“Race to Write”
KNPIG ID #S 2207.4
What's this activity about?
This activity is a great way to help kids learn different ways to “see” the numbers 1-20, group items together without counting, and learn different ways to make 20! Children need lots of practice with seeing actual “things” and figuring out what number matches a particular group of things. Counting is a great way to do this at first, but kids need to eventually develop better and faster ways to organize things in their heads, especially as numbers become larger. Being able to mentally organize things into groups instead of having to count each thing separately is a HUGE step towards understanding how to add, subtract, multiply and divide. The use of 20 frame cards in this activity will not only help with seeing and organizing quantities, but also will help your child discover different ways to put numbers together and take numbers apart to make 20. This activity is a fun way to spend time with an important child in your life while also helping him or her see numbers as groups of things, match numbers with quantities, and discover different ways to make 20. Enjoy!
What materials do we need?
Printable 20 frames 0 to 20, pencil and paper
How do we play?
Version 1: When you first start using this activity, put the 20-frames face down on the table. Take turns turning over the top 20-frame and then you and your child quickly write the number that tells the quantity shown on the 20-frame. For example, if a 20-frame with 11 dots is flipped, then you and your child would write “11.”
Version 2: After your child can quickly write the correct number for every card WITHOUT COUNTING the dots, change the rules a little bit. Put the 20-frames face down on the table. Take turns turning over the top 20-frame and then you and your child quickly write the number that goes with the quantity shown to make 20. For example, if a 20-frame with 14 dots is flipped, then you and your child would write “6.” Continue until someone wins 5 rounds. When all 20-frames have been used, reshuffle the frames and start again.
Where’s the Math?
There is a lot of math in this game that goes along with what kids are learning in school. Kids are seeing ways to break numbers into pairs in more than one way, while also becoming stronger at being able to add and subtract within 20. They are starting to see how addition and subtraction are related and are writing numbers to represent quantities. Also, they are developing different strategies to use as they begin to add and subtract within 20 and beyond.
Things to Think About:
As you use this activity with kids, remember to BE PATIENT. Sometimes it’s hard to not to help them along if they are having a hard time figuring out how many dots are on a 20-frame without always counting each dot. They will need to do a lot of counting at first, but if they continue to need to count, instead of telling them the answer, ask questions that will help them get to the answer on their own. Try asking “is there another way you could figure that out without counting each dot?” Another way to help kids be less reliant on counting is to cover the card about 4-5 seconds after it’s flipped over. Encourage kids to “take a picture” in their head of what they just saw. When kids are given the chance to figure things out on their own, they gain a deeper understanding of whatever we are trying to help them learn! You can also “flash” random 20-frames at any time to your child and ask “how many dots? How many empties?" Later, ask your child questions about what numbers go together to make other numbers – “I was thinking about the activity we used the other day – if I had 16, how many more would I need to make 20?”
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