Kindergarten & First Grade Math Activities
Math skills learned in kindergarten and first grade set the groundwork for a student's ability to succeed in math later in his academic career. Educators can teach math skills to students in kindergarten and first grade in part by relying on classroom activities that emphasize numbers, shapes, patterns and other basic concepts.
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Activities for Identifying Numbers
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Tracing numbers and then writing numbers on their own can help students develop the skill of identifying numbers. Focusing on numbers 1 through 10, have the students trace outlines of each number on a worksheet and then write the number themselves on the same sheet. For example, when working with the number 3, have them write "3" as well as the word "three." Next, present the students with coloring sheets picturing six kittens. Have them color in three kittens of their choice to demonstrate they grasp the concept.
Activities Involving Shapes and Patterns
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Cutting various shapes out of construction paper, including squares, rectangles, circles, ovals and triangles, is the starting point for math activities involving shapes and patterns. For example, create the outline of a pumpkin on a sheet of poster board and have students choose a shape that has been cut from construction paper. If the students correctly identify the shape, allow them to decide which part of the pumpkin's face it should be, and permit them to attach it to the pumpkin. For instance, triangles could be used for eyes, an oval for a nose and a rectangle for a mouth.
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Counting Activities
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Create a worksheet with four numbers, such as 5, 2, 7 and 9, going down the left side of the page vertically. On the right side of page, place pictures portraying a group of five apples, two puppies and so on. Have the students draw a line from each number to the appropriate picture to demonstrate they understand how to count. For another counting activity, draw 10 stars on a board and write the number 3 in the third star, the number 7 in the seventh star and the number 10 in the 10th star. Have the students fill in the remaining numbers to demonstrate they can count from 1 to 10.
Basic Graphing Activities
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Survey all of the students in class, asking them to name their favorite color. Survey students in neighboring classrooms if additional data are needed. Have the students work together to graph the results. Place the colors named, such as red, blue, orange, green and so on, along the x-axis. Place the number of students who named each color along the y-axis. After the graph is created, ask students to identify how many chose green as their favorite color, how many more students voted for purple than orange and similar questions to demonstrate they understand the graph.
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References
- Photo Credit math image by jaddingt from Fotolia.com
