If you have a kindergartener who is learning how to count and identify numbers, you will want to check out these math center activities and practice worksheets. These resources are designed to help your child develop fluency in counting and determining how many in all. With a little bit of practice, your child will be able to confidently answer questions like "how many are in this group?" and "how many more do we need to make 5?"
Beginning of the lesson
When students are learning the concept of addition, it's important for them to first count how many in all. As a teacher you can create a short demonstration, giving students colored counters to represent the first number and a second set of colored counters in an opposite color to represent a second number. Students will determine how many in all.
Repeat this process multiple times for different number combinations. This will help the students understand that addition is simply finding out how many there are in total when two or more things are combined. It's a hands-on way for students to visualize the concept and see that addition is just combining sets to find out how many there are in all.
By first counting how many in all, students will be able to learn the concept of adding more easily. This method is especially helpful for young students who are just starting to learn math concepts and students with special needs that might just need a more tactile and visual learning strategy.
You will then explain that this process or concept is called addition, and that is an important math skill to learn. By starting with a concrete example, students will have a strong foundation on which to build more complex addition concepts. With continued practice work in math center pairing or independent work, they will be able to confidently add numbers in their head, without needing any physical objects to count.
Counting and Adding Paperclips Practice Lesson
Pinning and counting paper clips is a helpful activity that allows the students to practice counting one set of objects and then the second set of objects to conclude what number was made by counting all the objects together. For example, if a student has three blue paperclips and two pink paperclips, they can first count the blue paperclips (1, 2, 3) and then count the pink paperclips (1, 2). To find the total number of paper clips, the student would then count all of the paper clips together (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
A second example for paperclip counting is if a student is asked to put 5 pink paperclips on a piece of paper, and then 3 blue paperclips, they can count the total number of paperclips by first counting the pink paperclips (5), and then adding the number of blue paperclips (3). This will give them the answer of 8.
This process of counting can be applied to any combination of objects, and it is a helpful way for students to learn how to add numbers.
Counting and Adding Connecting Cubes Practice Lesson
When teaching addition to young students, it is important to provide concrete examples that they can physically manipulate. One way to do this is to use connecting cubes. Have the students count out two cubes of one color, and then three cubes of another color.
Then, have them connect the cubes so that they are all attached. By having the students physically connect the two groups of cubes and count them as one combined group it helps the students understand that addition is a total of two groups combined, rather than simply the sum of two separate numbers.
Finally, have them count the total number of cubes.
By providing this concrete and hands on example, you can give students a strong foundation on which to build more complex mathematical concepts.
Counting and Adding Connecting Cubes Practice Lesson
When teaching addition to young students, it is important to provide concrete examples that they can physically manipulate. One way to do this is to use connecting cubes. Have the students count out two cubes of one color, and then three cubes of another color.
Then, have them connect the cubes so that they are all attached. By having the students physically connect the two groups of cubes and count them as one combined group it helps the students understand that addition is a total of two groups combined, rather than simply the sum of two separate numbers.
Finally, have them count the total number of cubes.
By providing this concrete and hands on example, you can give students a strong foundation on which to build more complex mathematical concepts.
Teaching instructions – TeachTastic addition up to five, composing numbers set 1 KOAA1
Math center materials: counting objects preferably unifix or connecting type cubes in contrasting colors.
Students will be given five counting objects into separate colors. Students will create two separate groups each group changing in size based on the description on the task card.
For example students will be asked if there are three dark cubes and one light cube, how many cubes are there in all? The students will build the addition model and record their answers on the math centers recording sheet.
The center can be performed as an independent assignment or as a student pairing based on time allotted and varying skill levels of students. When students are paired the task will go much more quickly to accommodate for limited math time in shorter days.
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Browse our lesson plans sections for additional teaching resources and lesson plans for kindergarten math.
