Numbers 1-5: Singapore-Style

Adopting Singapore-style math lessons is a school-wide effort at our school this year.  Our staff felt that we needed to improve our students' sense of numbers.  Simply put, our current mandated math curriculum needed of some "umph." 

It all started with "counting collections."  This is how we introduced our math topic on Counting and Cardinality..... 

The photo to the left shows a counting collections of 1.  Students walked around with their orange container and collected ONE of each manip.

Next, students "pair shared" what they collected.  We, the teachers, assumed that this would be a quick sharing activity but in fact, it turned into a deep conversation about the number one.  It was awesome!  The students were excited and they had a lot to say. 

Students then transferred their collection onto a circle map by drawing their collection.

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Subsequent classroom lessons also involved math journals.  For each manipulative counting collection that we did, we also included a paper (or tiny die cut) collection.  The photo to the left shows the journal entry for the number 4. 

The TK class does struggle with their "gluing skills" and the journals need to lay out opened to dry each time.  This is an extra chore that I do not enjoy.  One of our FB peeps suggested we try the sponge glue.  Definitely will!

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One step further...

Cessy was able to take her Singapore-style math lessons one step further.  In addition to the number collections, and collection circle maps, and collection math journal entries,....she included "number combinations" using the egg cartons.  It was a hit!

Yup!  We brought out the egg cartons.  Maybe they are not as pretty as the Lakeshore Ten Frame Trays,....but they didn't cost an arm and a leg!  And the kids didn't seem to mind.  So the photos above show students' combinations for the number 4.   Cessy demonstrated how to use the egg cartons with an example of combinations for 3. 

The photo below shows how the students' transferred their findings onto a ten frame on paper.  And wow, they got it!  Kinder League teachers are loving this form of HANDS-ON math!!!