Prek4 Mathematics
The Unquowa math program is hands on. We use different manipulatives to enable students to explore mathematical concepts. The concepts that the children learn include the following: simple addition and subtraction, measurement, patterns, sorting, graphing, spatial sense and geometry, and logical reasoning. Each of these concepts enable children to build a strong mathematical foundation for the future. Our math program is fun and challenging. Come back and check our math section to see what they are learning!
September 3rd-5th: Learning about patterns
This week we introduced a simple AB pattern. On the first day we met as a group and learned that a pattern is something that repeats over and over again without changing. After talking about what a pattern is, we looked around the classroom and discovered that our calendar dates form the pattern "apple, book, apple, book...". Next each child was given either a red or a green interlocking unifix cube. Working together as a group, we created the pattern "red, green, red, green". Each time we added a cube we made sure to check our pattern by pointing to each cube and saying the color aloud. This helped us to make sure that we were on track and develop a habit of checking our work as we go.
Working together on patterns
The next day we met as a group once again and repeated the group exercise this time with the children leading the way. After we built a pattern together, we broke up into pairs. Each pair worked hard as a team to build their pattern together.
On Friday, we made a pattern as a group, but this time when we worked in pairs we used counting bears and patterning cards. This not only helped us with our patterning skills, we also utilized our matching skills to complete the pattern on the cards.
September 8th-12th: Counting a set and learning ordinal numbers
For the first part of the week we worked on making a set of objects which corresponded to a numeral. First we worked together as a group watching as Mrs. Beninati modeled. For example she would say "I am going to make a set of 3". Then she would take out three unifix cubes from the bin, one at a time, counting as she went. Then she would use her couting finger to "check her work" touching each cube as she counted. Then we all practiced. When we worked on our own we got a chance to make sets with larger and larger amounts as we went.
During the second half of the week, we worked on learning ordinal numbers first, second, third, fourth and fifth. Mrs. Beninati told us a story about some bears who were waiting in line to eat from a blackberry bush. We each had our own set of five different colored bears which we used to act out the story. Each time a bear had a turn to eat from the blackberry bush, it would go to the end of the line to wait for another turn. We would then see which color bear was first, second, third, fourth, and fifth in line. The next day we acted out the story again, except this time, we were the bears!!! It was so much fun to eat from our imaginary blackberry bush!
September 15th-19th: Math Centers
This week we worked on three different math centers. At two of the centers the children worked independently to review and explore patterning while one group worked with Mrs. Beninati on one-to-one correspondence and matching number sets with objects. The group that worked with Mrs. Beninati used egg cartons cut down to different sizes to be houses for people. Each place for an egg acted as a room and only one person could live in each room. Each child had a turn counting how many rooms were in each house. Then each child placed one little counting person in each room. Finally, each child counted how many people could live in that house all together. The children rotated through the centers each day until everyone had an opportunity to work at each center. On Friday we had open math centers during which the children explored pattern blocks, patterning and other puzzles that utilized their one-to-one correspondence skills.
September 22nd-26th: Sorting
This week we learned about sorting. We learned that sorting is making groups of things that are the same. First we sorted the children in our class by different attributes. We stood up and gathered in groups based on a commonality. We made groups of boys and girls, children wearing pants, skirts and dresses, children who have blue, green and brown eyes, and children wearing blue shirts or white shirts.
Then we took that concept and applied it to manipulatives. We split into two groups to sort objects by color. One group sorted different color links into baskets while the other group sorted the different color counting bears onto sorting mats. We made groups of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. It was very exciting to see that at the end we had created the rainbow! The next day we me on the carpet and reviewed our terminology and our activities. Then we returned to the tables and the groups switched.
On Wednesday, we reviewed sorting and then discussed sorting by size. We learned the terms small, medium and large. Using sorting mats designated by the words small, medium and large, we again sorted our bears. This time we disregarded the color of the bear and instead focused on whether the bear was small, medium or large. We learned that we should place the bear in the group to see if it was the same and if not we moved onto the next group until we found the correct group. We took turns working together on the carpet repeating the terms as we sorted.
On Thursday and Friday we each had a chance to practice our skills at the tables again in two groups. One group sorted the bears by size while the other group sorted foam socks by size. We love sorting!!!
September 29th- October 3rd: Shapes
This week we introduced basic two-dimensional shapes. Building off of our color theme last week, we played “color and shape” bingo as a full group. This game helped us learn and reinforce different two-dimensional shapes including circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles. Each time a new card was shown we all helped say what color and shape it was. This game was especially fun because we all are winners at the end!!! We also played a matching game in pairs. Each pair was given a bingo type board and a corresponding set of cards with a large variety of shapes including the basic two dimensional shapes as well as pentagons, hexagons, octagons, diamonds, parallelograms, trapezoids and chevrons. We discussed the new names of the new shapes, however the focus of this game was counting the sides of each shape and looking at its form to make a match.
October 6th-8th: Shapes Continued
To reinforce our knowledge of the basic two-dimensional shapes including squares, rectangles and triangles, we created them on our own using tooth picks, straws and play-doh. First we watched Mrs. Beninati model how to create each shape. We discussed how many sides each shape had as we made it. We used tooth picks and/or straws for the sides and little balls of play-doh to bind them together.
October 14th-17th: Simple Problem Solving
This week we introduced simple problem solving. Using a story mat, mini plastic pigs, a little red cup and our imaginations we told a story about some pigs who live on a farm. First we counted how many pigs were in the farm then we listened to Mrs. Beninati tell a story about the pigs going to the field or in the mud. Each time a pig was added or subtracted from the group in the field or in the mud we counted to see how many were left or all together.
October 24th - 27th: Graphing
Paragraph. We started out by learning that a graph is like a picture that gives us information. Mrs. Beninati began drawing a graph on the easel as she explained the different parts of the graph. We learned that bar graphs have columns that go up and down (like the ones that hold up roofs on houses) and rows that go across (like the rows of seats in a movie theatre). We learned that the numbers up the left side of the graph help us count how many rows there are.
Then we made a graph together of our favorite colors. We learned that each box represented one child who liked that particular color best. Then we counted how many children liked each color best. The next day we created a graph of the cheese taste test that we did in Ms. Donza’s science class. We took the “data” from Ms. Donza’s class and used it to fill in the information on the graph. We learned that most of the children did not like goat cheese!
Finally, after spending a few days working on simple bar graphs as a group, we decided to try one of our own. We worked in pairs to complete our graphs. Each pair was given a small cup of Fruite-O’s cereal which includes orange, yellow and purple fruit loops. First we sorted out the cereal based on color. We placed one piece of cereal in each box in the corresponding column starting from the number 1. Next, we picked up one piece of cereal at a time and colored in the box with the matching color crayon. Then we put that piece of cereal back in the cup. We continued this process until all of our cereal was back in the cup. Finally, we counted how many pieces of orange, yellow and purple cereal we had in our cup by using the graph. As a special treat, we got to eat some of the cereal at the end. It was a lot of fun!
October 27th-31st: Simple Problem Solving
This week we built on our problem solving with the pigs in the farm and worked on simple addition sentences. This week we learned they symbols “plus” and “equal” and what they mean. Using unifix cubes, equal and addition signs drawn on paper and three separate mats, we worked as a group to create different addition all of which equaled five. Later in the week we worked in pairs to create our own addition sentences.
November 3-7: Measuring and Weighing
This week we focused on measuring everyday classroom objects using unifix cubes as a non-standard unit of measure. Not only did we learn about length and measuring, but we began to learn how to estimate as we guessed about how many cubes long each item was and then determined how accurate we were. We then compared lengths and placed the objects in order of longest to shortest. Later in the week we worked with a balance scale and learned that when the two baskets were even, or balanced, it meant that the weight of the objects in each basket was the same. We again used unifix cubes to weight our classroom objects.
November 10th-21st: Number Sense
For these two weeks we focused on our number sense. We played a variety of games in which we had to match the numeral with it’s corresponding number. For example we played the ladybug game. We had ten leaves each of which had a numeral written on it. Then we each had a deck of cards with a different number of ladybugs on it. We then had to match our cards to the corresponding leaf. We also played the cookie game, in which we matched cookies with varying numbers of chocolate chips on them to plates with the corresponding numerals. These activities not only strengthened and reinforced our number sense, but it also strengthened counting with one-to-one correspondence. Later in each week we did math centers in which we freely explored these games, other number sense puzzles and we revisited some other concepts such as patterning, sorting and shapes.
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