What Are Numbers? - Practicing 1, 2, & 3
Lesson 3 of 16
Objective: Students will be able to name and count numbers 1, 2 and 3.
Problem of the Day
I start the lesson with a problem of the day to help students review skills and concepts from prior lessons and develop their ability to problem solve. I call the students up to the carpet. The students find their spots while saying this chant with me.
Criss cross, applesauce, hands in your lap, eyes on the teacher, you've got to show me that.
I project the Problem of the Day on the SMART Board and say to students, "This is our Problem of the Day for today. Look at the bananas. This says 'Count the bananas. Create a group with the same number of bananas as the first group.'" I say, "This problem has two parts. What is the first thing it asks us to do?" Count the bananas. I have a student come up with a pointer and count the bananas. "Listen to the direction again. 'Count the bananas. Create a group with the same number of bananas as the first group.' What do we need to do next?" Create a group with the same number of bananas as the first group. I have a student come up and draw a picture of three bananas. I tell students that sometimes in math we need to use our imagination. We can pretend that buttons are different objects. For this lesson, I pretend that the buttons are bananas. I ask, "Can you show me a group that has the same number as the group of bananas?" I have a student come up and take out three bananas. I tell students that both answers were correct. Drawing is a great strategy for solving problems and so is using manipulatives.
I tell students, "Today we will keep learning about numbers. We are going to work with the numbers 1, 2 and 3."
Presentation of Lesson
To start this lesson, I show the book Goldilocks and the Three Bears by James Marshall. I ask the students, "What did we talk about yesterday?" We read about Goldilocks and the Three Bears. I show a number 1 card and remind students that we call that number 1. I show a number 2 card and remind students that we call that number 2. I show a number 3 card and remind students that we call that number 3. I say, "Today we are going to continue practicing the numbers 1, 2, and 3." I show the students a coffee can. I shake it so that the student hear that there is something inside. I call over a student to pull out what is in the can. The student pulls out one color tile. I have the student drop it back in and we count 1 as we hear it hit the bottom of the can. I say, "We are going to find some things around the room that we have only one of." I hand the color tile to a student to walk around the room and find something that we only have one of. See example here. I repeat this with another student. I then repeat the activity with the number 2 and the number 3.
I tell students that we will be practicing the numbers 1, 2 and 3 on a Numbers 1, 2, and 3 Worksheet. I show students the paper and say, "You are going to be working on this paper on your own after we go over the directions. You need to get out your pencil and put your name on your paper. When your name is on your paper hold your pencil in the air, that will let me know that you are ready to start." I like to have students hold up their pencils or put their hands on their heads when they are finished with a task. It makes it easy for me to see who is ready and also keeps the students from writing all over their papers while they wait for other students to finish.
I hand each student a paper for them to take back to their seats and while the students are writing their names, I turn on the projector and document camera and display the worksheet on the SMART Board. When all students have their pencils up, I say, "The directions on this paper say ‘Say the number. Color in that number of objects.' The directions for the bottom of the paper are the same as your paper yesterday. They say, 'Count the objects and circle the correct number.' You may work on the worksheet on your own." When the students are finished, they put their papers into the paper tray in the front of the classroom and get their center.
Since the students finish their papers at different times, I circulate through the room to make sure that students are completing their papers, putting it in the tray and getting their centers. This week's centers are:
Sorting Fruits and Flowers (Education.com)
Sorting by Size and Counting with Bears (Download mat from PreKinders.com. I cut off the smallest bear since the bears I have are only two sizes.)
Thumb Print Counting
Number Tracing (Schoolsparks.com)
SMART Board- Online Game Critter Junction (Macmillanmh.com)
I quickly circulate to make sure students are engaged and do not have any questions about how to complete the centers. I pull three groups during centers. I pull the first group for 10 minutes and the other two groups for 5 minutes each. The first group is comprised of the students who were having trouble identifying numbers 1,2, and 3 and matching the numbers to objects. I have a basic idea of who I want in each group based on my beginning of the year assessment on numbers and counting, but I also take into account how the students did in the whole group lesson. I pull the students back to my small group table to do a reteach activity using flash cards and manipulatives (for this lesson I used the erasers). I show the flash cards and have students practice identifying the numbers. I then give each student a pile of manipulatives (1-3) and have them pick the number card that matches their group. The next two groups do a follow up activity that reviews identifying numbers, counting objects. I use the flash cards and manipulatives with these groups as well. I start by showing the students flash cards again and having them practice identifying the numbers. I do this much quicker for these groups. I then give each student a pile of manipulatives (1-3) and have them pick the number card that matches their group. Prior to clean up, I check in with each table to see how the centers are going. I turn on Tidy Up by Dr. Jean. Students clean up and return to their seats.
I close this lesson by inviting students back up to the carpet. I turn on the projector and document camera and let one of the students who worked with me at the small group table in one of the review groups share his work on the screen. The students like getting to "Be the teacher" and other students like seeing their classmates' work being projected on the SMART Board. I mention positive things that I noticed during centers. I also include something that needs to be better next time. I review what we did during our whole group lesson. "Today we learned about the numbers 1, 2 and 3. What is there three of in the classroom? Answers may vary. "Let's count to 3 together." 1, 2, 3 "Tomorrow, we are going to continue practicing numbers 1, 2 and 3, and we will learn to write them.”