Yesterday we introduced something called a number rack! It's a very important tool we use in Kindergarten. We're using a 20 number rack, but you can have one that goes all the way up to 100. It's kind of like an abacus, but a bit more fine tuned ;) Each rod has 10 beads on it, 5 red and 5 white. We started by learning about how to use it, and then played a game of "How many?'. I would push some over and they would have to see how many there were. Watch this video I made ions ago to learn more about how we use it!
There are apps you can download on the iPad (search rekenrek) or you can make one out of cardboard, pipe cleaners, and beads. Number racks have the following benefits:
when numbers get larger, so does the quantity
understand the important of 5 and 10 as benchmarks (instantly recognizing 5, pulling 2 more over and knowing that that's 7)
different ways to compose numbers (1 and 9 make 10, so does 8 and 2, etc.)
addition
more or less than
place value (15 is actually 10 and 5 more)
We will continue to explore this math tool during our daily math time :)
In Kindergarten, we love to subitize! Subitizing (soo-ba-tizing) is recognizing a quantity without counting. It's easier to subitize smaller quantities, or quantities that are in some type of pattern. The kids have become really good at it! Here are a couple of our favourite subitizing videos that you can watch at home :) The kids know what the word subitize means... not that it's important, but it's just a part of the song ;)
Why is knowing how to subitize important? It's attaches the quantity of a number to the numeral, and it's the perfect way to transition into addition. Subitizing goes hand in hand with counting on (starting at a number and counting on, instead of counting from 1 again). Once we acquire these two skills, it's makes adding easy! We can also maneuver dots or objects in our head, which actually leads to regrouping!
For example, one of our student's thought process for adding these was:
"I know that's 9, if I move 1 dot over here, it makes 10, which is 10 and 1, which I know is 11!".
Watch one of our students perfect their subitizing skills below!
As Santa's Workshop made its exit, our play school/classroom area came to fruition! The students have always enjoyed playing "teacher", so we made our own classroom! We attached it to dramatic play so students can pack their lunch and backpacks at "home", or the teacher can make some coffee before work ;) Expect lots of pictures shortly! :)
On Friday we played a game where we sorted sounds by short sounds and continuous sounds. Some sounds, like the sound that s makes, is a continuous sound, because you can keep making it, whereas the sound p makes is a short sound. Try playing this game at home!
