How to Teach Math to a Kindergartener Using a Number Line or Grid
Counting is a skill that adults take for granted. After years of practice, it is second nature. Kindergarteners view the skill quite differently. For young children, learning to count can seem to be an insurmountable obstacle. Students will not be able to perform any form of math operation until they understand the basics of number order and number sense. The best way to help children grasp the concept of counting is to give them something concrete for reference. By integrating number lines and grids into their teaching, teachers can more effectively teach their students how to count.
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Things You'll Need
- Small number lines (one per student)
- Enlarged number line
- Grids (two per student)
- Enlarged grid
- Poster markers
- Candies
- Crayons
Instructions
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Provide each student in class with a number line. Allow them to decorate their number line by coloring the page and drawing designs. While they are coloring, they will be inadvertently learning. By allowing the students to color on the number line, you are increasing their interest in the mathematical device.
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Study the number lines as a class. Using your enlarged number line, point to the different numbers on the line and ask students to volunteer the name for that number. Go through the numbers one at a time ensuring that students know the names for each number.
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Tell your students a number story. Tell students that you are going to tell them a story that includes math. Challenge them to keep track of the numbers in the story by moving their finger along the number line as items are added. Create a story off the top or your head, or prepare one in advance if you like. Your story should include increasing numbers that students can easily keep track of.
For example, you could tell students that one student brought you one apple. Then one student brought you two more apples. Continue on adding apples in small increments. If your students seem to struggle, you can stop periodically and check for understanding by asking them how many apples you had at that time. If individual students seem to struggle, help them individually by showing them how to move their finger up the number line to keep track of the apples in the story. Once you reach the end of the story, ask students how many apples you had. Reward or praise students who arrived at the right answer answer.
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Introduce grids to students. Once students seem comfortable with number lines, show them how to use grids. Explain to them that every box on the grid represents a number, just as each mark on the number line does. Show students that, when working with a grid, we count from left to right and then move down to the next line and go left to right again. To ensure that students understand how to count on a grid, have them use their number line as a resource and write the numbers in the appropriate boxes. Carefully monitor students and correct any errors as they arise.
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Use the grid format to tally. Demonstrate how useful grids can be by having students complete a math project using their grid. Provide each student with a fresh grid and a handful of multi-colored candies. Tell students that they are going to use the grid to figure out how many candies of each color they have. Have students divide their candies by color. Then, demonstrate on the enlarged grid and show students how to color in one box per candy that they have with a color to match the candy.
Allow the students to color their grids as appropriate to the candy combination they have in their hand. Once the grids are colored, ask each student which color they had the most of. They can figure out the answer easily by counting their grid boxes. When the student gives you the right answer, tell them that they can eat the candies as a reward for their hard work.
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Continue to use number lines and grids throughout the year. Provide students with number lines and grids whenever possible. Regularly reviewing the number line helps students practice their number sense skills and general practice with the grid system will be helpful to your students later in their school career when they begin to study the principles of multiplication.
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