Numbers at the Concept Level: Introduction: The Number Stations (Pre K-2)

Tiles or Unifix Cubes

In this game each student uses two colors of bathroom tiles or Unifix Cubes to make different patterns with the number being explored.

Junk Boxes (or even a snack!)

On another day, they explored the number "5," and they wanted to use goldfish, but we only had one color of them, so instead of arranging patterns, their task was to arrange 5 goldfish in various different ways. In this way they can get an idea of what 5 looks like in various arrangements.

Beans and Pasta

Using two-sided beans (beans sprayed painted on one side) or different types of pasta, students shake them in a cup and spill them out on the table. What different patterns can be found? It is interesting to see how this game can continue to keep interest as they make new discoveries with different amounts of materials. We vary the types of materials as well.

Two students showed the concept that 7 is an odd number by showing two sets of 3, with the odd man out in the middle.

One showed the concept that we naturally can only mentally conceive of 5 and then after that branch off to adding more to 5. He had a row of 5 with 2 branching off, or 5 +2=7

Another student is most comfortable with the number 4. Even though often he can successfully count to 10, he still becomes unsure after 4, so he split his 7 in 4+3=7

Geoboard

Here are the results of an exploration of five.



You will need to make up some squares of cardstock (or index cards) that fit between the pegs on your geoboard. Your student then can explore a given quantity and find as many different arrangements. The only rule is that each square must be adjacent to another square (corners are fine.)

I will be adding more activities as I can:

Toothpicks

Tiles

Pattern Blocks

Jewels

Recording Number Stations

Tile Patterns and Geoboard Patterns

To record Tile/Unifix Cube Patterns and Geoboard Patterns, have available pre-cut squares of colored paper the same size as your tiles/Unifix cubes. Students glue these squares onto 6 x 9 inche pieces of white paper in the design of their choice. Another option is to have available graph paper with large squares and have student color in the squares to copy the designs they have made.