Thank you to all the wonderful participants in yesterday’s Math Camp session! Judging by the sense of excitement that was in the room by the end of the workshop, I know you were taking away with you some great ideas for the new school year.
Remember that much of what you do in Kindergarten and Grade 1 needs to centre around number relationships (primarily these: whole-part-part*; anchoring numbers of 5 and 10; one and two more/one and two less; and visual-spatial relationships.) It is as children have numerous opportunities to explore these relationships that they begin to develop number sense.
* Do note that I prefer the term “whole-part-part” to the more common “part-part-whole”. The emphasis in this number relationship is the pulling apart of a number, not the pushing together of two parts to make a larger whole. Primary teachers may make a connection to a similar distinction in reading, namely the difference between decoding and encoding words. They denote two very different processes. Traditionally in math the emphasis has been placed on “encoding” numbers, or adding them together, with little or no emphasis given to to “decoding” numbers or pulling them apart. Children need repeated practice in pulling numbers apart in different ways. We want them to notice that in different circumstances, different parts are more beneficial.
As promised in the workshop, I am posting links for the blackline masters that we referred to during the workshop. I hope up you make good use of them! (Click on any item below to download the file.)
dominoes (large) template
small dot cards template
large dot cards – 1 NOTE: these large, demonstration-sized dot cards appear to go off the page.
large dot cards – 2 That is normal. There are only two large cards fully on each page.
large dot cards – 3 Ignore the stuff on the sides! The two that matter are there!
student ten frames
teacher ten frames
blank 5 frames
blank 10 frames
folding whole-part-part cards
As always, let me know if I can be of more specific help.
Mathematically yours,
Carollee
