Length of time for activity: approximately 3-5 minutes
In the State Early Learning Standards, the School Readiness Indicator States: The entering kindergartner uses blocks, beads, or other materials to make and extend patterns. Benchmark 2.1: Uses the attributes of objects for comparison and patterning. Some of the Math and Science standards for Early Childhood overlap in this concept.
Materials Needed:
- Two empty egg cartons with the tops cut off
- (several with different amounts) of each: Various assortment of crackers in different shapes such as circle, Square, triangle, rectangle etc.
*Note: Have materials gathered and have ready.
Cut off the lid of the egg carton and attach another egg carton section with a bread twisty. As your child gets older, he may begin to develop the skills sin sorting his bowl of assorted shaped crackers With the two egg cartons attached, you now have four columns. Each column could represent a different shaped cracker. For example, all the Ritz crackers can be placed in the first column/section/row. The triangle shaped crackers can go in the second column. In other words, each column will be a different type of cracker.
Discuss with your child how each row is different (if they are). Talk about which one has the fewest, most or equal amounts. Use the word tallest and shortest row. Add to their vocabulary the descriptive words.
For the comment section below, please share any of the following:
- Age of your child, boy or girl.
- Describe what you did and their response.
- When you were out on a walk, try using the descriptive words again to see if they remember what is tallest, shortest, fewest, most or equal. Share about whether your child remembered, or did they happen to use the word on their own after you taught it to them?
