Mathematical Emphasis
Investigation 1 and 2—Counting Books and Taking Inventory

• Thinking about what, when, and why people count
• Recognizing numerals and number names
• Connecting numerals to the quantities they represent
• Creating a set of a given size
• Developing strategies for counting and keeping track of quantities
• Representing quantities with pictures, numerals, or words

Investigation 3—Comparing Towers

• Developing and using language to describe and compare lengths
• Measuring by direct comparison
• Comparing two quantities to find which is more
• Recognizing numerals and connecting them with the quantities they represent

Investigation 4 and 5—Counting and Comparing, Least to Most

• Counting groups of objects
• Creating a set of a given size
• Using terms to describe and compare amounts
• Keeping track of the size of a growing collection
• Finding the total of two single-digit numbers
• Ordering quantities from least to most or most to least
• Recording and representing mathematical work

Tips For Helping At Home

• Play a version of a game called Grab and Count at home. Grab a handful of small items like checkers, blocks, or spools. Avoid items that are too small; children may grab more than they can count. Sometimes, you might both grab a handful and count them. Who grabbed more? Who grabbed less?
• We take inventory of materials in the classroom; you and your child might take a similar inventory at home. For example, count the number of cereal bowls, beds, chairs, or pillows. Encourage your child to find ways to keep track of which ones have been counted and which still need to be counted.
• One class activity will be counting letters in our names. You can do the same at home with the names of family members or a group of friends. Which name has the most letters? Which has the least? Can your child put the names in order by length?

Vocabulary Terms

Manipulatives

Materials or objects that can be used to help solve problems

Numbers

Describe a quantity or value

Numeral

The symbol used to represent a number

Representation

A way of showing a concept using words, pictures, objects, or symbols

Mathematics Vocabulary Web site

Mathematics Strategy—Counting is More Than 1, 2, 3

Counting is the basis for understanding our number system and for almost all the number work in the primary grades.

Rote Counting:    Students need to know the number names and their order by rote.

One to One Correspondence:    To count accurately, a student must know that one number name stands for one object that is counted.

Keeping Track:    Another important part of counting accurately is being able to keep track of what has been counted and what still remains to be counted.

Connecting Numbers to Quantities:    Children need to understand that numbers are used to count a set of objects and to describe the quantity of those objects.

Conservation:    Conservation of number involves understanding that three will always be three.

Counting by Groups:    Finally, counting a set of objects by equal groups, such as 2’s, requires that each of the steps above happens again but at a higher level.

Source: Investigations in Number, Data, and Space: Collecting, Counting and Measuring. Dale Seymour, 1998. (Page 16)

Mathematics Game—Number Challenge

Materials

Number Cards for 0-6

Counters (about 15, optional, use only if needed)

Playing the Game

(Similar to the traditional card game, “War” and the Investigations game, “Compare”)

1. Mix up the number cards and deal them all out evenly. Both players place their stack of cards face down in front of them.



2. At the same time, both players turn over the top card in their stack.



3. Players look at both numbers and decide which number is bigger (children can use counters if needed). The player with the biggest number card gets to take both cards and add them to the bottom of his or her pile.



4. If the two cards are the same, turn over a second card. The player with the biggest second card gets to take all four.



5. Keep turning over cards.



6. The game is over when one player runs out of cards or at the end of a specific amount of time.

Variations

1. The player with the smallest number takes the cards.
2. Play with three people. Look at all three numbers. The player with the largest number takes all three cards.

Get to Number Cards (for printing)