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Lesson Excerpt:

Directions:

1.       Gather students on the carpet.

2.       Teacher selects a group of ten or less students to stand based on a specific attribute (e.g., students wearing shorts, pants, red socks, etc.)

3.       Tell students we are working on answering the question “How many?” Ask students “How can we find the answer?” Have a class discussion that generates the strategy of counting by ones.

4.       Cluster selected students on one side of the carpet. Teacher models how to count the group.

a.       As I count, I will say one number for every child I count.

b.       Teacher will model counting using one-to-one correspondence.

·      Model counting by saying each number aloud. 

·      Move each student to a different part of the room as he/she is counted.

·      Occasionally, stop and recount to ensure correct counting sequence.  “Let me recount…  I have 1, 2, 3 students in the group that I have counted.  Next is 4 (move and count the fourth student).”

·      Explain that a counting strategy we can use today and every day is to “move and count”.  This helps us know which items have been counted.

5.       Gather a new group of students based on a different attribute, and have a student model the counting process (teacher assists as needed). Repeat 2 to 3 additional times as needed.

*Teacher note: If students seem confident with the task, number cards can be added to the counting process. As each student is counted, he/she displays the corresponding numeral.  This will allow students to make connections multiple representations for a quantity (set of objects, number words, numerals).

6.       Tell students that they will now work at their tables to answer the same question, “How many?”

7.       Students can return to work spaces, and take one-handful out of container of manipulatives and count using the strategy modeled during the lesson.  Students should utilize the “move and count” strategy as the count, moving their counted manipulatives from one side of the mat to the other.

*Teacher note: This process enables students to keep track of which objects are counted and are yet to be counted (NC.K.CC.4).

8.       Another strategy for finding “How many?” is to recount.  After counting, moving, and recounting all manipulatives, students should return the handful to the tub, take another handful, and repeat the process.

9.       After five to seven minutes have students return to the carpet. Use “after questions” to discuss process used to count the handfuls.