Kindergarten Mathematics Teaching Strategies

 Author: Julie Johnson

 Introduction

            Common core math standards for kindergarteners are fairly basic, but they set the foundation for all future mathematics in the subsequent years of education. Identifying numbers, counting, comparing numbers, beginning to understand the concept of addition and subtraction, and describing, comparing, and classifying objects and shapes are among the expectations that kindergarten aged students should be able to master. In this application paper I will explore several of the common core standards for kindergarten that I perceive to be more difficult and subsequently develop a tool kit of activities to address those standards in the classroom 

Common Core Math Standards For Kindergarten

                        After reviewing the common core math standards for kindergarten, I have identified four that I think will be the most challenging to the children. The first two are K.OA3 “Decompose numbers less than or equal to 10 into pairs in more
than one way, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record each decomposition by a drawing or equation (e.g., 5 = 2 + 3 and 5 = 4 + 1) (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010) and K.NBT1 “Compose and decompose numbers from 11 to 19 into ten ones and some further ones, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record each composition or decomposition by a drawing or equation (e.g., 18 = 10 + 8); understand that these numbers are composed of ten ones and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine ones (2010). I have grouped these together because they both deal with decomposing numbers.
In my experience this can be a difficult concept to understand, but is also very important to help the students see the grouping, patterns, and different relationships in numbers.

            The second common core standard that I think the students will find challenging is K.G4, “Analyze and compare two- and three-dimensional shapes, in different sizes and orientations, using informal language to describe their similarities, differences, parts (e.g., number of sides and vertices/“corners”) and other attributes (e.g., having sides of equal length) (2010). ” 

            The last common core standard that I think the students will find challenging is K.G6, “Compose simple shapes to form larger shapes. For example, “Can you join these two triangles with full sides touching to make a rectangle?” (2010).”

Tool Kit of Activities

            From the standards I identified above, I have developed three research-based activities to address each standard that I think the students might find difficult and have detailed them below.

Activity 1 – Using colored squares to make different combinations of 5

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Content Area: Mathematics – Decomposing Numbers

Common Core Standard Addressed: K.OA3 “Decompose numbers less than or equal to 10 into pairs in more
than one way, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record each decomposition by a drawing or equation (e.g., 5 = 2 + 3 and 5 = 4 + 1) (2010).”

Materials: Colored blocks, 15 yellow squares, 15 green squares, 1 piece of paper with squares, and a glue stick for each student.

Activity Description: In this activity the students will use colored blocks then paper squares to decompose numbers and find how many different combinations of the number 5 they can make using two different colors. Introduce the lesson by showing the students a line of five red blocks. Ask the students to count how many blocks there are and introduce the equation 5+0=5 by writing it on the board. Next trade one of the red blocks for a blue block. Ask the students to count the blocks again. Explain that there are still five blocks but the new equation is 4+1=5. Repeat the entire process changing one block each time until all of the blocks are blue. Have the class look for patterns and make observations of all of the equations on the board and have a discussion about why it happened like that. Let the children try to make their own combinations of five independently using different colored blocks. When you have observed their understanding of the concept using the blocks, allow the students to try to make their own worksheet using the concept and paper squares illustrated in the example photo. This activity can be modified by making the combination number higher or lower for example using 3 instead of 5 to make things easier.

 

Activity Adapted From: Gavin, M. (2012). Getting Interactive with Common Core: Decomposing Numbers. Kinder Craze. Retrieved 23 August 2016 from http://kindercraze.com/getting-interactive-with-common-core/.

 

Activity 2 – 3-D Shape Museum 

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Content Area: Mathematics – Shapes and Comparisons

Standard Addressed: K.G4, “Analyze and compare two- and three-dimensional shapes, in different sizes and orientations, using informal language to describe their similarities, differences, parts (e.g., number of sides and vertices/“corners”) and other attributes (e.g., having sides of equal length) (2010). ”

Materials: Assorted Classroom Toys, Examples of Target Shapes, Display Area

Activity Description: In this activity the students will search through the classroom toys to find different 3 dimensional shapes. Some example photos can be seen below. 

The activity will begin with the teacher introducing the target shapes and the characteristics of each shape. The children will then search the classroom to find toys and other objects in the shapes they have discussed and sort them into their relative categories in the display area. At the end of the shape hunt, the students will compare all of the objects of one shape, for example, spheres, and have a discussion about what makes each object a sphere, and why all the objects in this category are spheres when they are different sizes and colors. The discussion can then be extended into comparing 3D and 2D shapes, ie spheres and circles and discussing their similarities and differences.

Activity Adapted From: Katherine, K. (2012). Math Problem Solving. Kindergarten Kindergarten. Retrieved 23 August from http://www.kindergartenkindergarten.com/math-problem-solving/page/2/.

 

Activity 3 – How Many Different Ways Can You Fill a Hexagon?

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Content Area: Mathematics – Shapes and Combinations of Shapes

Standard Addressed: K.G6, “Compose simple shapes to form larger shapes. For example, “Can you join these two triangles with full sides touching to make a rectangle?” (2010).”

Materials: Hexagon Template Worksheet, Shape Tiles

Activity Description: In this activity the students will attempt to create hexagons using a multitude of different shapes. The students will be given hexagon templates and many different shape tiles and will then use the tiles to attempt to fill in the hexagons in as many combinations as possible. An example photograph of the activity can be found here. By creating hexagons, or other simpler shapes, the students will be able to see the relationship between different shapes and understand how some shapes can be combined to form different ones. This activity can be adapted in many ways to explore different kinds of shapes.

Activity Adapted From: Katherine, K. (2012). Math Problem Solving. Kindergarten Kindergarten. Retrieved 23 August from http://www.kindergartenkindergarten.com/math-problem-solving/page/2/.

Teaching a Mini-Lesson

            I chose to implement the shape museum activity with a small group of students within my class. My class in the International Division at Soong Ching Ling Kindergarten in Shanghai, China consists of 22 Kindergarten students aged 3. Nearly all the students are learning English as a second or third language, however, many have a high degree of understanding already. Because school has just started, I chose 5 of the most outgoing students with the highest level of English proficiency to participate in my activity. 

            First I introduced several shapes and their English Names. Then I allowed the students to search the classroom toys and books to find as many shapes as they could and sort them into their respective groups. After the students finished hunting for shapes we had a discussion about comparing the different shapes that we found and how even thought things were different sized, they could still be classified as the same shape.

            The students really enjoyed hunting through the classroom to discover the shapes and were proud to tell me what shapes the objects were that they had found. It was a really good lesson, but if I were to do it again, I would spend a lot more time introducing the English names of the shapes. I would also have a ‘permanent’ exhibition of the shapes and ask the children to bring in different shaped things from home to reside in the shape museum for the duration of the unit.

            In terms of assessment, I think observation is the best way to assess this activity. It is easy to observe if the students are classifying the shapes correctly and their thoughts about comparisons could be recorded by listening to a student led discussion or by asking simple questions to provoke responses.

Conclusion

            Teachers should always have a wide range of activities in their tool kit to best accommodate the different learning styles and abilities of the students in their classroom. The activities discussed in this paper are just a few of the many ways that these standards can be addressed. Though I think that these activities will be effective, it will also be a good idea to have multiple strategies to address each standard in case some students have difficulty understanding; often times all it takes to clarify things is a slightly different approach.

            

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Gavin, M. (2012). Getting Interactive with Common Core: Decomposing Numbers. Kinder Craze. Retrieved 23 August 2016 from http://kindercraze.com/getting-interactive-with-common-core/.

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010). Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (pp. 6-8).

Katherine, K. (2012). Math Problem Solving. Kindergarten Kindergarten. Retrieved 23 August from http://www.kindergartenkindergarten.com/math-problem-solving/page/2/.