"Arrow Cards (1 to 9)"
KNPIG ID #Ni 1125.1
What's this activity about?
You and your child can have a lot of fun working with arrow cards to compare while engaging in friendly competition. This activity is great for up to five players. You will be drawing one arrow card per player and comparing values. The player who drew the greatest number gets a point. After each turn, replace the cards in the stack, shuffle and draw again.
What materials do we need?
Arrow cards: one set of single digit arrow cards
How do we play?
- Place arrow cards face down in a stack.
- Each player will draw one card and read the number.
- Players work together to put numbers in order.
- The player who drew the largest number gets a point.
- Shuffle cards and replay.
Where’s the Math?
There’s a lot of math in this activity that goes along with what your child is learning in school. It is not only important for your child to learn their numerals, but also to know what order they go in. You will also practice comparing the numbers on the arrow cards you draw. Children should know that the numerals represent different quantities and be able to tell which quantity is greater. This is an important developmental step in learning basic math principles.
Things to Think About:
As always, when working with children remember to BE PATIENT. Your child may have trouble at first and it’s hard not to help them along. Lay out all the arrow cards first and have your child name them. Then put them in order. Use words such as “less” and “more” instead of “first” and “next”. This will help them relate values to the numerals, instead of just ordering them like letters.
When working with arrow cards, work with other manipulatives so your child can see and feel the value of the number. You can use beans, pennies, paper clips or anything you may have on-hand. Match up the number of things to the quantity represented by the numeral.
Your child could also work independently on this activity by choosing three to five cards on their own. They can then build and order those numbers by themselves.
This activity relates to real life in many ways. You can talk about values when shopping and refer back to this activity. Ask your child what costs more so you know which item to buy. You can apply these questions to other situations such as sports games, distances and ages of family members. This is a good way to make this math fun and relatable!
Feedback
Send us your thoughts and ideas about these activities. Email the KCM
