In kindergarten, one of the concepts we focus most on for Math is number sense. You can't teach higher level math skills without a solid foundation. We focus a lot on the numbers one to ten primarily but also teach additional numbers. The five activities I've listed are perfect for building number sense in a kindergarten or even pre-k classroom. The three games all have a corresponding printable to help solidify understanding, and two whole group activities help as well. Download the free Number Sense Printables here!
When I gave my students this puzzle they were immediately in love! I narrowed down the All the Ways to See Numbers 1-20 Puzzles to just the numbers 1 to 10. Then, depending on my students, I added in some of the more advanced puzzle pieces. I started with the tally marks and number words then added in the ten frames. As they put the puzzles together, they would match the numbers on the ice cream to the tally marks on the free Number Sense Printable.
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It is always beneficial to change up how you have your students work with numbers. Using the Fish Bowl Counting Math Mats is another way to add novelty to your Math lessons. I put out a bag of all the little fish and give the students the Math mats. They can either use the side with fish already printed on them or use the blank side. When they are done putting the fish in the bowl, they write the number of fish using a dry erase marker below the fish bowl. On the Free Number Sense Printable they find the corresponding bowl of fish and write the number.
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What better way to really enhance number sense than to have students manipulate a ten frame? We love our Ten Frame Aisle Runner and Giant Two-Color Counters. When we are introducing a number, we will look at all the ways to make that number using the aisle runner. If we are working with the number 4, we will put four Giant Two-Color Counters onto the Ten Frame. We will then flip one to yellow and three on red. We can also show how 2 yellow and 2 red make four. It is a great way to cement different ways to make a number.
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My student love playing with the Smart Snacks® Number Pops™. To add a little bit of rigor to their fun center, I added a Free Number Sense Printable. The students have to match the dots to the numeral with the popsicle. The colors of the outside and the colors of the dots match, so the students can easily check their work. Once students have properly matched the plastic popsicles have them write the corresponding numeral on the Popsicle Numbers Printable.
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I love having this All About Numbers Pocket Chart as a part of my calendar routine. Every morning we pick a number between 1 and 20 then put the specific number on the top of the pocket chart. We also make sure to get out the Free Number Sense Download that I had laminated. Download the calendar printable to go along with this activity. As a whole group we work on the name of the number, the tally marks, a ten frame, and list the numbers before and after. While we fill in the pocket chart, the students each fill out their own laminated copy with a dry erase marker.
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