Archives for September 2011

Farm Themed Memory Match

This is a really easy way to create a thematic memory match game using stickers and index cards (or cutouts). Here is a link to an earlier memory match post I wrote. I like including this game because it helps to build concentration, encourages basic game skills like turn taking and provides a good opportunity to make connections and build vocabulary based on the stickers.

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Thematic Memory Match

This station activity takes me only about 5 minutes to prepare and has been a favorite of Andrew’s for a while now.

Step 1: Get stickers. Some stickers come with a matching pair on one sheet (like this one) and other packs do not. For the packs that don’t have matchers on one sheet, I just use two sticker sheets and get the matching sticker that way.

Step 2: Get something sturdy to place the stickers on. I like to use index cards and found these small, blank, colored cards at my teacher store. I choose one color to use per memory match game and try to choose a color that goes with the theme or season we are in. For this one, I chose to use the red ones.

P1040974 — Small, colored index cards (2x3) are perfect for this activity.

P1040976 — I've also used 4x6 index cards and cut them in half with my paper cutter.

Step 3: Place matching stickers on two separate cards to make a matching pair.

Continue until you have made all of the matching pairs that you can.

Step 4: Mix them up or shuffle them. Set them out in rows and it is ready!

P1040981 — Memory match game set up and ready to play.

We take turns turning over cards to try to find matches and continue until all matches have been found.

When I began doing this with Andrew, we only did three pairs at a time and the cards were face up so I could show him what we were looking for – “Can you find the card that looks the same?” We did it like this until he understood that we were matching and then began turning them over. Remember to think about the skills your child is ready for and modify the activity so they can build those skills without immediately getting overwhelmed by rules and details they are not ready for. That way, it will be more beneficial and fun for both of you!!

Engage, Encourage and Empower!

Calendar Number Sequencing

Calendar numbers make it super easy to build math skills such as number sequencing. I like to use calendar numbers because they are thematic according to the month or season, which makes building vocabulary relevant to the month we are in easier to weave into conversation as we are working with the numbers.Â Because the numbers in the calendar number set go up to 31, you have a good range of numbers to work with in a variety of easy to assemble station activities.

Using an index card, cutout, post-it note or even a piece of scrap paper to write some basic directions helps tremendously with a sequencing activity.

Basic Directions:

What comes next?
What comes before?
What number is missing?
Put these numbers in order from least to greatest.
Fill in the missing numbers.

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Fill in the missing numbers

P1040945 — My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Fill in the missing numbers.

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: What comes next?

P1040948 — My Obstacle Course Station Activity: What comes next?

For this activity, I begin the sequence of numbers and mix up the number choices above. This could be made more advanced by using a number pattern, such as 1, 3, 5, and have the child figure out what comes next – 7, 9, 11.

P1040949 — 4 comes after 3. What comes next?

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Putting numbers in order from 1-10.

P1040953 — My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Put these numbers in order from 1-10.

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Fill in the missing numbers.

P1040956 — My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Fill in the missing numbers.

P1040960 — Numbers filled in to have numbers in order from 15-20.

Ordering and sequencing numbers skills are important for building a strong math foundation. Using something colorful that children can manipulate with almost no preparation time on your part helps make it a great station activity that children are more likely to engage in.

Engage, Encourage and Empower!

Apple Themed Tally Mark Crawl and Match

I created this Crawl and Match activity because I wanted Andrew to begin understanding what tally marks were, how they were written and how to count them. The Crawl and Match concept can be used to reinforce a wide variety of skills and concepts, this is just one example of how I did it to build a specific math concept.

Other Concept Examples To Use With Crawl and Match:

letter matching (uppercase and lowercase)
word and picture matching (this would even be a cute way to match up classmates pictures and names)
color and color word or item matching
shape and shape word or item matching
beginning sound matching
ending sound matching
rhyming word matching
opposite word matching
number and number word matching
coins and their value matching
math fact and sum/difference/product/quotient matching
state and capital matching

I could go on and on with examples but wanted to give you some other ideas 🙂 .

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Tally Mark Crawl and Match

I used a package of apple-shaped calendar cutouts and wrote the regular numbers on half of the cutouts and wrote the corresponding tally marks on the other half.Â I explained to him that each tally mark represented “1” and every fifth mark went diagonally across the other 4.

What this station looked like at our house.

He would choose an apple with tally marks on it…

and crawl down to match them with the apple that had the correct number.Â Crawling requires cross patterning of the body (moving one side along with the other – like using right arm and left leg and then left arm and right leg to crawl forward) which activates both sides of the brain during this learning process – pretty cool, huh! 🙂

Apple cutouts with numbers on them at the other end of Crawl and Match.

I really like reinforcing concepts like this because it is physical work for him while building an academic skill. The distance between the items to match gives him time to process the information on his way down to make his choice.

Engage, Encourage and Empower!

Apple Fact Reading and Answering Questions

When I did an “apple” search on www.enchantedlearning.com, I came across an Â “Apple Book” that had a page of “Apple Facts” as well as some “Apple Questions” based on the facts. Andrew was reading but I wanted him to practice his oral reading because he would drop sounds and read too fast. I also wanted to work on the reading comprehension skill of reading for information. I decided to use these printouts to go together but set up as two separate stations.

For the first station, I cut the “Apple Facts” printout and pasted it onto a sheet of red construction paper (not necessary but I wanted it to be a little more sturdy and colorful). I added a talking phone Â (Toobaloo) that we had so he could hear what he sounded like. These “phones” are cool because when you speak into one end, it magnifies your voice allowing you to hear what you sound like through the end by your ear.

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Reading Apple Facts

Apple Fact sheet from Enchanted Learning with telephone

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Answering Questions Based On Apple Facts

For the second part of this activity at the other station, once again I cut out the page and glued it onto some red paper. I also wanted a way for him to demonstrate his understanding without needing intelligible speech. This was important for us because his speech was still not very intelligible (except by me) so I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t assuming he was answering correctly so I thought I’d utilize a basic way to provide choices for him. I had some mini apple cutouts and wrote answer choices on either side so that we could read the questions, look at both answer choices and he could choose the side that he thought was correct.

Apple Questions from Enchanted Learning Website with answer choices on mini apple cut-outs

This was a great way for me to see his understanding of the facts that he read without needing to be intelligible. It only took me a few minutes to prepare this station but helped give him information, helped him to hear how he sounded and helped him to realize that it is important to pay attention when reading, in this case for information.

Engage, Encourage and Empower!

Do A Dot Apple Trees

Here is another simple idea combining an apple tree with building fine motor skills, particularly with a child who is not crazy about doing art projects.

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Do A Dot Apple Trees

I took a few sheets of white paper, drew an outline of a tree Â (I’m really good at these outlines aren’t I?! 🙂 )…

and set out red, green and yellow “dotters.”

Andrew could choose what color apples he was going to have on the tree and then use the dotters to push down, creating a circle, or “apple.”

Super simple, super cute (I finally have some of his “artwork” to hang up!!) and helps build hand muscles when grasping the dotter and while pushing it down to create the circle.

Engage, Encourage and Empower!

How Many Apples On The Apple Tree?

This My Obstacle Course station activity is so simple yet it helps to build math skills and fine motor skills – bonus!! While I know that apples are usually picked off of an apple tree, for the purpose of this station activity, we are going to be putting apples back on the tree. I guess you could put a whole bunch of “apples” on the tree and have your child “pick” a given number off of the tree using the tweezers. Either way, a great opportunity to build these skills!

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: How Many Apples On The Apple Tree?

I used a brown sheet of paper and drew the outline of a tree. I gathered up some red puffs to represent apples and set out a pair of tweezers. The object of this activity is to give your child a number and have them use the tweezers to grasp the “apples” and put them on the tree. I like to use tweezers because it helps to build the same muscles needed for handwriting and drawing.

P1040900 — My tree with red cotton puff apples.

P1040904 — A stack of calendar numbers can be used to provide the number.

There are several different ways to get the number:

just pick a number (this wouldnâ€™t work as well for us since Andrew prefers to see things if he is going to â€œbuyâ€ into it, but thatâ€™s just us)
roll a die or two dice and have your child count the dots and put that many apples on the tree
use dominos and have your child flip over a domino, count the dots and put that many apples on the tree
use calendar numbers by choosing a few that are appropriate for your child, turn them over and have your child flip them one at a time, say the number and put that many apples on the tree

This activity helps build number recognition and allows the child to demonstrate their understanding without needing to have intelligible speech.

Engage, Encourage and Empower!