Math And Literacy!

One day's challenge was to see how many blocks you could stack.  Jake started right in.  Once the kids had 8 or 9 blocks, we asked, "When you put another block on, how many will you have?"   This encourages the children to "add on" and not have to go back to the first block and recount each time.  (This is a developing process in 4 and 5 year olds!)

Briana knew she needed a balanced stack so she methodically straightened the stack each time she put on a block! 

Amelia is counting how many.  She learned very quickly that you can not touch the blocks when you are counting!

Saul has a tall stack. 

Saul had 17 blocks and he knew from calendar time that we were on April 17.  When we asked him to find a 17 so he'd know how to write it, he went right for that calendar piece.

Emma stacked 12 blocks.  She found her number on the 100's chart.  It's wonderful to see the children solve a problem in different ways.

Math goes on all around us each day.  Saul and Emma decided to make a VERY long unifix patterned train.

Noor and Charlotte were shopping with the gold coins in their purses in dramatic play when they stopped to count how many coins they had.  

Our question mark helper is also focusing on "adding on".  When you pick a card, you decide what number your "cherry" comes after.   You can see on the right hand side the white 6 and 21 have been added.

So many of you have commented on our literacy sign-in.  Daniel had to think of something sweet...an apple.

Another day,  Charlotte had to think of a kind of shoe.   Is it any wonder our fashionista said high heels!