celebrating ten days in school!

On Wednesday we celebrated being in school for ten days. Using the morning message as an invitation, the children practiced counting items and recording how many. We talked about how number scientists use strategies to count a group of ten. Some of these strategies (or tools) include;

- using a ten frame
- using a number line to support your counting and knowledge of counting sequence
- recounting to check your work

 

 

 

Following our morning message work, I modeled collecting ten items from our outdoor space. Each Kindergartener had a small paper bag. We talked about the size of the items, they could be small or medium - they had to fit in the bag. The items did not all have to be the same. Ten frames and number lines were available for the children to use to check their work. While this experience was a hands on and interactive way to develop, practice, and reinforce counting to ten, it was also about following specific directions. In the morning sunshine, the Kindergarteners searched for wood chips, rocks, sticks, leaves, and flowers. They slowly and carefully counted and checked their work as they placed items in their bags!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Following our morning, I invited children to draw and record their findings. Some children traced each item they had collected, numbering the pine cones and leaves on their paper. Other children tried to draw the shape of the items. We talked about how mathematicians record their work and share their thinking. Following their independent work time, OM shared his writing. I attached their work together to make our first class math book. ML eagerly designed the cover and chose our title; The 10 Book. It was a day rich with opportunities to develop counting skills, to learn and practice math strategies, to represent and share thinking with one another, and to bring our math workshop into the natural world and the natural world into our classroom!