ACTIVITY 2 Shapes - Children's Learning Institute

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Preschool Early Language and
Literacy Including Mathematics
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M ath Activities

Preschool Early Language and Literacy Including Mathematics
Rote Counting
ACTIVITY 1
Vocabulary: number names (1-20), count
Materials: None needed
Directions
• Ask the children to stand.
• Say, “We are going to play a counting game. I will count to five, and then clap. Join in
when you are ready. One, two, three, four, five (clap). One, two, three, four, five (clap).”
• Continue until all the children have joined in for several rounds.
• Tell the children the new number that you will count to and repeat the game.
• Once children have mastered 1-10, continue with numbers 11-20.
ACTIVITY 2
Count Clapping
Number Count
Clapping
Vocabulary: number names (1-20), count
Materials: number cards (1-10)
Directions
• Ask the children to stand.
• Introduce activity by saying, “We are going to play a counting game with numbers.”
• Show a number card and say, “I am counting to this number. When I get to the number on
the card, I will clap. Join in when you are ready.”
• Show number 4 card. “One, two, three, four” (clap as you are saying four).
• Continue for several rounds.
• Once children have mastered 1-10, continue with numerals 11-20.
Extension: As children learn to count to a number, add objects for one to one
correspondence. Have them clap when they reach the target number.
©2009 Developed by The Children’s Learning Institute at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Preschool Early Language and Literacy Including Mathematics
ACTIVITY 3
Number Songs
Vocabulary: number names (1-20)
Materials: pocket chart, sentence strips (with chants written on them), pictures or felt pieces
Directions
Using the listed chants, sing with the children. Show the addition or subtraction of the
characters in the chants with pictures of the characters, objects or the children themselves to
represent the characters.
Chants:
Five Little Ducks
Traditional
10 in the Bed
There were ___ in the bed
And the little one said,
“Roll over! Roll over!”
So they all rolled over
And one fell out!
“5 Little Monkeys”
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
by Eileen Christelow
“Bats”
1 little bat says E,
2 little bats say E,E,
3 little bats say E,E,E,
As they hang upside down in the tree.
©2009 Developed by The Children’s Learning Institute at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Preschool Early Language and Literacy Including Mathematics
Shape Naming
ACTIVITY 1
Shape Freeze
Vocabulary: circle, square, triangle, rectangle, inside, outside
Materials: masking tape, CD/cassette player, lively music
Directions
• Use the masking tape to create large circle, square, triangle, and rectangle shapes on the
floor of a large open area in your room, school or center. Be sure the shapes are big
enough for several children to move around in comfortably.
• Make enough shapes so that a large group can play.
• Tell the children to move to the music jumping in and out of the shapes as the music plays
and stop when you call “Freeze!”
• When the children freeze identify those that are inside a shape and those that are outside a
shape. For example, “Paul and Nancy are inside the circle. Kerry and Juan are outside the
circle. Gary is inside the triangle, etc.”
• Restart the music and repeat the game for several rounds.
Extensions
• As the children learn the game instead of stating who is inside or outside the shapes, ask
the children, “Who is inside the circle?” “Who is outside the rectangle?” and so on.
• Take this activity outside. Draw shapes with chalk on the sidewalk. (Some centers/schools
will allow spray painting the shapes on the grass or dirt. Be sure to obtain permission.)
• Have the children walk outside the shapes until you say a shape name.
• Then the children run to the shape. (Explain safety issues with children prior to
playing this activity.)
©2009 Developed by The Children’s Learning Institute at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Preschool Early Language and Literacy Including Mathematics
ACTIVITY 2
Shapes
Vocabulary: circle, triangle, square, rectangle, oval, octagon, trapezoid, etc.
Materials
• cardboard /construction paper shapes
• glue
• paper to create picture on
• spinner with shapes (Teacher made by using a spinner and drawing shapes on it.)
• a number generator (die)
Directions
• The children compose pictures using a specific number of shapes.
• Using a spinner divided and labeled with shapes and a die with dots from 1 to 6, the children
will spin the spinner and roll the die.
• The die gives the children the number of shapes to collect.
• The spinner gives the shape. (A child who spins a triangle and rolls a 3 will get 3 triangles.)
• Have the children spin and roll two times.
• After collecting the shapes, have the children make a picture and describe their constructions
using shape words.
• Label the pictures with the children.
Extensions: Ask the children to share their picture with a friend and describe to the friend the
shapes used. Once I was a shape, now I am a … Children use construction paper shapes to create an
object by drawing additional features. Example: Glue a triangle on a piece of paper and add a circle
to the top to create a hat.
©2009 Developed by The Children’s Learning Institute at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Preschool Early Language and Literacy Including Mathematics
ACTIVITY 3
Vocabulary: shape names, sides
Materials
• shape matching cards with attribute block shapes
• attribute blocks
Directions
• Pile the attribute blocks on the table.
Shape Matching
• Using the shape attribute blocks, teach the children the names of the shapes. “Let’s look at
the blocks in our pile.” Pick up a block, “Look, this block has 3 sides. It’s a triangle. Can
you find another triangle?”
• Continue teaching all the different shapes names. Introduce the shape matching cards. “I
have cards with pictures of shapes. Let’s see if we remember their names.” Review all the
cards.
• Have the children match the blocks with the picture cards. Ask ,“Why did you pick that
one? How many sides does the picture have? How many sides does the block have?”
Extension: Place all the attribute blocks in a bag and have the children choose a block and find
a match.
©2009 Developed by The Children’s Learning Institute at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Preschool Early Language and Literacy Including Mathematics
Number Discrimination
ACTIVITY 1
Vocabulary: number, letter, object name
Materials: numbers, letters, other sorting materials like bears
Directions
• Place one number, several letters and several sorting items (a total of 5 to 7) on a table.
• Tell the children, “Let’s think about what each of these are called.” Point to each object and
name it, “This is a letter. This is a bear. This is a number.”
• Mix up the objects.
• Ask the children to point and name each of the objects.
• Next, ask the children to point specifically to the number saying, “show me the number!!”.
Extension
• Increase the number of objects.
• Have the children name the specific number.
• Make a picture with 2 to 3 numbers, 2 to 3 letters, and 2 to 3 symbols or pictures.
• Have the children point to the numbers.
ACTIVITY 2
Show Me the
Number
Looking at
Numbers
7
Vocabulary
• numbers
• same, different
• straight lines, slanted lines, curves, circles
Materials: plastic numbers or number cards
Directions
• Show the numbers 1 and 9. “Let’s look at these two numbers. They both have straight lines.
This is the number one. It just has a straight line. This is the number nine. It has a straight
line and a circle on the side at the top.”
• Have the children look at other numbers and make comparisons with the attributes of the
other numbers, pointing out the features of the numerals.
©2009 Developed by The Children’s Learning Institute at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Preschool Early Language and Literacy Including Mathematics
ACTIVITY 3
Scavenger Hunt
Vocabulary: number names
Materials
• magazines/newspapers/pictures from the Internet
• scissors, glue
• chart paper
Directions
• Have the children go on a scavenger hunt in magazines or newspapers to find numbers.
• Children cut out what they find and paste on charts labeled with “Look at Our Number
Hunt” or “WOW, I found a _____.”
• Discuss with the children what they found and verify that the children found the correct
numbers.
Extension: Post the charts in the writing center and/or math center so that the children can
use the numbers in their writing.
©2009 Developed by The Children’s Learning Institute at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Preschool Early Language and Literacy Including Mathematics
Number Naming
ACTIVITY 1
Number
Recognition
Vocabulary: number names (1-20), count
Materials
• number cards (1-20)
• objects to count (up to 20)
Directions
• Show a number card, and say, “This is the number ___. Let’s move counters as we count to
this number.”
• Move a counter as everyone counts together.
• “There are _________ counters here and that is what this number tells us.”
Extension: Have the children march in place and count to the number that is being shown.
ACTIVITY 2
Touch the
Number
Vocabulary: number names, number line
Materials: number line
Directions
• Fold the number line in half to show numbers 1-10 and secure, by taping all sides to the floor.
• Have a small group (2 to 3 children) stand beside the number line.
• Call out a number for the children.
• If they know the number, they touch the number on the number line.
• If a child doesn’t know the number, show them the number so that they can touch it.
• Continue calling out numbers for several rounds.
• As children become more familiar with numbers 1-10, unfold the number line to show
numbers 11-20 and play the same game.
Extension: Call out a number and have the children hop to the number, counting out loud as
they hop. Play “Guess my Number”. Give clues about the numbers you want the children to locate.
Ex. I’m thinking of a number that is more than 2 and less than 4. What is it?
©2009 Developed by The Children’s Learning Institute at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Preschool Early Language and Literacy Including Mathematics
ACTIVITY 3
Number Line
Dance
Vocabulary: number names
Materials
• bear counters
• number cards
Directions
• Give each child a pile of bear counters.
• Tell the children that the bears are dancing the Congo (any line dance name is okay).
• Hold up a number card and ask the children to make a dance line with that number of
bears.
• Once they line up the bears, have them count the bears out loud to check their work. Be
sure to connect the number the children say to the number card you are showing.
• Continue to play this game for several numbers.
• Start with numbers 1-5. As the children become comfortable with the smaller numbers,
add the larger numbers.
Extension: Have the children suggest other things for the bears to do, such as playing
soccer. Use the suggestion from the children to line up the bears. For example, “8 bears playing
soccer.”
©2009 Developed by The Children’s Learning Institute at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Preschool Early Language and Literacy Including Mathematics
Shape Discrimination
ACTIVITY 1
ACTIVITY 2
Shapes Puzzles
Vocabulary: rectangle, circle, square, triangle, rhombus (diamond)
Materials
• shapes game board (Using shapes of different sizes and positioned in different directions.
Make a game board.)
• Matching shape cut outs for the game board
Directions
• Have the children match the different sized/oriented shapes on the puzzle board.
• Help the children gain the understanding that changing the orientation or direction of a
shape does not change the shape name.
Shapes Similarities
Vocabulary: shape names, same, different, color, size
Materials: attribute blocks
Directions
• Using the attribute blocks arrange several shapes (use at least three that are the same size,
shape and color) on a table.
• Place a total of 6 shapes on the table.
• Model this activity for the children by saying, “I am going to put the shapes that are the same
color in a pile. ”
• Place the shapes that are the same color together in a pile. “I put the ones that are the same
color in a pile together.”
• Put all the shapes back into the same pile. “Now I am going to pick the ones that are the same
shape.” Put the shapes that are the same, regardless of color, into a pile. “This time I put the
ones together that are the same shape. It didn‛t matter what color or size they were, I was just
paying attention to the shape.”
• Put all the shapes back into the same pile.
• Ask the children to pick out the ones that are the same. Ask, “Why did you pick those? What
is the same about the objects? What is different about the ones you did not pick?”
• Record the responses of the children.
©2009 Developed by The Children’s Learning Institute at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Preschool Early Language and Literacy Including Mathematics
ACTIVITY 3
Making New Shapes
Vocabulary: up, down, turn, flip, slide
Materials: cardboard teacher-made shapes or shape blocks (geoblocks)
Directions
• In this activity, children play with shapes to combine them into other shapes. Show the
children two triangles. Tell the children that these are two triangles. Point to the sides and
have the children count with you.
• Take the two triangles and place them together, saying, “When I take these two triangles
and I turn one of them so that it will fit beside the first one, I can make a
rectangle.” (Make sure that the two triangles are the same size and shape and will fit
together to make a rectangle before doing this with the children.)
• Model putting together two squares to make a rectangle.
• Have the children practice combining shapes to make new shapes.
• This activity can also be used with shapes cut from paper or plastic lids.
Extension: Have the children make other shapes using two or three shapes.
©2009 Developed by The Children’s Learning Institute at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Preschool Early Language and Literacy Including Mathematics
Set Counting
ACTIVITY 1
Number Count
Clapping
Vocabulary: number names (1-20), count
Materials: number cards (1-10)
Directions
• Ask the children to stand.
• Introduce activity by saying, “We are going to play a counting game with numbers.”
• Show a number card and say, “I am counting to this number. When I get to the number on
the card, I will clap. Join in when you are ready.”
• Show number 4 card. “One, two, three, four” (clap as you are saying four).
• Continue for several rounds.
• Once children have mastered 1-10, continue with numerals 11-20.
Extension: As children learn to count to a number, add objects for one to one
correspondence. Have them clap when they reach the target number.
©2009 Developed by The Children’s Learning Institute at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Preschool Early Language and Literacy Including Mathematics
ACTIVITY 2
Making Sets
Vocabulary: set, number names 1-20, how many?
Materials
• One ice cube tray or egg carton per child
• Small bears that fit into the compartments (each child has a pile of six bears of the same
color)
Directions
• To model the skill, tell the children, “I want you to make a set of bears. I am going to
make a set first. Watch me. I will take my bears out of my pile and put them in the tray to
make a set of three bears.” Place the bears in the tray as you count, “One, two, three. I
have a set of three bears. How many bears do I have?” Children respond.
• Now have each child make a set of four bears. Tell the children, “Remember to take your
bears out of your pile one at a time and count each one as you put it in the tray.” Each
child takes their bears out of their pile one at a time and verbally counts them as they
place them in the tray. Provide assistance with number words and placing the bears in the
tray as needed. Ask each child, “Did you make a set of four bears?” Have the children
check themselves by counting again. Return the bears to the pile.
• Now have the children make a set of six bears. Remind the children to take their bears out
of the pile one at a time and count each one as they put it in the tray. Each child takes their
bears out of their pile one at a time and verbally counts them as they place them in the
tray. Provide assistance with number words and placing the bears in the tray as needed.
Ask each child, “Did you make a set of six bears?” Have the children check themselves by
counting again.
Extension: Increase the number of objects in the sets
©2009 Developed by The Children’s Learning Institute at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Preschool Early Language and Literacy Including Mathematics
ACTIVITY 3
Matching Numbers
and Sets
Vocabulary: number names, match, set, how many?
Materials: 20 paper plates- Number one set of plates consecutively 1-10; on the other set of
plates place dots for each number 1-10. (Since the children are looking for partners, be sure that
you have the matching number pairs. Increase the numbers to 20 as children learn bigger
quantities).
Directions
• Show the children a plate with a number on it and another plate with the matching number
of dots on it. Count the dots and say the number. Explain to children that the number
matches the set because it tells how many dots there are.
• Give each child a plate.
• Have the children walk around and find their partner, counting the dots and saying the
number names.
• Mix the plates and play again.
Extension
• Give each child a plate.
• Have the children collect that number of objects.
• After collecting the objects, have the children write their number on a card and label the
objects collected with the number.
©2009 Developed by The Children’s Learning Institute at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Preschool Early Language and Literacy Including Mathematics
Operations
ACTIVITY 1
ACTIVITY 2
Take Me Away
Vocabulary:
• more, less, how many are left
Materials: counting objects, number cards
Directions
• Show a number card and place that number of counters on the table.
• Ask, “How many are in this set?”
• Remove one counter. “Now this set has one less. How many are left in this set?”
• Change the number card to always show how many are left.
• Continue removing one object and asking how many are in the set, showing the correct
number card. Start with the number 5.
Extension: Once children can tell you how many one less is with numbers 1-5, start with 6,
then 7 and continue with larger numbers.
Pom Pom Math
Vocabulary: number names, more, less, on, outside
Materials: pom-poms (up to 12 per child – 2 more than the highest number you are working on);
paper plate (1 per child)
Directions
• Children place 12 pom-poms on their plate.
• Call out a number.
• Have every child take that number of pom-poms off of their plate.
• Then direct the children to look at the pom-poms left on their plate.
• Everyone counts what is left. Ask, “Are there more pom-poms on the plate or less on the
plate?” Children respond.
• The children then place all the pom-poms back onto their plates.
• Continue the game for several rounds.
Extension: Add number cards; Use larger numbers of pom-poms to work on numbers 11-20.
©2009 Developed by The Children’s Learning Institute at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Preschool Early Language and Literacy Including Mathematics
ACTIVITY 3
Taking Apart Numbers
Vocabulary: number names, sets, how many all together?
Materials: construction center blocks; paper plates or paper circles (3 per pair of children)
Directions
• Introduce the activity by telling the children we are going to see how many different ways we
can take one set and separate it into two sets.
• “Here are 3 blocks. I can give Samantha one block and Jose two blocks.” Give the blocks to
each child. “How many does Samantha have? How many does Jose have? How many blocks
do they have all together?” Children respond. Gather the blocks back together.
• “Now I can give Samantha three blocks and Jose zero blocks.” Give the blocks to each child.
“How many does Samantha have? How many does Jose have? How many blocks are there all
together?” Children respond. Gather the blocks back together.
• “Now I can give Jose three blocks and Samantha zero blocks.” Give the blocks to each child.
“How many does Samantha have? How many does Jose have? How many blocks are there all
together?” Children respond. Gather the blocks back together.
• Continue with different numbers, modeling and asking questions to encourage the children to
represent numbers in different ways.
Extension:
• Have the children record the way they represented the number by drawing a picture.(Teachers
will want to draw the first few times so that children understand the concept of representing
numbers with pictures and words.)
• Have the children describe their pictures. Encourage their language usage and scaffold when
needed. For example, “My picture has 2 red cubes and 3 blue cubes. That’s 5 cubes all
together.”
©2009 Developed by The Children’s Learning Institute at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston