Activities from MathStart books
 
If you have ideas for math activites, please share! We would love to add them to the list. Please send them to: feedback@stuartjmurphy.com


Beep Beep, Vroom, Vroom!

 (Patterns)
  • Read the story with your child or class describe the patterns in which Molly places the cars on the shelf. Ask the children to describe the pattern by color or by type of car.
  • To prepare for this activity, cut out squares, triangles and rectangles using three different colors of construction paper. Make sure to have a variety of sizes of each shape (10 each of small, medium and large in each of the different colors should be more than enough to start).  Working with a small group of children, have one child make a pattern using 6 shapes that are all red.  (For example, small square, large square, medium triangle, small square, large square, medium triangle). Ask the next child to repeat the pattern with the same sizes and shapes, but in yellow.  Ask the next child to try using green shapes. Everybody says the pattern order together. As a variation, ask a child to make a color pattern only using small triangles (red, yellow, green, red, yellow, green). Ask the next student to use medium squares to copy the color pattern. And so on. 
  • Arrange coins in a pattern (for example, "penny, penny, nickel, penny, penny nickel," or "PPN PPN"). Ask your child or students: "Can you figure out what comes next?" Help them continue the pattern, using extra coins. Some patterns you may wish to try include: PPN PPN, or PNP PNP, or PPNN PPNN.


The Best Bug Parade

 (Comparing Sizes)
  • Read the story with your child or students and describe what is going on in each picture. Ask questions throughout the story, such as "Do the bugs look the same or different?" and "How do they look different?"
  • Together with your child or students, draw and color some of your own imaginary bugs. Then cut them out and help the child to arrange them in order of size. Line them up for your own best bug parade!
  • Look at things in the real world, for example, family members, pets, furniture, plates, flowers. Discuss their size relationships. "Who is bigger?" "Which is smallest?" Extend the concept by asking such questions as "Who is older?" "Who is youngest?" "Which is darker?" "Which is lightest?"
  • Nature Walk: Go for a walk together in a nearby park and bring along a tape measure or ruler. Measure and compare plants. “Which is taller?” “Which has wider leaves?” “Which as the smallest flower?”


Bug Dance

 (Directions)
  • Have your child or class wiggle left hands, then right hands, and then left and right feet. Face the same direction as the children and have them identify your left and right hands and feet. To help them remember, you can place a string or a loose rubber band on each child’s right hand. Also point out that the thumb and the forefinger of the left hand form the letter "L."
  • Plan a walk to the park or store. Draw a simple map of the route you will follow and have your child or class help with the directions. After the directions are written out, follow the directions and take a walk.
  • Teacher Idea“Dancing in All Directions” by Julie Heron, kindergarten teacher

    My kindergarten students love the Bug Dance story. I have used it in various ways to teach several different concepts. It not only teaches math but helps build vocabulary, which is important since English Language Learners make up over half my class. After reading the book and acting out the dance steps, my students asked to do the dance over and over again, so I decided to create a Bug Dance Learning Center.

    • I made a mat with outlines of feet going in all four directions. The students could then follow the dance steps in the book.
     
    • I created word cards that said: "Hop," "Turn," "Left," "Right," "Forward," "Backward" and "Two Steps." I put several of each into the stack. The instructions for the kids were first to pick 6 cards, then read the cards and put them in some order to create their own dances, and finally, to enjoy the dance!

    • One day a little boy asked if we could add other dance moves to the story. So I brainstormed with the class for movement words. The activity is the same as above, but this time included more words that the students themselves had generated: "Shake," "Clap," "Jump," "Over," "Under," "Slide," "Stomp," "Three Steps," "Four Steps," and "Turn Around."
       
    These activities were a big hit. We do them about once a month and they get the same reaction every time. I am happy to get those little bodies moving in a constructive way. I hope your class has as much fun as mine has -- year after year!


Circus Shapes

 (Recognizing Shapes)
  • Encourage the child to retell the story using the names of the shapes: "circle," "triangle," "square," and "rectangle."
  • Look for things around the house such as the faces of watches or clocks; buttons on a sweater; books, tiles, rugs, kitchen towels, and windows. Which are triangles? circles? squares or rectangles?
  • Go on a "Shape Hunt" in your neighborhood. Create a chart with each different shape—circle, triangle, square and rectangle—drawn at the top of its own column. Encourage your child or students to make a mark for each shape "sighting." Then add up all the marks and see how times each shape was found.
  • Using construction paper, cut out circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles and mix them all up. Together sort them by shape, asking the children to say the names of the shapes. Ask them to draw the shapes and then tell you what they are.


Double the Ducks

 (Doubling Numbers)
  • After you've read the story together once, reread the story, using small objects such as buttons, marbles, or blocks. Ask the child or students to "double the number" of objects to match the storyline.
  • Tell the child or students that you have thought of a number and then doubled it. Then say what the doubled number is and ask if they can figure out what the original number was. For example, if the doubled number is 10, the correct answer is 5. If the child has difficulty, use a group of small objects—buttons, paper clips, or pennies—that total your doubled number. Then have the child separate them into two groups.
  • When making a simple treat, like instant pudding, help your child or students double the recipe.
  • Have the children make “Doubles Books.” To prepare, take sheets of 8 1⁄2 x 11 inch paper, turn it so it’s horizontal (wide) and draw a line down the middle. On the left- hand side of each page, draw an object (for example, 1 person, 2 ducks, 3 balloons, 4 trees, and 5 flowers). Make enough photocopies so that each child gets a set of pages. Ask the children to draw double the number objects on the right-hand side of each page (for example, 2 people, 4 ducks, 6 balloons, 8 trees, and 10 flowers). Using a new sheet of paper, have the children draw a cover for their Doubles Books. Staple each book on the upper left hand corner. Your math whizzes are now authors!


Every Buddy Counts

 (Counting)
  • Ask questions throughout the story, such as: "How many older sisters does the girl have?" and "Can you count the number of teddy bears snuggling in her bed?"
  • Help your child or students make their own "buddy" count. Write the names of some of each child's special buddies on note cards. Ask the child to draw pictures of these close friends on the cards. Gather the cards in groups, for example, parents, grandparents, playmates, pets, stuffed animals. Then encourage the child to count the different groups.
  • Gather all the things you need to bake a treat, for example chocolate chip cookies. How many mixing bowls, measuring cups, and spoons do you have? How many eggs, sticks of butter, cups of sugar or flour are needed? Most important of all-how many cookies did you bake? And how many did you eat?


The Greatest Gymnast of All

 (Opposites)
  • As you read the story together, ask the children about Zoe's positions. For example, "Where is Zoe?" "Is Zoe on the matt, or off the matt?" "Is Zoe over the hoop, under the hoop, or inside the hoop?"
  • Introduce the concept of opposites. Explain that “near” (up close) and “far” (way, way in the distance) is an example of a pair of opposites. Then ask, “If I say big, what is the opposite?”If I say wide, what is the opposite?” If I say over, what is the opposite?” “Can you think of some more pairs of opposites?”
  • Play the Opposite Game when the children on the playground. Ask them, “Where’s the top of the slide? Where’s the bottom?” “Who is running fast? Who is walking slow?” “What is the tallest object on the playground?” (It might be a tree!) “What is shortest object on the playground? (It might be a blade of grass!)


Henry the Fourth

 (Ordinals)
  • Ask the children to point to the dog highlighted in any of the math diagrams in the story. Talk about the position of that dog in relation to the other dogs. Ask questions such as, “How many dogs came before Baxter?” and “Where is Baxter in the line of dogs?”
  • Have the children take turns telling you the story as you page through the book together. Point out the relationships between the numbers and the ordinals. For instance, Daisy is number three. She is the third dog in the show.
  • Talk about things around the classroom or house and identify their order. “Which step is first going up the stairs? Which is second? Which is third?” Look at cars parked on the street and talk about their order. “Which is the second car from the corner?”
  • Teacher IdeaMy kindergartners read "Henry the Fourth" and were so inspired that later that day they wrote their own book filled with pets who could do funny tricks! They ordered them 1st through 21st and now love reading each other’s pages. We have a horse that can button and unbutton buttons, a raccoon that can do karate, and a dragon that can blow acid!
  • Make a line of toy animals or cars. Pretend it's a parade. Ask the children to point to the second toy in line, then the fourth, the third, and the first. Turn them around. "Now which is first?


A House for Birdie

 (Understanding Capacity)
  • Take out a one-cup measuring cup and a few large bowls or containers. Ask the children to guess how many cups of water are needed to fill one of the containers. Have one of the children check the estimate by filling up the container, one cup at a time. Taking turns, continue with the other containers. You can also use sand at a sand table or on the playground.
  • Have the children imagine their families as birds. Now draw them and their corresponding birdhouses. Ask how big a birdhouse would you need to fit your entire family? Wow!
  • Gather together a collection or four or five stuffed animals and boxes of different sizes. Have the children decide which animal taller, which is thinner and which is wider? Which is the tallest? Which animal fits best in which box?


It's About Time

 (Hours)
  • Explain to your child or students that a day has 24 hours. The hours from 12:00 midnight to 12:00 noon are called A.M. hours The hours from 12:00 noon to 12:00 midnight are called P.M. hours.
  • Before rereading the story, show your child or class an analog and a digital clock and explain that analog clocks have hands on the clock face, while digital clocks show time using just numbers. Then look for different types of clocks around the house or classroom. 
  • Have your child or students draw pictures of themselves doing various activities at different times of the day. Help the write the time on each picture.


Jack the Builder

 (Counting On)
  • Create your own Jack the Builder fun as you play together with your students. Start with three blocks. What does it look like? Ask one of the children to add on two more blocks to make a new shape. What does it look like? Count on together as a group: “3 blocks, plus 1 block, plus 1 block = 5 blocks.” Now add three new blocks for a total of 8 blocks. Continue until the blocks fall down!
  • Draw a number line from 1 to 20 on the board so everyone can see. Say a number and have one of the children put his finger on that number. For example, “5.” Then count on 2 more together and have him put his finger on “7.” Continue up to 20, adding 2, 3, 4 or 5 by counting on. You can also say the number and point to it yourself on the number line, then have the kids count on together out loud.
  • Start with 25 small objects. For example, pennies or buttons. Put 1 object in a jar or small plastic container. Roll a die. Add on whatever number comes up, 1 through 6, until all the objects are in the jar. If, on your last roll, you do not have enough objects, note how many more you would need (for example, if you roll a “5” but only have 3 objects, you would need 2 more). Also, after each round, note the sum (4 buttons + 1 button + 1 button+ 1 button = 7 buttons). As a variation, put a piece of yarn or string on a table to create two columns. Put one object on one side and all the rest on the other. Roll the die and play the game by having the children count on and move objects from one column to the other.


Just Enough Carrots

 (Comparing Amounts)
  • Gather together a number of objects such as small toys, plastic spoons, and blocks, and ask your child, or each child in your class, to make piles. Does one pile have more items than the other two? Does one pile have fewer items? Ask your child to make three piles that each have the same number of items.
  • Ask questions throughout the story, such as "Would you eat more carrots than the rabbit would eat?" "Would you eat the same amount of worms that the birds would eat?" "Would you eat fewer worms?" 
  • Take a “More! Fewer! Same!” adventure walk around your house or around the classroom. For example, in the bathroom, are there more toothbrushes or more bars of soap? Are there the same number of bath towels and washcloths? Are there more bath- toys than bath-takers? In the kitchen: Are there more cups, bowls, or plates on the table at breakfast? At snack time? In the classroom: Are there more boys or girls? Are there fewer boys than girls? Are there the same number of boys and girls? Are there more kids than adults?
  • Using construction paper, cut out “carrots,” “cans of worms” and “bags of peanuts.” Give each child a total of 12 items (but mix them up so a child doesn’t get 4 of each item!). Ask the children to sort their items. Which do they have more of? Which do they have fewer of? Help them trade with each other to create piles that all have the same number of items.


Leaping Lizards

 (Counting by 5's and 10's)
  • Start with 50 playing blocks and ask the children to create groups of 5. How many groups of 5 are there? Then put the groups of 5 together in pairs to make groups of 10. How many groups of 10 are there? This can also be done using smaller objects such as buttons or pennies.
  • Show your child or class an analog clock (with hands). Explain how each number on the clock face indicates 5 minutes. Together, count the number of groups of 5 minutes to discover how many minutes are in 1 hour.
  • The 5s & 10s Travel Game: While riding together in a car or on a bus, ask each player to pick a color. Each car you see of that color is worth 5 points. The first player to get 50 points wins. Play again, changing the rules so each color is worth 10 points.
  •  Together, figure out how many figures and toes are in the group. Try counting first by 5s and then by 10s. 


Mighty Maddie

 (Comparing Weights)
  • Before reading the story, discuss weights. Point out that a large object can weigh less than a small object. Have your child or each of your students hold a pillow in one hand and a can of soup in the other and compare the different weights.
  • Show your child or class two objects (for example, a stuffed animal and a block) and ask them to guess which of the two is heavier. Ask them to explain the answer, then have each child pick up the objects to check to find out whether the guess was right.
  • Help your child make a cape with his or her name on the back, then act out the part of "Mighty Maddie," cape and all, and clean the child's bedroom. While picking up toys and clothes, talk about which ones are heavy and which are light.


Missing Mittens

 (Odd and Even Numbers)
  • Draw a line down the center of a piece of paper. On one side represent some even numbers by drawing pairs of small objects. On the other, show odd numbers by drawing pairs of objects, plus one more. Have your child or students tell you how the even numbers are alike and how the odd numbers are alike.
  • Reread the story together and count the number of mittens in each picture. Point out that the animals all need one more mitten than they each have. Talk about why the animals need an even number of mittens, and why they always have an odd number.
  • Place a small pile of buttons on a table. Is there an even or an odd number of buttons in the pile? Place a second pile on the table. Is there an even or an odd number of buttons in that pile? Add them together. Is that number even or odd? Make new piles and try the activity many times. Do you get an even or an odd number when you add the two evens together? Two odds? And odd and an even?
  • Teacher IdeaI use Stuart's books all the time. So many of the newer teachers feel very bottled down into the textbook, so I always bring in some MathStart books to show them other ways of introducing concepts. For example, I use "Missing Mittens" with first graders to introduce the concept of odd and even numbers. I have them create different scenarios of mittens. The book is so comically illustrated — they came up with all kinds of scenarios of animals and where mittens could be on them. They loved the cow and the cow's udders and the mittens. That really inspired them to do peacocks with mittens on the feathers. And they had to identify what happened, whether it was an odd number of mittens or an even number. When one mitten is missing, what happens? It was wonderful. They created their own books. And it was very exciting to see the different things the students learned to do.


Monster Musical Chairs

 (Subtracting One)
  • Ask questions throughout the story, such as: "How many monsters are left?" "How many chairs are left?" "Why are there more monsters than chairs?"
  • Give your child or each of your students 15 small treats, such as raisons or mini-marshmallows. Have the children eat one and then count and say how many are left. Continue until all the treats are gone.
  • Before you check out at the grocery store, together count the number of items in your cart. As you place the items on the check-out counter one by one, ask the child how many are now left in the cart.


One‚ Two, Three‚ Sassafras!

 (Number Order)
  • There are several ways the children in the story could have been arranged by Uncle Howie, for example, by height, or alphabetically by name. Together with your child or class, explore the various possibilities such as hair color. 
  • Ask your child or students to draw pictures of their family members. Cut out the drawings and arrange by age from youngest to oldest. Now try from oldest to youngest.
  • Write the numbers 1 through 15 on separate index cards. Shuffle the cards and remove one card from the pile without letting anyone see which one you have taken. Can your child or students re-order the cards and figure out which one is missing? 
  • Find the jersey numbers of the favorite sports team members. These can be found in the newspaper, the team’s website, or a program from a game. Ask your child or students to put the players in order based on their jersey numbers.
  • Take a deck of cards and put aside the tens and face cards. Each player is dealt 2 cards, which will be used to create a two-digit number. For example, a player dealt an ace and a 9 can make the numbers “19” or “91”. Together the players place all their numbers in order. The person with the smallest number collects all the cards. After all the cards have been played, the player with the most cards wins.


A Pair of Socks

 (Matching)
  • Ask questions throughout the story, such as "Are the socks the same?" How is one sock different from the other sock?" and "Which is your favorite sock?
  • Together draw and color pairs of socks in a variety of patterns. Then cut them out and separate the pairs. Play a game of matching the socks.
  • Gather some matched and mismatched household items, such as mittens, socks, shoes, napkins, place mats or towels. Talk about them together using vocabulary from the book. For example: “Which mittens are the same?” “Which towels are different?” “How are they different?
  • Teacher IdeaI like to add manipulatives so kids can touch and recreate the essence of the book. For "A Pair of Socks," I used lots of pairs of tiny baby socks, which you can find cheap at a Value Village or a second hand store. The kids matched the pairs. They could also play Concentration with them. Make a grid so kids have to lift up flaps to find the socks. In order to make a match, they have to remember where all the different socks are.

    If you put manipulatives with a book, kids are able tie in the concepts and they use them to retell the story. It’s excellent



Rabbit's Pajama Party

 (Sequencing)
  • While reading the story, point out the sequence of events in the pictures. Encourage your child or students to tell the story using the words "first," "next," "then," and "last."
  • Make a timeline for the story. For example, at 5:00 the friends arrive, at 6:00 they eat pizza, and so on.
  • Clip out a favorite comic strip from the newspaper. Cut the comic strip into separate frames and ask your child or students to place the pieces in the right sequence.


Seaweed Soup

 (Matching Sets)
  • While reading the story together, ask your child or class what things each new character will need in order to eat lunch. As each new guest arrives, count the number of cups, spoons, napkins, and bowls on the table. Discuss how each guest has 1 cup, 1 spoon, 1 napkin, and 1 bowl.
  • Plan a party (real or make-believe) with a favorite soup as the main course. (The soup can be real or make-believe: Orange Basketball Bubblegum soup – yum!) Together, make up a guest list and figure out how many cups, spoons, napkins and bowls will be needed. To help children visualize place-settings, use paper or plastic cups, spoons and bowls.

  • Get a package of plastic silverware (nothing too sharp!) and some plastic cups. Remove one of the forks and of the knives. Ask your child or students to make as many complete sets as they can. For the sets that come up short, what can they find around the room that could serve as a substitute? Be creative—just like Turtle! Try it again, only this time return the fork and take away two spoons and a cup.


3 Little Firefighters

 (Sorting)
  • Read the story with your child or students and point out the buttons on each of the firefighter's coats. Ask the children how the buttons on each coat are alike and how they are different.
  • Write down the first name of family members or classmates on separate cards. Together with the children, sort the names. Ask what rule the children want to use for sorting. For example, by the length of the name, or the gender of the name.
  • Button Game: Gather a collection of buttons of different sizes, shapes, and colors, and a piece of paper with a circle drawn on it. The first player creates a set of buttons (for example, all round or all red) and places them inside the circle. The second player must then guess the rule by which they were sorted.
  • Teacher IdeaI presented "3 Little Firefighters" in a workshop. I created oaktag buttons for everyone in the workshop and magnetized them with a Xyron machine. As I read the story, everyone sorted their buttons the way the firefighters were sorting theirs.




Animals on Board

 (Adding)
  • Ask your child to point to each animal as you count them together. Ask questions throughout the story, such as: "If there are six swans and one more is added, how many swans will there be in all?"
  • Look at things when you take trips outside the home or classroom, such as toys in a sandbox, items in a shopping cart, or doughnuts on a bakery shelf. Practice adding them together.
  • Ask your child or class to write / construct their names in toothpicks. How many toothpicks does it take to make the first two letters? The first three? How many toothpicks does it take to make your whole name?
  • Teacher IdeaFor "Animals on Board," we make circus train cars out of index cards. I cut out circles for wheels that are then glued on. So all the students have little circus trains in front of them. Then we take animal crackers and recreate the story. It's very tasty but you can't eat it until you're totally done with the story! Once you've done all of the math, then you can go and eat your animal crackers.


The Best Vacation Ever

 (Collecting Data)
  • Discuss what the girl learns from each of the charts she makes. Ask questions throughout the story, such as: "Do more people want to go somewhere warm or cool?" and "Do more people want to stay near or go far?"
  • Look around your neighborhood and note what categories of things are more popular than others. For example: What cars do more people drive-big or small? Red or blue? What do more kids like to wear to school-running shoes or sandals? Bright colors or light colors? Help your child or students record this information. Then discuss the answers to the questions.
  • Plan a picnic together. What questions would you ask to find out each person's favorite foods? How would you chart the information? Can you figure out a menu that most people would like?


Bigger, Better, Best!

 (Area)
  • As your read the story, have your child or students count the number of pieces of paper needed to cover the windows and the floor in the illustrations. Explain that the children in the story are finding the area of the windows and the floor.
  • Have your child draw a shape on a piece of graph paper. Together, count the squares inside the shape to find the area. Then help the child draw another shape that has the same area.
  • Use newspaper to help your child or students find the area of a room at home or in school. Compare the area of the room with other rooms in the building. Remember to use the same size paper when comparing rooms.


Captain Invincible and the Space Shapes

 (Three-dimensional Shapes)
  • Ask your child or students: "How is the square different from the other shapes in the same row on the instrument panel?" Then discuss the similarities and differences of all the shapes in the square row. Continue by discussing the circle row.
  • Have your child or students create their own spaceships using the six shapes found in the story. Shapes can be made out of construction paper or you can use shapes found around the house to construct the spaceship (for example, a paper towel roll is a cylinder). 
  • Make up riddles about the attributes of the various space shapes, for example: "I have six faces and they are all the same. Who am I?" (answer: A cube!) Let your child or students try to guess the answer. Encourage them to create their own riddles for others to answer.


Coyotes All Around

 (Rounding)
  • Reread the story and point out how Clever Coyote uses the number line to round each of the numbers.
  • Make up an addition problem consisting of three 2-digit numbers (for example, 14+37+23). Then have your child or students round each number (10+40+20) and find the sum. Have them add up the first set of numbers and compare that answer to the estimate.
  • Take the face cards out of a deck of cards and place the deck face down between two or more players. Each player takes a turn drawing two cards and uses them to make a double-digit number (for example, a 5 and a 2 would be 52). The players round their numbers (52 would be 50), and the player with the highest number wins.
  • Teacher IdeaFor "Coyotes All Around," we play “Rounding Bingo.” The kids write tens -- “10, 20, 30, 40” – on their bingo boards. And then I called out a number like “58.” And they would put a bingo chip on “60” because that’s the nearest number. It reinforces the topic.


Elevator Magic

 (Subtracting)
  • Ask questions throughout the story, such as "Which floor is 2 floors down from the 10th floor?" and "If you go 3 floors down from the 8th floor, where will you be?"
  • Give your child or students each a handful of grapes, jellybeans, or peanuts. How many are there? If you eat 2 how many will be left? If one more is munched, how many then? 
  • Look at things in the real world that require subtraction skills. For example: If you buy 6 apples and eat 3, how many apples will be left? If you have a book of 10 stickers, and give 2 to a friend, how many stickers will you still have?


A Fair Bear Share

 (Regrouping)
  • Encourage your child or class to retell the story. Use check marks to record the nuts, berries and seeds that the cubs have collected. Circle the groups of 10.
  • Collect crayons, markers, and colored pencils. Arrange each item into groups of tens and ones left over. How many are in each group? How many writing tools are there in all?
  • The Regrouping Travel Game: When traveling by car, put a check mark on a piece of paper for each car, truck, or bicycle that you see. Group the marks into tens and ones. At the end of your drive add them all up. How many did you see? How many of all three did you see?


Get Up and Go!

 (Time Lines)
  • Encourage your child or students to tell the story using math vocabulary: "time," "minutes," "plus," and "equals." Talk about which activities take more time and which take less time. How can you tell which take more time by looking at timelines?
  • Have your child or students draw and color pictures of their own morning routines. Time the minutes needed for each activity and use strips of paper, string, or yarn to create personal timelines. Tape the pictures to the appropriate segments.
  • Plan a party that will take place from 2:00 to 4:00. What has to be done beforehand? What activities will take place during the party? What has to be done after the party is over? Make a timeline of these activities.


Give Me Half!

 (Understanding Halves)
  • Encourage your child or class to tell the story using math vocabulary: "Half," "Whole," "Share," etc. Introduce the world "divide" by saying that each item is "divided equally."
  • Gather up pieces of paper in a variety of sizes and shapes. Work together to find different ways to fold the pieces in half.
  • Identify halves in a recipe: one half of a one cup, one half of one stick of butter, or halves of fruits or vegetables. Slice food items of varying shapes into halves and then share them.
  • Teacher IdeaWe act out the stories. For "Give Me Half!," we cut out a circle for a pizza. And we use juice boxes and cookies. Then we share them by halves and thirds. My partner and I can pretend to be the mother and act it out. The kids need to clean up!

    I send home books during the year for kids and parents to read and share. We rotate them through the classroom.

  • Teacher IdeaI go into classrooms as a kind of coach/mentor/math guru. We try to tie math concepts and lessons to literature and it's so easy with the MathStart books. The kids can relate to the stories. "Give Me Half!" is one of my favorites. I always start out by asking: "Does anybody have a brother or sister that doesn't like to share with them?" You have that hook and the kids are thinking it's the coolest thing. They start to asking all kinds of questions like, "I have two brothers and so we cut it into threes and so what do you call that one?" It is just such a natural springboard for fractions.


Let's Fly a Kite

 (Symmetry)
  • Look for symmetrical objects throughout the illustrations. See how many symmetrical objects your child or class can find in the book.
  • Together with your child or class, make a paper snowflake by folding a square sheet of paper into fourths and cutting out small designs along the folds and edges. Find all the different ways the snowflake has symmetry.
  • Have your child or class cut out pictures of symmetrical shapes from magazines. Fold the shapes, then find and draw the line of symmetry on each.


Mall Mania

 (Addition Strategies)
  • While running errands, have your child / children count how many cars in a parking lot are silver? white? green? tan? red? Try different ways to add them together. How many cars are there in all? At home, count how many hats, gloves, coats and boots are in the closet. How many different ways can you find to add the totals together?
  • Domino Addition Game: Lay all the dominoes face down. The first player chooses two dominoes and finds the sum of the four numbers shown. The second player does the same. The person with the highest total is the winner. As a variation, add the totals from three rounds. The person with the higher combined total is the winner.
  • Counting Cards: Three to five players. The dealer takes four cards from the deck and places them face up. The other players must add up the totals. The first one with the correct answer wins the round. Play until all the cards are used up. The one who wins the most rounds is the champ!


More or Less

 (Comparing Numbers)
  • Tell your child or students that you are thinking of a number between 10 and 20. As the children make guesses, indicate whether each guess is more than or less than the correct answer. Encourage them to find the number in three guesses. Then trade places: Have your child, or one of your students, think of a number and have everyone else make guesses. Have the child say whether each guess is more than or less than the correct number.
  • Write out clues for a specific number. For example: "More than 50; less than 60; more than 55; less than 58; an odd number. Give your child or students the first two clues and ask them to write down all the possible numbers. One by one, give more clues. Have them cross out numbers that are no longer possible until they finds the secret number.
  • Number Sequence Card Game: Make 12 cards, each with a number and the "greater than" or "less than" sign (for example, "< 12, or > 14"), and another 12 cards with only a number on them. Mix up each set of cards in two separate stacks and turn them face down. The first player turns up two cards, one from each stack. If the player can arrange them to make a true number sentence (such as 14 < 30), he gets to keep the cards and goes again. If not, the cards are put back face down and the next player takes a turn. The player with the most cards at the end wins.


Pepper's Journal

 (Calendars)
  • Ask questions throughout the story, such as: "How old is Pepper now?" "Which day is Pepper's birthday?" "How many months are in a year?"
  • After reading the story, make a list of family or class events that occur on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. Help your child or class record the events on the calendar.
  • Make your own calendar. Draw 12 blank grids (use the ones in Pepper's Journal as a guide) and work together with your child or class to decorate each one. Staple the pages together and hang the calendar up for use all year long!
  • Teacher IdeaInspired by "Pepper’s Journal: A Kitten’s First Year," the first graders at my school -- Schyulkill Elementary in Phoenixville, PA-- charted the progress of Bandit, a kitten adopted from the SPCA by a family in the school district. On the first Friday of every month, Bandit went to school. The kids started out trying to estimate how long his tail was. Then they measured it. They did the same for his left leg, width-of-body, and length from head-to-tail, practicing first on their favorite stuffed animals brought in from home. (Ed. note: Another excellent resource for pet measurement activities is “Measuring Penny” by Loreen Leedy.)

    Over the school year, little Bandit was also weighed and his growth recorded on a line graph. The kids even figured out how to measure the right amount of food to put in Bandit’s bowl. Each child created a "Bandit's Journal," using all the data that had been gathered over the year, along with their wonderful drawings. We also used Stuart’s books "Mighty Maddie" to learn about comparing weights, "Get Up and Go!" to understand elapsed time, and "A House for Birdie" to introduce the concept of capacity.



Probably Pistachio

 (Probability)
  • Read the story together and ask your child or students to predict what they think will happen and why. Ask questions such as: "Do you think Emma will have pastrami for lunch? Why do you think that?" As the children's understanding of probability grows, ask questions such as: "Why didn't Jack's predictions come true? What question could Jack have asked Emma so that he might have made a better prediction?"
  • Ask your child or students to decide if certain events are likely, possible, or unlikely. Suggest events such as: "You will go to bed at 8:30 tonight." "We will all go swimming on Saturday." "No one in your class will be absent tomorrow."
  • Keep track of local weather reports for one week. Make a list of the predictions and then record the actual weather. Have your child or students decide how accurate the weather reports were.


Racing Around

 (Perimeter)
  • As you are reading the story, trace the perimeter around the athletic field, the zoo, and Perimeter Path using your fingers. Have your child or class find the perimeter by adding up the lengths of the sides.
  • Using a ruler, help your child or students find the distance around familiar objects in the home or classroom, such as picture frames, tabletops, or computer screens. Make a drawing of each object and write the length of each side on the drawing. Then calculate the perimeter.
  • Use one of your child's or students' favorite pictures and measure its perimeter. Using construction paper, make a frame for the picture and then measure the perimeter of the frame.


Same Old Horse

 (Making Predictions)
  • Read the story with your child or students. Point out that Majesty and Jazz make predictions about what Hankie will do next. Ask them to predict what Hankie will do, too. Have them give reasons for their predictions.
  • Change the patterns in the charts in the book. For example, change the chart on page 11 that notes when Hankie’s owner Susan arrives at the barn, and when she takes Hankie outside to read:
      Mon. Tues. Wed. Thrs. Fri. Sat.
    Susan Arrived:  9:00 9:15 9:30 9:00 9:15 9:30
    Hankie Outside:  9:30 9:45 10:00 9:30 9:45 ?
  • Have your child or class examine each new chart and predict what Hankie will do now. Ask them to explain their thinking.
  • For three or four days, have your child or students keep a chart of certain activities each one does every day. For example:
    Activity Mon. Tues. Wed. Thrs. Fri. Sat.
    Time I got up:             
    What I had for breakfast:             
    Color shirt I wore:             
    Time I got home from school:             

    Ask each child if he sees patterns. Is he predictable like Hankie?


Spunky Monkeys on Parade

 (Counting by 2's, 3's, and 4's)
  • Read the story with your child or students and talk about what is going on in each picture. Encourage the children to interact with the illustrations and count the monkeys aloud as you read.
  • While shopping in the supermarket, help your child find objects that are packaged in 2s, 3s, or 4s, such as light bulbs, paper towels, or sticks of margarine or butter. Skip count to find the total number of items on the shelf.
  • Stringing Beads: You will need beads of two different colors (for example, red and yellow) and three strings. On the first string, have each child string 2 red beads, 1 yellow, 2 red, and so on. On the second string, arrange 3 red beads, 1 yellow, 3 red, and so on. On the third string, arrange 4 red beads, 1 yellow, 4 red, and so on. Compare the three strings. Which has more red beads?


The Sundae Scoop

 (Combinations)
  • As you read the story, ask questions such as: "How many flavors of ice-cream are there?" "How many different sauces?" "How many toppings?" and "How many different sundaes could the kids make?"
  • Re-create your own sundae scoop story. Have the child think of several different flavors of ice-cream, sauces, and toppings, and write them down. Help them draw diagrams similar to those in the story to determine the number of different sundaes they could create with their imaginary ingredients.
  • Lay out 2 pairs of shoes, 4 shirts, and 2 different pairs of pants for your child. Together, figure out the number of different outfits that are possible.
  • Teacher IdeaWhen we read "The Sundae Scoop," we discuss the different combinations. And then we’ll do combinations with something else, like clothing. For example, you have three t-shirts to pick from, and two pairs of pants and shoes. Or we can do t-shirts and shorts, or skirts for girls. If you want to add on shoes, it makes the problem even harder. So I give them a choice. They are amazed they have so many outcomes.

    They can sketch the clothes and show colors and stripes. We make the combinations tree, like the one in the book. And then they add up the combinations. For homework, they can use food. For example, a dinner at McDonalds: You can get a cheeseburger, a hamburger or a chicken McNuggets. You can get French fries, a cookie or apple dippers. And you can get fruit punch or orange juice or milk. What are all the different combinations you can have?



Super Sand Castle Saturday

 (Measuring)
  • Ask questions throughout the story, such as: "Do you think that using a shovel would be a good way to measure the tower of the castle? and "Is a spoon a good way to measure the depth of the moat?" Explain that these tools can be used for measuring, but that tools of the same length must be used consistently.
  • Pick distances around the house or classroom and measure them using "baby steps" and "giant steps." Is the hallway more baby steps or giant steps long? Are there more baby steps or giant steps between the couch and the computer? Explain.
  • Have friends take turns lying down on the floor and measuring each other from head to toe using straws, and then a ruler. Make a chart that shows the length of each person in terms of different units of measurement.


Tally O'Malley

 (Tallying)
  • Reread the story and have your child or students keep track of the data with their own tally marks. Make a chart with each of the characters' names, the colors they choose, and their tallies. Occasionally, stop to see how the child's tally marks compare with the marks in the book.
  • Say a number between 10 and 25 and ask your child or students to make tally marks to represent that number.
  • Pizza Survey: Have the child or students take a survey, asking ask family, friends, and neighbors, "What kind of pizza do you like best?" Then work together to tally the responses. What kind of pizza is most popular? Least popular?


100 Days of Cool

 (Numbers 1 - 100)
  • Make a number line similar to the one shown in the book on a long, thin sheet of paper. Fold the number line in half and in half again. Use the folds to show how day 25 is 1/4 of the way to 100, day 50 is halfway, and day 75 is 3/4 of the way.
  • Look at a calendar with your child or students. Starting on January 1, find the 100th day of the year. Together, make a guess about the month in which the day will fall. What day of the week will it be? Then see if you got it right. Try the same thing again, this time counting from today's date or from a child's birthday to find the 100th day.
  • Give your child or a group of students a set of dominos and have him or her try to make "trains" (lines of matching dominos) with exactly 100 dots. How many trains can they make?




Betcha!

 (Estimating)
  • Read the story together and ask your child or students to describe what is going on in each picture. Ask questions throughout the story, such as "What would you do to estimate how many people are on a bus?" and "How would you estimate the number of cars in a traffic jam?"
  • Discuss real life situations that require estimations. For example, ordering enough pizza for the whole family, or deciding how many errands can be done before ballet class or soccer practice.
  • Together, make up your own Betcha! game. Pick something that is difficult to count, such as people in a long line, cars in a parking lot, or cookies in a box. Help your child or students consider different strategies for making these estimates. Then check to see how close these estimates are to the real numbers.
  • Teacher IdeaYou can use the MathStart books to introduce a concept as well as to reinforce a concept. An example would be "Betcha!" I usually read the book at the beginning of the year because we do estimation activities all year long. The kids can see how the kids in the story use different strategies for estimating. My students have to bring in their own estimation jars at least once a year. Everybody gets a chance. So it can be container of whatever – rocks, candies, straws. I’ve even had grass. They bring in all kinds of stuff. One kid brought in shark teeth from Florida, which was really neat. Sometimes I’ll give the winning estimator a pencil or a piece of candy, but mostly it’s about the glory.


Dave's Down-to-Earth Rock Shop

 (Classifying)
  • Place a handful of blocks of different sizes and colors on the table and talk about the different ways that the blocks can be grouped.
  • On sheets of different colored paper, draw a variety of shapes in different sizes: triangles, rectangles, squares, pentagons, etc. Help your child or students cut out the shapes and ask him or her to place them in groups by size, color, shape or other attributes.
  • With a deck of playing cards or a set of dominoes, explore all the different ways that the cards or dominoes can be grouped: by number, by suit, by color, or any other way you can think of!
  • Teacher IdeaWe do sorting for "Dave’s Down to Earth Rock Shop." We do nuts, bolts and screws and it really gets the kids going. You would be surprised at some of the language I get out of the children, such as, “I like the texture of this,” or “We did this by shape,” or “We did this by color.”

    A great activity for Party Day or Halloween involves candy. I divide the kids into groups and give each group a bunch of candy. They have to sort and classify it and graph their data however they choose. Then they have to present their observations to the class. Afterwards, they have sort and share the candy among their group. And then – finally -- they get to keep it!


Dinosaur Deals

 (Equivalent Values)
  • Read the story with your child or students and use the diagrams to discuss each of the trades that are made. Ask questions such as, " How many Allosaurus does it take to equal 1 Tricerotops?"
  • Cut out rectangles of different colored construction paper and use them to represent each of the dinosaur cards in the story. Reread the story and have your child or students act out the trading of the cards.
  • On 16 index cards draw different groups of coins. Each card should have a match that shows the same amount of money in different coins (for example, two quarters would match five dimes). Turn the cards face down. On alternating turns each player exposes 2 cards. If the cards match, the player keeps them and gets another turn. The player with the most cards wins.


Divide and Ride

 (Dividing)
  • Encourage your child or class to tell the story using math vocabulary: number of kids "per" seat, "divide," and "left over." Introduce words such as "groups of," "sets of," and "remainder."
  • Draw stars to represent the 11 best friends as shown on the math summary pages of the text, or use pennies or pebbles to represent the friends. Together, practice grouping the "friends" into sets of 2s, 3s and 4s. Are there any friends left over? How many?
  • Take another look at the story. What if the group of 14 new best friends went to the carnival together? How many seats would they fill on each ride? Would there be any friends "left over"?


Earth Day—Hooray!

 (Place Value)
  • As you read the story with your child or students, point out how the cans are bundled together in groups of 10s, 100s, and 1,000s. Discuss how 10 ones equal 10, 10 tens equal 100, and 10 hundreds equal 1,000.
  • Write down a three-digit number and have your child or students draw bundles of cans to represent the number.
  • Discuss with your child or students items that he or she can recycle, such as newspapers or cans. Set a goal for the number of items to recycle, perhaps 100 newspapers or 1,000 cans. Have your child or students keep track of the number collected and how many items he or she still needs to meet the goal.
  • Teacher Idea"Earth Day- Hooray!" was an April selection for our PTA-funded “Book-of-the-Month” program. Every teacher, K – 5, as well as all the intervention specialists, was given a copy of the book, along with a activities packet with suggestions for how to use the book to develop Reading, Writing, and Math skills. We also included relevant web links. Earth Day, of course, is April 22, but April is “Mathematics Awareness” month, too, so "Earth Day – Hooray!" was a perfect choice.

    One suggested activity was to have kids take up a collection of recyclable cans, just like the kids in the story. Could they predict how long it would take for their collection to grow to 100 cans to 1,000? From a 1,000 to 10,000? We also had activities based on the factoids in the stories. For example: “Americans use more than 80,000,000,000 (80 billion) aluminum cans per year.” Who counts the cans? How do they know? Do they recycle in other countries? Do you recycle at home? How many cans on average per week?



Game Time!

 (Time)
  • As you read the story, have your child or students note the relationships between various units of time. For example, 1 week = 7 days.
  • Circle your child's birthday on a calendar. Ask how many months, weeks, and days until this date. If you are teaching a class, circle each student's birthday on the calendar. Ask how many weeks between birthdays. 
  • Before doing a chore such as cleaning a bedroom, have your child predict how long the activity will take. For chores that take less than a minute, such as drying a glass, predict the duration in seconds. Time the chore, then check to see how close the estimate was.


The Grizzly Gazette

 (Percentage)
  • As you read the story, have your or students child find the sum of the percentages shown in each graph. It is important that the child understand that percentages represented in a circle graph will always add up to 100.
  • Help your child or students draw a circle graph that shows one 50% segment and two 25% segments, and another circle graph that shows one 25% segment and one 75% segment. Talk about the language used to describe percentages. Equate 50% with one half of the circle, 25% with one quarter of the circle, and 75% with three quarters of the circle.
  • Cut a stick of butter or a candy bar in half. Then cut one half into two pieces. Ask your child to name the fractions (halves and quarters). Then ask the child which piece is 25% of the whole. Point out the largest piece and ask what percentage of the whole stick it is. Put 1/4 stick and 1/4 stick together and ask what fraction and percentage the two pieces combined represent.


Hamster Champs

 (Angles)
  • Read the story with the child or students and point out how to read the angles on the protractor as the hamsters make the ramp steeper. Explain that angles are measured in degrees, and that a right angle is 90-degrees, while a straight line is 180-degrees.
  • Have three kids use a piece of string 6-feet long to make angles together. Have one child hold one end, the second child the other end, and the third child hold the string in the middle. Have them make 45-degree, 90-degree, and 180-degree angles.
  • Help your child or students fold a sheet of paper into a paper airplane, or any origami shape. After each fold, point out the angle or angles that were formed.Estimate and then measure the angles.


Jump, Kangaroo, Jump!

 (Fractions)
  • Ask questions throughout the story such as: "How many teams are needed?" "When the group is split so that each team has the same number of campers, how many are on each team?" "What fraction of the total number of campers is that?"
  • Talk about fractions of groups. Give your child or each student in your class 12 bottle caps or buttons and pretend that each one is a "camper." Have them divide the campers into 2 equal teams and ask what fraction of the group each team is. Try this with 3 and 4 teams.
  • Divide 24 toothpicks into groups of 8 toothpicks each. How many groups are there? What fraction of the total is each group? What is 1/3 of 24? Use the same 24 toothpicks and try groups of 6 and 4.


Lemonade for Sale

 (Bar Graphs)
  • Read the story with your child or class and describe what is going on in each picture. Talk about the graphs that accompany the story. Ask questions such as: "On which day were more cups sold, Monday or Tuesday?" and "How many cups were sold on Wednesday?"
  • Make graphs of things in the real world—children playing at the park, dogs that walk past your house, cars parked on the street, etc.—by counting them each day for a week. Do more children play at the park on the Monday or Saturday? How many cars are parked on the street on Tuesday morning? How many on Sunday morning? Does the number go up or down from day to day?
  • Set up your own lemonade stand with a group of friends and create a graph to keep track of the sales. On which day did you sell the most? The least? Show when sales were going up or down.


Less Than Zero

 (Negative Numbers)
  • After reading the story, return to the graphs. Have the child or class retell the story by looking at the graphs to see what happened to Perry's clams.
  • Create a number line that includes numbers from -4 to 10 on a long sheet of paper. As you reread the story, keep track of Perry's clams by using a marker on the number line (a button or a penny will also work). Start with the marker on zero. When Perry gains some clams, move the marker to the right to reach the correct number. When Perry spends or loses his clams, move the marker to the left to change the number. After each move, ask, "How many clams does Perry have now?"
  • Have the child or students write down the amount each receives for an allowance in a notebook. Then have them keep a running account of the money they spend. Discuss what could happen if they wanted to make a purchase after the allowance is all spent.


The Penny Pot

 (Counting Coins)
  • Place a handful of coins on the table and talk about the value of each. Ask questions such as: "Which coin is a dime?" "How many pennies equal a dime?" "How many nickels?" "Can you combine pennies and nickels to make a dime?"
  • Reread the story together and ask your child or class to identify the different coins in the story and tell how much each is worth.
  • Practice using coins in everyday situations: Help your child or students choose the coins needed to buy a magazine or a candy bar. Ask the child to help find the correct change needed to ride the bus, buy a stamp, or purchase a gumball from a machine.
  • Teacher IdeaBefore we read "The Penny Pot," I ask my kids, “How many different combinations can you make using 25 cents?” The answer is 13 different ways. The kids can use money if they choose to and write out how they came to the answer. A lot of them can do it in their heads. When I read the book, they can see the computations.


Polly's Pen Pal

 (Metrics)
  • A large grapefruit is the rough equivalent of a kilogram. Have or child or students take turns holding a grapefruit, feeling its weight. Then have them pick up other objects (a book, a bag of candy, Mom's purse) and decide whether each object weighs more or less than a kilogram.
  • Have the child or students lie down on butcher paper or newspaper. Trace around their bodies with a marker. Measure, in centimeters, height and the length of an arm, leg and little finger.  
  • Cut several strings into 10-centimeter lengths. Give your students the strings and ask them to find objects that measure about 10 centimeters. The first child to find five objects is the winner.


Ready, Set, Hop!

 (Building Equations)
  • Identify the clues that suggest operations: "More" suggests addition. "Less" suggests subtraction.
  • Gather some crayons, buttons, or keys. Ask, "How many are in the pile?" Add a few more. Ask, "How many are in the pile now?" Take away several and ask, "Now how many are there?"
  • Look at things in the real world and work together to create addition and subtraction problems. Examples could include fruit: 3 apples plus 2 oranges equals 5 pieces of fruit. Or you could use pets: 3 dogs minus 1 dog equals 2 dogs. Draw pictures of these examples and write the equations under the pictures.
  • Teacher IdeaFor "Ready, Set, Hop!," we used as strip of oaktag and paper muffin wrappers to create lily pad number lines. We glued 21 muffin wrappers on the strip of oaktag and wrote the numbers from 0 to 20 in the center of them. Each participant was given a plastic frog. As we build each equation, the frog hopped along the number line. We used this book in conjunction with a song from Hap Palmer’s Math Readiness CD called “Jumping.” They are a perfect set.


Room for Ripley

 (Capacity)
  • Ask questions throughout the story, such as: "How much water is in the tank now?" "Do you think that will be enough water for Ripley, or will Carlos have to add more?" "Is a pint more or less than a quart?"
  • Give your child or students a measuring cup and a large jar or container. Have them estimate how many cups of water it will take to fill the jar, and then keep track of the cups as the container is filled with water. After the container is filled, help them figure out the capacity of the container. Is it approximately a pint? A quart? A half gallon? A gallon?
  • At home in your kitchen, or at the supermarket, identify items like milk, water, or cottage cheese that come in containers of different capacities. What comes in cups? In pints? In quarts? In half gallons? In gallons?


Rodeo Time

 (Reading a Schedule)
  • In class, have each student draw up a schedule of after-school activities, Monday through Friday. How long does it take to get home? Do they stay after school for sports or band practice on certain days? Which days and for how long? Do they attend an after-school program at a local community center? Do they get together with friends to play, or do homework? When is dinner time? Any TV-watching, computer games or reading before bed? When is bedtime, and what time will the alarm clock ring in the morning?
  • At home, create Family Schedules. Focus on a particular activity such as “Getting Ready for School and Work in the Morning”, or a special event such as a vacation (“What We Plan To Do Each Day”).
  • Working together with your child, write up a list of things that need to be done such as homework, guitar practice, preparing dinner, baking brownies, folding laundry, watching a favorite television show, playing with friends, or reading a book. Then draw up a schedule showing when those things will be done. Record how long each activity actually takes and see how it matches up.


Safari Park

 (Finding Unknowns)
  • Before reading the story, give your child or each of your students 20 pieces of paper to use as tickets. Work with them to solve each number sentence, solving for the unknown using the tickets to help work out the problem.
  • Look at the large sign showing all the rides and the number of tickets needed for each. Have your child or students think of several different ways to use the 20 tickets. Write a number sentence for each one. Do the same thing using 15 tickets, 18 tickets, or 10 tickets.
  • Think of a number and offer a clue, such as "8 plus this number equals 12." When your child or one of your students gets the answer, he or she thinks of a number and offers a clue for the next round.


Shark Swimathon

 (Subtracting Two-Digit Numbers)
  • Read the story together and ask the child or students to describe what is going on in each picture. Discuss what Coach Blue writes on the sign at the end of each practice. Ask "How many laps did the whole team swim?" and "How many more laps does the team have to swim?"
  • At the start of a car trip, have your child write down the miles on the odometer. Then periodically calculate the number of miles traveled during the trip.
  • Card Game: Provide 8 dimes for each player, 50 pennies for the "bank," and create a set of cards numbered 1 through 15. Each player starts with 8 dimes. Mix up the cards and place them face down in a pile. Taking turns, players draw a card and give the amount shown to the bank. If a player does not have exact change, he or she must exchange one of their dimes for 10 pennies. The first player to get rid of all his or her money wins.


Sluggers' Car Wash

 (Dollars and Cents)
  • As you read the story, help the child or students understand what is happening on the clipboard. Cover up the totals and ask questions such as, "How much was spent on supplies?" or "How much did the children have after they washed Will's mother's car?"
  • Using catalog or newspaper inserts, and have your child or students pretend to go shopping. Give each child 10 dollars in either real bills and coins, or in play money. Let them select items to "buy." After "buying" each item, have them set aside the money spent and count up how much remains.
  • When you go out to eat, have your child make a selection from the menu and then calculate how much it will cost. Name an amount higher than the meal's total and ask what the change should be.


Too Many Kangaroo Things to Do!

 (Multiplying)
  • Review the math summary pages and encourage your child or students to talk about the number of activities each animal has to do and the total number of activities that have to be done.
  • Make some cookies. Arrange the dough on each baking sheet differently. For example, in rows of 2s, 3s or 4s. While the cookies are baking, practice multiplying. Ask: "How many cookies are on the sheet?" and "After three sheets, how many cookies will we have?"
  • Draw on cards pictures of insects with different numbers of legs: spiders, ants, beetles, mosquitoes, caterpillars, etc. Count the number of legs on each insect. How many legs are there altogether if you have two spiders, three ants, or four caterpillars?


Treasure Map

 (Mapping)
  • Help your child make a map of his or her room. The map should include a key that contains symbols or pictures of real items in the room. You can also make maps of your house, school, backyard, playground, or the neighborhood.
  • On your next trip to the mall, help your child first locate where you are on the mall directory map. Then find some favorite stores. Look at the key and discuss the meaning of various symbols. Ask your child to find the nearest restroom or restaurant using the map.
  • Visit a site on the Internet that provides maps and directions. Help your child or students enter the school's address and that of a nearby park. Print the map and have the children trace the route. Do the directions show the same route the children usually use? What things other than street names does the map show?
  • Ask the children in your class where they were born and note it on a map. How many were born in the same city? State? Country? Using an Internet map service, chart trips from school to each of the locations. 

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