Each day, usually just before lunch, we do a component of our math program called Number Corner.
This is a 15-20 minutes used to introduce, reinforce, and extend skills and concepts.  Number Corner includes the same five routines each month, with slight variations in each depending on the month.


Over the course of any given month we place new markers in our calendar and make observations and predictions about the pattern that emerges; record the number of days we have been in school by writing numbers on a number line and visually representing it with links and dots on ten frames; create a monthly collection of objects (cubes, craft sticks, pattern blocks) that we use for counting and comparing in different ways; practice the counting sequence and number recognition on a segment of the number line; and work on computational fluency, often using finger patterns or ten frames.

For the month of December our calendar pattern has given us practice using prepositions or position words as we describe the location of a bear in relation to a box:  inside the box, outside the box, above the box, below the box, behind the box, in front of the box, to the left of the box, and to the right of the box.

Our collection this month has been pattern blocks.  Each day a child spins a spinner with the numbers 3-5 on it and pulls out the corresponding number of shapes.  On Friday we count the collection for the week.  After we find the total number of blocks we sort them by shape and count how many of each one, ordering them from least to greatest.

We have completed 76 days of school so far and we use the ten frames and links to practice counting by 10's.  We have been working on showing different ways to compose 6-10 using either fingers or cubes on a ten frame, and we have closely examined the number line from 11-20, counting forward and backwards and paying close attention to how the numbers are written and the underlying patterns (all teen numbers start with 1, numbers in the 20's start with 2).

A favorite part of Number Corner this month has been our countdown to winter break.  We made a paper chain with 15 links and each day we have torn one off giving us a nice visual of the remaining school days until vacation.