A Little Math

We finished up week 2 and I can finally say I *think* the new littles are beginning to understand that this school thing is going to be happening for a little while longer, so they've hunkered down and really started shining with our routines and procedures.
One area we jump right into is math. We start the first week doing the numbers 0 and 1 and learning about circles. This past week, we worked on number 2. Let me say that we do not have a math curriculum that we have to use and it is HEAVEN!! My friend Deeanna does a great job coming up with creative math lessons and our kids learn so much with the way we organize math. We take a number each week and really focus on it...learning to write it, count to it, count from it, and decomposing it. Doing just one number a week really helps the kids form a great number sense!
Every week, we rainbow our number then glue cheerios or pretzels on it. {I love rainbowing numbers and letters - these are in my Let's Get it Started pack!!}.

 We also always make a ten frame for the number. I didn't snap a picture of ours this week, but it looks like this. I let the kids use pictures of whatever theme we're doing {this week, they glued Jack and Jill on the ten frame}, then they practice tracing and writing the number.

Speaking of ten frames, we use this floor ten frame at least 3 times a week, if not more. It is probably one of my favorite math tools! For 0 and 1, the kids acted out Humpty Dumpty. We practiced making Humpty Dumpty go to the #1 spot {I am a stickler for making the kids use the ten frame starting at the top left - just like we read!}. Then, when he fell, we talked about how the ten frame now showed 0. The kids had a blast!

Starting with #2, we start decomposing. I have had sooooo many people question this, and when we first started the idea of doing it so early, I questioned it too! However, it works!! A lot of our kids come in with little numbers sense, poor handwriting, etc., but I am telling you, about week 5, magic happens and all the hard work pays off when you see them finally get decomposing! I strongly urge you to just give your kids a chance to show you what they can do! This week, we used Jack and Jill to decompose. I let kids pretend to be Jack and Jill going up the "hill," then we also decomposed another day where each child had their own hill and Jack and Jill to manipulate.

Something I've added this year to our math routine for each number is sorts. I made them this summer, and so far, I love them. I have large sorting cards that we use to sort whole group, then individual sorting pages to sort by number/not that number.

This week, we also started our number guys. I was so excited about these, but to be honest, I knew the first one was going to be a struggle, and it was. I helped the kids come up with the representations this week, and I probably will again next week, but I definitely think it helped them! They turned out so cute!

Because we take so much time with each number, I usually wait until we've taught #5 to start math centers so that the kids are comfortable working independently.
Along with numbers, we also teach shapes on the week that coincides with the number of side a shape has. So, the first week, we teach circles. One of our favorite things to do is use marshmallows to paint circles!

We also sort shape cards and do an individual sort {that I didn't snap a picture of!} and make a circle guy. For the shape people, the kids have to cut out the body, eyes, hands, and feet, so they get lots of good practice cutting a certain shape!

Next week we're moving on to #3 and triangles! Most of the above activities, can be found in these packs:

I'd love to hear more about how you teach math...are you required to use a series? Do you teach numbers slowly? Fill me in!