Mathematics is based on patterns. A good understanding of patterns will help your child with logic and problem solving activities. It is necessary to allow children the opportunity to recognize, copy, extend, and create patterns at an early age to get a good foundation for math and other subjects.
1. Mom (or partner) will make a two color BEAN pattern like: white, red, white, red… and the child will copy the pattern using the same color of beans. Make another 2 color pattern using the same color beans. (i.e W, R, R W, R, R W, R, R…)
2. Mom will start a 3 BEAN pattern (W, R, B, …) and you will extend it out to 20 beans. Start a few other patterns to extend. See if you can say what the “core” of the pattern is. (core-the first part).
3. Take a pattern walk around your house with a paper and pencil. Notice floor designs, clothes, wallpaper, etc. Draw a picture of all the patterns in or around your house in 15 min. Share with your family or bring to show and tell.
4. Find something around the house that you could bring to show and tell that has an ABC pattern on it.
5. How high can you count now? Count to someone in your family. Can you count by 10’s to 100? Can you count by 5’s? Write it down and talk about the pattern you see. See how far you can count in Spanish! Even by 10’s (diez, veinte, treinta, cuarenta, cincuenta, sesenta, setenta, ochenta, noventa, cien)
6. Borrow a CALCULATOR. Choose two numbers. Press them back and forth to show an AB pattern on the display. Make an ABB pattern, by pressing the first number once and the second number twice until the display is filled. Discover some other number patterns on it.
7. Roll out the CLAY on the table with a rolling pin or the side of a plastic glass. With 1 TOOTHPICK, draw some patterns in the clay (The pattern needs to repeat). Roll it out again and make another design.
8. Play Concentration with the NUMBER CARDS 1-10, and the NUMBER WORDS-zero to ten. Spread them out upside down and make matches. Practice reading the number words when you’re finished. Play it with the DOT CARDS and the NUMBER WORDS another time.
9. Using the TANGRAM puzzle, see if you can use all the pieces to make a square. Mess it up. Can you make it again?
10. Make a BUTTON pattern on the table (4 holes, 2 holes, 4, 2,…). This of some other ways to make button patterns. Draw your favorite
11. Estimate how many inches you are. Measure and keep track through the year. Compare each month.
12. Using butter knifes (A), forks (B), and spoons (C), create the following patterns: AB (extend each pattern), ABB, ABC, AABBCC, ABCB, AACC.
13. Look in your closets for 3 pieces of clothing that have a pattern. Tell your mom or dad about the pattern. Record each of the patterns on a piece of paper with crayons. (Try to find clothes with obvious stripes or simpler patterns).
14. Using a sheet of GRAPH PAPER and BEANS, count to ten and place a bean on every 10th space. See if you can see a pattern. Use a different color of BEAN and place it on every 5th space. Can you see a pattern?
15. Make a paper chain. Use different colors in a pattern. For example: 1 red, 2 yellow, …repeat.
16. Collect one pair of shoes from each family member. How many shoes are there? How many pairs? Sort shoes by color, kind, size, etc. Arrange shoes in an AB pattern. Be sure to put them all back where you got them.
17. Get the TANGRAM puzzle and see if you can make a large rectangle using all the pieces. Now see if you can make a large triangle using all 7 pieces.
18. Using your BEANS, determine what the core of your pattern will be. Once you have made the core, place a paper plate over it so it can’t be seen. Now make your core again and repeat it several times to form a long pattern. When you have finished your pattern, call your mom or dad over and ask them to try to figure out what your “pattern core” is. After they guess, lift the paper plate off your core and let them see if they got the right answer. (Core is 1st part before you repeat again).
19. Make one pile of WHITE BEANS (A) and another pile of RED BEANS (B). Make an AB pattern using at least 30 beans. Now you are ready to count them. You may only count out loud on the red beans. When you come to a white bean, then you must count silently in your head. You will find yourself counting by 2’s. Now make and AAAAB pattern using at least 50 beans. You will speak the number only on the B (red bean). You will find yourself counting by 5’s. Try other patterns to help you count by 3’s or 4’s.
20. Use an O-shaped breakfast cereal like Fruit Loops and make a pattern necklace on a string. Have mom or dad check the pattern, and then eat your necklace.
The following pages I send home with your 5 activity record sheet are also activities: For activity number, just write the title of the activity. Remember that your child gets credit for 20 activities each month. You don’t have to do any activity on the weekends. You may choose the ones that interest you the most or even make up your own activity. As soon as your child does 5 days of activities, send a slip to school. After 25 activities, or 5 slips, the students get certificate to take home and show that they are advancing on the Math Olympics Chart.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Halloween Parade
We are going to have our Halloween parade at 8:45 on Thursday October 28. Students can wear their costumes all day if they choose, but no masks or weapons. We are also having our Halloween Party after the parade. Thanks to all the donations for the parties/field trips. A very special thanks to all the room reps who are putting the fun party together.
Fall Walk
Our fall walk will be on Tuesday October 26. It is probably going to be a bit chilly, so dress really warm and wear good shoes. We will cancel the fall walk if it is raining and do a different activity instead.
Spelling
Friday I sent home our 1st weeks spelling words. I will usually send home the list on Monday and have the spelling test on Friday, but because of Halloween and our short week coming up I had to change it. We will practice these words throughout the week and do activities each day with them. We will also work on a few word chunks (-in, fin, chin, pin, etc) to help build our spelling skills. Practice these words at home, but remember that spelling practice can be included in the 20 mins of required reading, not in addition too. Our spelling program is set up to help students become good spellers by recognizing patterns and editing their work. It isn't just to get a 100% on a spelling test. The words that are on our spelling list will then be placed on our word wall. After a word is placed on the word wall the students are responsible to correctly spell that word in all their writing.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
PT Conferences
Please go to the Silver Mesa Website and sign up for a PT Conference time. Because of the number of the students/conferences, we have a limited number of conferences available at night, but we have set all day Wednesday aside for conferences. We will also be having a mandatory meeting next Wednesday, Oct 27 for parents only where we will address some of the questions that come up during conferences.
Monday, October 11, 2010
October Math Box Activities
Sorting or Classifying is a very basic math skill. Any collection of objects around the house can these attributes and write down of possible findings.
Remember that you don’t have to do the activities in order. You can make them harder or easier to fit your child’s needs. You can even make up your own or do computer math games. There are more than 20 to choose from each month, but you only get credit for 20/month. Try to do 5 a week and send in the slip. (The Math Box supplies a re in the bold print.) Have fun!!
1. Pick out one BUTTON from the bag. Tell about the button size, color, number of holes, etc.) Find all the buttons that are like that button in one way. For example; find all the buttons with two holes, all the white buttons, all the large buttons. (If you have other buttons, add them to the bag for more fun.)
2. Look at the bag of BEANS and try to decide which kind has the most. Estimate how many of each kind and write your estimations on the chalkboard. (Mom or Dad can help) Sort the beans onto paper plates. Count each kind. Which had the most? Compare the Estimates with the actual counts.
3. Play Concentration with the NUMBER CARDS. (Carefully cut out the numerals, dots, and number word cards and pull out just the double sets of numbers 0-10.) Mix them up and place them face down on the table. Pick up two cards to see if they match. If they do, you keep those two cards and play again. If they don’t, it’s your partner’s turn. The one with the most matches wins. How many of your numbers have only straight lines? How many have only curved lines? How many have both straight and curved lines together? Can you sort them a different way? When you’re finished, put an elastic around them or put the in a bag. We’ll use them other months.
4. Use the CLAY to roll into snake numbers…0-9. Be sure to close the bag tightly when you put the clay away. (If homemade clay is used, it will last longer in an airtight container in the fridge.)
5. Gather a collection of toys. Sort them in as many ways as you can.
6. Look through a magazine or a picture book to find pictures that show 1, 2, 3, or 4 objects such as 1 truck, 2 cars, 3 dogs, and 4 trees. (any amount) Count the number of objects in each picture and write the number on a sheet of paper. Next to the number, you can draw a picture of those objects. You could bring these pictures to show and tell.
7. Give your child practice with the numbers 5 & 6 (or any number) by having the child draw pictures to correspond to the numbers. (i.e. favorite foods, 6 favorite animals) Write the number.
8. Have your child collect groups of objects around your house to show groups of 0 through 8. For example, you might collect 0 elephants, 1 cup, 2 apples, etc. Use number cards to label groups.
9. Using the NUMBER CARDS and pennies, hold up one card at a time in mixed up order. Have your child count out that many pennies.
10. Using the NUMBER CARDS or sheets of paper with numbers in them, place them out of order around the room. Your child needs to find the numbers in order saying them out aloud.
11. Go on a fall walk. Collect leaves from different trees. Count the leaves. Sort by size, shape, and color. Can you think of a different way to sort your leaves?
12. Make some leaf rubbings. (Put a leaf under paper and color over it with the side of a crayon stub.) Put them in groups of 1, 2, 3, 4 ,5.
13. Use the NUMBER CARDS and DOT CARDS and say all the numbers in Spanish! This will help you develop fluency in saying then number in Spanish by just looking at it.
14. Use the NUMBER CARDS. Pick two cards and add them! Tell me what your total is. Do this about 6 times correctly and you've completed another Math Activity!
15. Practice and write the numbers in Spanish!
Remember that you don’t have to do the activities in order. You can make them harder or easier to fit your child’s needs. You can even make up your own or do computer math games. There are more than 20 to choose from each month, but you only get credit for 20/month. Try to do 5 a week and send in the slip. (The Math Box supplies a re in the bold print.) Have fun!!
1. Pick out one BUTTON from the bag. Tell about the button size, color, number of holes, etc.) Find all the buttons that are like that button in one way. For example; find all the buttons with two holes, all the white buttons, all the large buttons. (If you have other buttons, add them to the bag for more fun.)
2. Look at the bag of BEANS and try to decide which kind has the most. Estimate how many of each kind and write your estimations on the chalkboard. (Mom or Dad can help) Sort the beans onto paper plates. Count each kind. Which had the most? Compare the Estimates with the actual counts.
3. Play Concentration with the NUMBER CARDS. (Carefully cut out the numerals, dots, and number word cards and pull out just the double sets of numbers 0-10.) Mix them up and place them face down on the table. Pick up two cards to see if they match. If they do, you keep those two cards and play again. If they don’t, it’s your partner’s turn. The one with the most matches wins. How many of your numbers have only straight lines? How many have only curved lines? How many have both straight and curved lines together? Can you sort them a different way? When you’re finished, put an elastic around them or put the in a bag. We’ll use them other months.
4. Use the CLAY to roll into snake numbers…0-9. Be sure to close the bag tightly when you put the clay away. (If homemade clay is used, it will last longer in an airtight container in the fridge.)
5. Gather a collection of toys. Sort them in as many ways as you can.
6. Look through a magazine or a picture book to find pictures that show 1, 2, 3, or 4 objects such as 1 truck, 2 cars, 3 dogs, and 4 trees. (any amount) Count the number of objects in each picture and write the number on a sheet of paper. Next to the number, you can draw a picture of those objects. You could bring these pictures to show and tell.
7. Give your child practice with the numbers 5 & 6 (or any number) by having the child draw pictures to correspond to the numbers. (i.e. favorite foods, 6 favorite animals) Write the number.
8. Have your child collect groups of objects around your house to show groups of 0 through 8. For example, you might collect 0 elephants, 1 cup, 2 apples, etc. Use number cards to label groups.
9. Using the NUMBER CARDS and pennies, hold up one card at a time in mixed up order. Have your child count out that many pennies.
10. Using the NUMBER CARDS or sheets of paper with numbers in them, place them out of order around the room. Your child needs to find the numbers in order saying them out aloud.
11. Go on a fall walk. Collect leaves from different trees. Count the leaves. Sort by size, shape, and color. Can you think of a different way to sort your leaves?
12. Make some leaf rubbings. (Put a leaf under paper and color over it with the side of a crayon stub.) Put them in groups of 1, 2, 3, 4 ,5.
13. Use the NUMBER CARDS and DOT CARDS and say all the numbers in Spanish! This will help you develop fluency in saying then number in Spanish by just looking at it.
14. Use the NUMBER CARDS. Pick two cards and add them! Tell me what your total is. Do this about 6 times correctly and you've completed another Math Activity!
15. Practice and write the numbers in Spanish!
Book Orders
The October Book Order came home today. Scholastic didn't send me enough of the Spanish LEO order, but I did make it available online. The directions for online ordering are on the right side of the blog.
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