We will be continuing to explore chapter 6 in our Big Ideas math curriculum. In this chapter, your student uses an addition equation, called addition sentence, including a plus sign and an equal sign, to show two parts and a whole.

At home activities:

• If you have two number cubes, change the sixes to zeros by covering  the sixes with masking tape. Invite your student to toss the two cubes to make partner numbers. Encourage your student to name the partner numbers and the total, or the number in all.
• Expand the activity to include writing an addition sentence to show the parts and the whole. Play “Get to Ten” using fingers to find missing partner numbers. One player holds up any number of fingers. The other player names the number of fingers and how many more fingers are needed to get to ten. For example, if a player holds up 7 fingers, the other player might say, “Seven fingers; it takes three more to get to ten.”

This week in math, we will be starting our exploration into Addition with numbers within 10. We will be talking about “Joining” problems, where we might say “2 students joined 3 others to play a game. How many students in all?” We will also be talking about patterns in addition. For example, if you add 0 to a number, the answer is always that number. Or when you add 1 to a number, it is always the next counting number. Finally, we will be working on finding number problems. An example equation of this skill might look like this “5 + ? = 9”. 

At home activities:

• Play “Get to Ten” using fingers to find missing partner numbers. One player holds up any number of fingers. The other player names the number of fingers and how many more fingers are needed to get to ten. For example, if a player holds up 7 fingers, the other player might say, “Seven fingers; it takes three more to get to ten.” 
• Make two sets of cards, numbered 1 through 5. Mix up the cards and spread them facedown on a table. Players take turns flipping over two cards to find partner numbers that make 6, for example, 2 and 4. If a player finds partners, the player gets to keep the cards. If not, the player turns the cards facedown. The player with the most cards wins! 

This week we are finishing our chapter of decomposing and composing numbers through ten. In this chapter, your student put together two small groups of objects (parts) to form a larger group (the whole). They will also take apart a whole group to form two parts. They will use a number bond to show the numbers of objects in the parts and in the whole. Learning how two parts make a whole is the first step in learning to add and subtract. 

Activities to do at home: 

• On the count of three, you and your student each show up to five fingers. Have your student name the number of fingers each person is showing and the number of fingers in all. 
• Set out up to ten buttons or other small objects. Place a cup on a table. Players take turns trying to toss all the buttons, one at a time, into the cup. After each round, guide your student to write the score as the number of buttons in the cup and the number of buttons outside the cup. Talk about how the two numbers are parts of the whole

This week is all about decomposing and composing numbers! Learning how two parts make a whole is the first step in learning to add and subtract. The vocabulary words for this chapter are put together, take apart, part, whole, partner numbers, and number bonds. Use the activities below to help your student practice putting together parts to make a whole and taking apart a whole to make parts. 

• Drop up to ten pennies on a table. Have your student name the number of heads, the number of tails, and the number of all pennies. 
• Make a line on a tabletop with chalk or tape. Invite your student to drop up to ten dried beans or other small objects on the table. Ask your student to write the numbers of beans that fell on each side of the line and the number of beans in all.

This week, we will be continuing our work in Chapter 4, where your student will compare numbers up to 10 as equal to, greater than, or less than each other. Your student also learns to classify objects into categories. You can use the activities below to practice and review number comparisons, sorting and classifying, and data collection. 

• Place up to ten pennies on a table. Ask your student to place an equal number of pennies on the table. After you have played for a while, vary the game so that your student sets out a number of pennies that is greater than or less than the number of pennies you place on the table. 
• Play the finger game from Chapter 2 to compare numbers to ten. Hold up two to nine fingers. Have your student name the number of fingers. Then ask your student to hold up an equal number of fingers, a greater number of fingers, or a number of fingers that is less. 
• Use scraps of paper to make two sets of number cards from 0 to 10. Mix up the cards and place them facedown on a table. Each player takes a number card and turns it faceup. Players compare the numbers. The player who has the greater number takes the faceup cards. Play continues until there are no cards left in the pile. The player with more (or the most) number cards wins
• Invite your student to help you sort the laundry. Have your student describe the sorting rule, such as light and dark items or clothing and towels. Have your student count the number of items in each group. 
• Help your student make a chart to tally and compare the number of cans of vegetables that are peas and the number of cans of vegetables that are not peas

We will also be beginning Chapter 5 in our math curriculum. In this chapter, your student will put together two small groups of objects (parts) to form a larger group (the whole). They will also take apart a whole group to form two parts. They will use a number bond to show the numbers of objects in the parts and in the whole. 

In this chapter, your student compares numbers up to 10 as equal to, greater than, or less than each other. Your student also learns to classify objects into categories. You can use the activities below to practice and review number comparisons, sorting and classifying, and data collection. 

• Place up to ten pennies on a table. Ask your student to place an equal number of pennies on the table. After you have played for a while, vary the game so that your student sets out a number of pennies that is greater than or less than the number of pennies you place on the table. 
• Play the finger game from Chapter 2 to compare numbers to ten. Hold up two to nine fingers. Have your student name the number of fingers. Then ask your student to hold up an equal number of fingers, a greater number of fingers, or a number of fingers that is less. 
• Use scraps of paper to make two sets of number cards from 0 to 10. Mix up the cards and place them facedown on a table. Each player takes a number card and turns it faceup. Players compare the numbers. The player who has the greater number takes the faceup cards. Play continues until there are no cards left in the pile. The player with more (or the most) number cards wins. 
• Invite your student to help you sort the laundry. Have your student describe the sorting rule, such as light and dark items or clothing and towels. Have your student count the number of items in each group. 
• Help your student make a chart to tally and compare the number of cans of vegetables that are peas and the number of cans of vegetables that are not peas

This week, we will review the skills we have been practicing up until this point. For example, number recognition, writing/comparing numbers, and we will introduce graphing this week. On Wednesday we will graph using our favorite apple colors and on Thursday, we will practice graphing using colored goldfish crackers. If you would like to donate colored goldfish crackers to our classroom for the activity, we will greatly appreciate your support. Please have your student bring it to school by Tuesday, September 24th. 

We will be continuing our work on everything that has to do with number 6-10. We will be focusing on recognizing, writing, and quantifying all of the numbers. There will also continue to be a focus on counting accurately, especially when we get into the higher numbers right before number 10. As a reminder from last week, here are some ways that you can practice at home: 

• Make a ten frame by cutting the last two egg cups off an empty egg carton. Have your student count up to ten small objects (such as beans, coins, or buttons) as they drop each object into a cup of the ten-frame carton. Change the activity by starting with up to ten objects in cups of the ten-frame carton. Have your student name and write the number of objects. 
• Play a game using fingers on both hands to count and to name numbers. Take turns. One player holds up six or more fingers, and the other player names the number. 
• Make a poster together showing objects that are commonly found in groups of six, seven, eight, nine, or ten, such as six juice boxes in a package, seven days in a week, eight legs on a spider, nine squares in tic-tac-toe, and ten pins in bowling.
• Show your student page numbers in a book. Have your student count up to page 10 and back to page 1 by flipping pages. 

This week we will begin Chapter Three. In this chapter, your student learns about the numbers 6 through 10. Your student will count a number of objects, then color the same number of boxes in a ten frame. ten frame After learning about each quantity, your student will learn to write the numeral. At the end of the chapter, your student writes the numbers in order both forward and backward. This chapter's vocabulary includes exposure to the written number words six, seven, eight, nine, and ten. Your student uses the words in conversation but is not expected to write the words. Here are a few activities you can use with your student to practice numbers to ten. 

• Make a ten frame by cutting the last two egg cups off an empty egg carton. Have your student count up to ten small objects (such as beans, coins, or buttons) as they drop each object into a cup of the ten-frame carton. Change the activity by starting with up to ten objects in cups of the ten-frame carton. Have your student name and write the number of objects. 
• Play a game using fingers on both hands to count and to name numbers. Take turns. One player holds up six or more fingers, and the other player names the number. 
• Make a poster together showing objects that are commonly found in groups of six, seven, eight, nine, or ten, such as six juice boxes in a package, seven days in a week, eight legs on a spider, nine squares in tic-tac-toe, and ten pins in bowling. • Show your student page numbers in a book. Have your student count up to page 10 and back to page 1 by flipping pages. 

We finished our first chapter in our math curriculum! Yay! This week, we will be beginning chapter 2! In this chapter, your student will learn to compare numbers from 0 to 5. At first, they will draw lines, matching objects in one group with objects in a second group to see if any are left over. Then they will count the numbers of objects in two groups to compare the numbers. Finally, they will simply compare two numbers. You can use the following activities to practice and review comparing numbers throughout the year.

• Look for opportunities to talk about one-to-one correspondences in your home. For example: How many mittens do you need for two hands? How many dinner plates do you need for four family members? 
• When setting the table, have your student count a group of forks, and then a group of spoons. Ask your student whether the groups are equal in number. If not, ask which group has a greater (or lesser) number of objects.

We will be continuing our first chapter of the Big Ideas math curriculum. We will continue our work on modeling, counting, and writing our numbers 0-5. That will take us through the middle of the week, and on Thursday they will take their first chapter assessment. Friday, they will then take the pre-assessment for Unit 2, that will start the following week. 

We will be starting our math curriculum, Big Ideas! In our first week, students will begin to identify a connection with quantities and the number. Specifically, students will model, count, and write numbers 0-5. In addition to this, students will be taking their first pre-assessment. Pre-assessments will be given to students individually during center time. If students begin to feel frustrated or demonstrate they need more support, the pre-assessment will end. I will be completing this to gather more information on what your student already knows and how I can support the better in the classroom. Assessments will be filed for collecting data until the end of the school year. If you would like a copy, please email me and I’d be happy to send a scanned copy.