Counters....What do I do with them!?

 A little while ago, we had a reader ask us about activities she can do with her children using counters. First of all, I am so glad she purchased counters! They are such a great manipulative! They are a GREAT way to help your child develop number sense as well as practice basic addition and subtraction skills. Secondly, there are endless ways you can use counters and we are going to share a few of our ideas.

1. Put them in a cup and shake them!

When helping your child with number sense, have your child grab a handful of counters without looking (if this child is young, no more than 10) and place them in the cup. Then have her shake it and dump it and count how many fell onto the table. Next, have her correctly write down the number to practice the correct way to write a number. This is a basic way to practice counting and can be done starting at 2 years old!

**Please note that I have drawn the counters because mine are stuck in storage at the moment! :)

2. Shaking and separating for more number sense practice.

You can also use a regular 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper horizontally. Draw a line down the middle to separate it into two parts. Label one side with a RED crayon or marker "Red" and the other side with a YELLOW crayon or marker "Yellow". {By using the corresponding color, it will help your child read/learn the word better}. Then have your child count out ten counters and place them in the cup. Have him shake it and dump it onto the paper. Next, have him separate the yellow and the red counters into their correct side and count them. At the bottom of the "Red" side have him write the number of red counters shown. Have him do the same on the "Yellow" side.

3. Shaking and separating for addition and subtraction practice.

On a blank piece of paper, draw an upside down "T" and label like below.

Next have your child put 10 counters (or more or less depending on her age) into the cup. Have her shake them and dump them out onto the paper. Next have her separate them according to color in their correct spaces. Last, have her create a number sentence (either addition or subtraction) and record it on the bottom part of the paper.

If you notice I have color coordinated throughout the activity to further help with their understanding. 

Of course you can make any one of these activities into a fun game. Also, these activities can be done on white boards for a fun change. I would have my students do these activities at the red rug with me and when they had their answer ready, they couldn't hold up their white board until I said "1, 2, 3 show me!!" They loved using their white boards and counters with these activities.

These are just a few basic activities that can be done with counters. We will definitely be posting more!

**As with all activities, they can easily be adapted depending on your child's level/age. :)

The Ten Frame

Okay I know what you are thinking...what the heck is the big deal about the TEN FRAME any way?

I didn't really realize the power it had until my last year teaching. I was sitting in a class that was to educate US teachers on the Singapore Method and Approach to Math, when all of the sudden the light clicked---that's right 24 years later I realized why it was so hard for ME to understand math...I had never grasped the POWER OF 10!!!

It made so much sense. If a child can look at this frame and understand that:

a) at a glance there are 7 counters

b) that without counting each one individually he can tell you in a split second there are 3 missing

c) if you add 3 more counters it would equal 10

d) there are 5 on top and 2 on the bottom, that equals 7

e) 7 + 3 = 10

and so on. 

If our brains can understand the root number 10, then as mathematics builds on itself we can begin to understand topics like: rounding numbers, MENTAL MATH (which is SO difficult for so many students)--they are able to visualize the ten frame, addition/subtraction, multiplication/division, grouping numbers, even and odd numbers, word problems and how to strategically represent numbers.

This picture was taken off this site. I love this post and suggest you take a little time to read it! I'm telling you the power of the ten frame is BIG!

Here is an AWESOME website to help your children become more familiar with using the ten frame. Click here to play this game.

Click here to print off your very own TEN FRAME to use with your kiddos at home! (There are over 50 pages so be careful before you press print.)

I am very aware that is only ONE tool to use to help your child understand number sense, but along with other tools this can provide a great resource to lean on when teaching your children the basics of math. 

More on the Singapore Method SOON!

Pass the Plate....

A fun, easy and cheap game.

This is a timed game where a group of children (or just you and your child) sit in a circle with a paper plate. Give them (or your child) an allotted time to write as many words as they can in a certain category as they pass the plate. Your child or the group of children can receive points for the amount of words they write. To make it fun, play a song and when it stops or when you pause it,  your child or the group will know they need to stop. I played this with my students and had them put their marker or pencil up in the air when the song stopped so I would know they weren't writing still. 

Ideas for categories: 

Word Families.....If you have a first or second grade child you know what they are. A word family is a group of words that all have something in common. An example of a word family is "ate" found in plate, skate, fate, slate, etc. All of these words have the ending "ate" thus making them a word family. If this is the family you're working on then write "ate" in the middle of the plate with large letters. To play the game your child will write one word that ends in "ate" somewhere on the plate, then he will pass it to you and it will be your turn. OR he will continue to write as many words as possible until you stop the music or say times up! Either way provides great vocabulary practice as well as spelling, reading and writing practice.

Grammar: Write the word "noun" in the middle of the plate and have your child write words that are nouns: person, place, thing or an animal around the word. Of course this can be done with adjective, verb, pronoun, adverb and so on. 

Math: Write "+2 for #'s 1-10" your child will then take all the numbers, 1 through 10, and add 2 to them. He will write his addition sentence like so: 1+2=3 another one would be 2+2=4 and 3+2=4...and so on. Of course you can do this with any math fact: -5 for #'s 10 through 20 OR X's 5 for # 1 through 5. Anything can work!

I'm sure as you think about this game more and more ideas will pop into your mind that can individually help YOUR child with skills she's working on in school at home.

Make it FUN. Give "skittle" points for correct answers or stickers to tell her she's done a great job. This will be a fun way to practice at home and make your child WANT TO LEARN. Just another trick to pull out of your bag! This handy game can be taken ANYWHERE, in the car, on vacation or to grandma's house. 

Have fun with it!

In order for any one to master MATH they must first master NUMBER SENSE.

Number sense seems so basic, but really it is the core to which ALL mathematics is based. 

So what is number sense exactly? 

Number Sense
A person's ability to use and understand numbers: · knowing their relative values, · how to use them to make judgments, · how to use them in flexible ways when adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing · how to develop useful strategies when counting, measuring or estimating.

(taken from: http://www.mathsisfun.com/definitions/number-sense.html)

In order to better help you teach your children this basic, but most important skill I have posted some ideas below. The most important element to this learning process is to HAVE FUN while doing it and make sure your child knows that they are learning MATH at the same time!

1. Celebrate the Date!

For example: Today's date is 2-15-2011. 

Use these numbers in ALL different ways! Starting with the number 2. Write the number, create the number, count the number on your body (find everything on your body that you have 2 of), look for the number, eat the number, etc. Use ALL the 5 senses and be creative! Be careful not to cover too much material at once. Start with baby steps. Remember MASTERY is KEY! Maybe just focus on the day of the week or the month. Be sure and review what you have taught each day before going on to teaching a new number. 

2. Use a TEN's FRAME!!!

This is one of my favorite tools when teaching math! My 2nd graders had one in their desk and we used it ALL the time. It looks simple and it is. The POWER of the TEN's frame is something that I will refer to often when talking about teaching the basics of math. The POWER of TEN is something that is critical for our mathematical minds to understand. More on this topic later.

1. It is easy to create a ten's frame. Using a piece of paper draw a rectangle and divide it into 10 squares, 5 on top and 5 on the bottom.

2. Next give your child something fun to use as counters: cheerios, pennies, marbles. Then explain to your child that there are 10 squares on this paper. Count them together. 

3. Place one cheerio in the first square and ask your child, "How many cheerios do you see on this paper?" (Depending on the ability level of your child you can proceed to ask more difficult questions about number sense.)

4. Next bring to the table the written number on cards and explain that you are going to play a game. You will show your child the number card and have them represent that number on their Ten's Frame using their cheerios.

Let your imagination run wild with this one. The ten's frame is the best! I will be showing 

several other ideas using this awesome too!

3. Number Sense Treasure Hunt

This is a great game to play with kids! 

1. Explain to your kids that it is time to go on a Number Treasure Hunt around the house, at the park, in the car, really wherever you are!

2. The rules of the game include:

- I will tell you a number and you must find something that represents that number.

-For example if I say the number 4 and we are in the car then I want you to see if you can find something that is represents that number.  Like a STOP sign that has 4 letters in it, or the number 4 setting on the radio dial in the car, or 4 crackers on the back seat of the car. 

- Encourage your children to think outside the box and make sure that they can explain their reason for choosing that object.

3. It is important for your children to learn that numbers are EVERYWHERE they just have to recognize them. 

Have fun teaching NUMBER SENSE!

Please post any other ideas that you might have to teach your kids number sense at home or on the road!  

Valentine's Day Dinner MENU

~ Day 10 ~

It's time to plan out the MENU for a festive Valentine Day Meal for the whole family to enjoy! (If you are going out on Monday, then you can do this on Saturday or Sunday night.)

Here are some fun ideas that you and the kids can serve for dinner on Valentine's Day:

~ HEART SHAPED PIZZA ~

Make your own pizza. The kids can choose the toppings and fix them up into little bowls so that they are easier to put on the pizza. Parents can shape the dough into a heart when it is ready for toppings. To get the entire family involved, each person can create a personal pizza for themselves with their favorite toppings. Add a salad and you have a perfect Valentine’s Day meal.

~ Valentine Soup ~

8 oz. Can of sliced mushrooms
1 can black olives sliced
Pepperoni cut in small pieces
4 Cups water
Large jar of spaghetti sauce or homemade spaghetti sauce
2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon basil
In saucepan add all ingredients together. You can add or omit any ingredients as you would like. Simmer on medium 15-20 minutes until warm. Serve with garlic bread.

Read more: http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/Valentine-recipes.html#ixzz1DcDXWNmb

~ Heart Meatballs ~
1 egg beaten
½ Cup Spaghetti sauce
¼ Cup bread crumbs, seasoned
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 ½ lbs. Ground beef
1½ Cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl. With your hands shape meat into a heart. These will be much bigger than average size meatballs. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until done in the middle. (test with a meat thermometer)
It is rather easy to shape these into a heart shape and they are great placed on a mound of spaghetti or eaten as it is with a dot of red ketchup on the top. One of the easiest and fun kids Valentine recipes.

Read more: http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/Valentine-recipes.html#ixzz1DcDxM5El

~ Heart Salad ~

Create a green tossed salad with whatever vegetables you'd like. Add some healthy Valentine hearts by cutting red peppers in half. Remove the seeds and cut out the core. With a small mini heart cookie cutter cut out hearts out of your red pepper halves. Toss into your salad. It is a lot of fun for those at dinner to find these red hearts.


Read more: http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/Valentine-recipes.html#ixzz1DcEUUagx

For drinks, to make it festive, you can serve Cranberry juice mixed with your favorite Lemon-lime soda! 

And for DESSERT....

who doesn't love pizza for the main course and for dessert? 

This is especially FUN to make with kids!

~ Cookie Pizza ~
sugar cookie dough or brownie mix
2 Cups chocolate chips
14 oz. Sweetened condensed milk
2 Cups milk chocolate candies (M&M)
2 Cups mini marshmallows
½ Cups peanuts
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Press cookie dough or brownie mix into pizza pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. In saucepan, melt chocolate chips with condensed milk. Spread over crusts. Sprinkle with chocolate candies, marshmallows and peanuts. Bake 4 minutes or until marshmallows are lightly toasted.
~Shape your pizza dough into a heart shape.


~ Fruit Pizza ~
sugar cookie dough
white cream cheese frosting
Sliced fruit, strawberries, kiwi, raspberries whatever you choose
Spread cookie dough onto pizza pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool. Then frost. Top with sliced fruit in whatever pattern you choose.
~Shape your pizza dough into a heart shape.


Read more: http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/Valentine-dessert-recipes.html#ixzz1DcF5qTRF

Don't forget to teach as you go! Let the kids count the toppings on their pizza. They could group them by two's, three's, or five's. Have them measure the ingredients into the bowls prior to using them in the recipe. Lot's of math can be learned from your very own kitchen. It just takes a little bit more time and patience to teach them....so take it!

Happy EATING!

**Day 7**

Numbers and Hearts

Number sense is one of the most difficult concepts to master. My biggest piece of advice for all you moms with little ones at home is to start young! Introduce your child to numbers at an early age through developmentally appropriate games/activities. Count often and show your child what numbers look like. Not just their shape (i.e. 9) but how many 9 is: ********* (9 stars). It is important you do this often, if not daily, to help your child gain a strong sense of numbers. This will greatly help him when he begins preschool and kindergarten.

A fun way to practice number sense is by letting your child play hands-on games like the ones below.

To make it fun and festive, you can buy these cute hearts from the dollar store (14 for a dollar!) and write the numbers 1 through 10 on each heart. Of course you can write less or more depending on what you think your child can handle.

With these numbers there are countless ways to play games!

You can give your child the hearts in a big pile (not in order) and have her lay them out on the floor in the correct order.

OR....You can have your child help you lay out the numbers in order on the ground and then tell her (or show her) a number and have her "skip" or "hop" or "twirl" or "walk backwards" or...I think you get the picture, to that number. You can do this one over and over and over again!

If you buy enough hearts and you can play a GIANT game of memory to match the correct numbers (i.e. 5 and 5) or addition/subtraction memory (turn over two numbers and have your child add or subtract them) for older children.

 OR....You can give your child one heart and have her "show" you what the number looks like using manipulatives.

You can also have your child draw pictures on the hearts and then hang them with ribbon or yarn from the ceiling in her bedroom or in the living room for some cute decorations!

Have fun playing with hearts!