NEWSLETTER
Number identification is a big part of our preschool classroom, and we are always looking for new ways to practice our numbers as well as counting the correct amount of objects to correspond with each number. Our latest number practice involved Valentine stickers and candy hearts! The children used number cards to identify each number and place the appropriate amount of objects on that number. The procedures for these two experiences were different based on the children's prior experience with the materials and their idea about what they can do with the materials.
Valentine Sticker Art
For this number experience the procedure was led by the teacher. We called out a number on the card and the children were tasked with locating it and putting their "counting finger" (pointer finger) on it. Then they applied the appropriate amount of stickers on the number in any way that they wanted to. These stickers were flat and thin so they required a bit more fine motor skill to pull them off and apply them. The children worked to figure out how get the stickers off and arranged the stickers in many different ways. Bending the paper to angle the sticker was discovered quickly which showed great problem solving. We encouraged the children to count as they applied and then re-count when they finished a number. This continual counting practice partnered with fine motor work and hand-eye coordination was a fun way to use our holiday stickers!
Valentine Candy Art
What to do with a bag of leftover candy hearts? Count them and glue them of course!
This time we started by asking the children to turn the number card over and write their name on the back (versus us coming around to write their name on the card). This is becoming the new expectation as we write our names as well as other letters and words throughout the day. The markers sparked more interest in writing because they decided to trace the numbers after writing their names. So fun to see them want to write more! Once we traced we moved on to the candy hearts...
The goal of this activity was similar to the sticker activity and used tongs as a way to pick up the candy. The children were excited to use the tongs again and immediately began to work with them to pick up anything they could on the table. We love to see this excitement and the extra fine motor work is a bonus. We started with 1 and asked the children to point to it on the paper and then glue one candy to it. The children took it from there and began to say the next number and glue the candy on their own. This was pretty exciting to experience...they immediately figured out the process of the activity and took it upon themselves to work through it. We watched them say numbers, help each other find the next number and count out the candy pieces to glue. We walked around and encouraged them to count their candy to see if it matched the number and tell us how many they glued down. We were definitely not the lead in this activity though - the children knew what they needed to accomplish and were focused in their work!
A few children asked for markers to trace the numbers on the sheets. This led to the entire group tracing each number and talking about their work.
We love when the children add new components to our activities that we didn't plan! It shows their observation skills and creativity.
