulary: different, same Materials: BLM Small Shape Cards (p. I-1) BLM Large Shape Cards (p. I-2) BLM Animal Cards (pp. I-3 4) BLM Bird and Insect Cards (p. I-5) BLM Fruit and Vegetable Cards (p. I-6) BLM More Cards for Sorting (p. I-7) tape BLM Which Picture Is Different? (pp. B-28 29) Identifying which picture is different. In advance, gather picture cards from BLM Small Shape Cards, BLM Large Shape Cards, BLM Animal Cards, BLM Bird and Insect Cards, BLM Fruit and Vegetable Cards, and BLM More Cards for Sorting. Do a variation of the matching activity from Lesson 10, in which all but one of the cards are the same in some way. For example, affix three cards that show identical dog pictures and one card that shows a car. Proceed to examples of three cards that show the same object but are not identical and one card with an entirely different object; for example, three cards that each show a different car and one card that shows an object that is not a car. At first, choose an object on the one card that is very unlike the object on the other three cards. Eventually, make the object on the one card more similar to the object on the three others; for example, show three cars and a truck. Each time, students identify the one picture that is not like the other ones. Have a volunteer come to the board and remove the card that is not like the others. Progress to drawing pictures on the board instead of using picture cards. Ask a volunteer to identify the picture that doesn t fit with the others by drawing an X on that picture. NOTE: It does not matter if students cannot draw perfect X s, as long as you can tell which picture they mean to cross out (this also applies to the activity below). Activity Which picture is different? Students complete BLM Which Picture Is Different? (1. strawberry, 2. bee, 3. mouse, 4. pineapple, 5. soccer ball, 6. banana) (end of activity) B-20 Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math

21 Lesson 12 Pre-Writing Skills: Following Arrows Students learn to follow arrows, which will help prepare them for tracing numerals in later units. none Materials: large arrow drawn on a piece of paper chalk or pieces of paper (each with a picture of an arrow) and masking tape Following arrows by pointing. Draw a large arrow on a piece of paper. Hold up the arrow so that the arrow points up. SAY: This is an arrow. Using your finger, trace from the bottom of the arrow s shaft to the top, then trace along the arrow head. Explain that the arrow is pointing up, and point up with your finger. Hold the arrow pointing down and repeat. Repeat again, but hold the arrow so it is pointing to the left and then to the right. NOTE: You do not need to use the words left and right, but be sure to point with your finger in the direction that the arrow is pointing. Repeat the process, but this time have all students point along with you. Repeat several times until they understand which way an arrow points. Have students stand up. Hold up the arrow so that it points either up, down, left, or right and, without your prompting, students point and stretch in the same direction that the arrow points. Repeat in random order. When students are comfortable, include diagonal directions. Activities Walk this way. Have students stand up and form a line, facing you. You should stand at least a few yards away. One at a time, have students walk toward you. As the student gets close to you, hold up the picture of the arrow so that it points to your left or right. The student has to turn and walk in the direction that the arrow is pointing for three steps and then stop. Repeat with a different student until everyone has had a turn. Change the direction in which you point the arrow, sometimes left and sometimes right. 2. Maze. Create a simple maze using arrows that tell students which path to follow to exit the maze or to find a hidden treasure. If you create the maze in your classroom, use masking tape on the floor or tables and chairs to outline the walls of the maze. Tell students that they cannot step over the walls. Tape pictures of arrows onto the tables or chairs pointing in various directions to lead students out of the maze. Alternatively, you can create the maze outdoors, using chalk on pavement to outline the walls of the maze, and then draw arrows on the pavement pointing in various directions to lead students out of the maze. (end of activities) Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math B-21

22 Lesson 13 Pre-Writing Skills: Joining Dots Students learn to join dots using pencil and paper, which will help prepare them for tracing and writing numerals in later units. none Materials: BLM Drawing Lines without a Ruler (p. B-30) Joining dots on the board. Draw on the board two dots that are not very far away from each other, so you can draw a short horizontal line to join them, as shown below: SAY: I am going to draw a line to join the dots. Draw the line, as shown below: NOTE: When drawing lines on the board, always draw from left to right for horizontal lines and from top to bottom for vertical lines. However, do not insist that students do the same. Draw two more dots on the board. Ask a volunteer to draw the line to join the dots. Repeat with many different volunteers. Repeat several more times, increasing the challenge each time by drawing the dots farther and farther apart. Then, repeat the whole process but with the dots one above the other so that students must draw a vertical line. Repeat for diagonal lines. Eventually, increase the challenge by having students join three dots (model this first) and then four dots. Activities Joining dots on paper. Students complete BLM Drawing Lines without a Ruler. 2. Copying and joining dots. Draw two dots on the board and have students copy the dots on scrap paper. Students then draw a line to join their dots. Begin with dots that form horizontal lines, and progress to vertical lines and then diagonal lines. Eventually, progress to three or four dots. (see examples below) (end of activities) B-22 Teacher s Guide for Kindergarten Getting Ready for Kindergarten Math