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by Liana Mahoney
Topics: First Grade, Math
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First grade math includes lots of work with two-digit numbers. Here is a great activity for early in the year, to practice recognizing and sequencing numbers from 1-30.

What You Need:

  • an old calendar
  • child-safe scissors
  • an envelope

What You Do: Set the stage. Ask your child if he knows how many days are in a month. Let him flip through the calendar and explore the answer to this question. Point out that a month can have as few as 28 days, or as many as 31.

Select a month with 30 days. Cut the calendar apart into individual squares with dates on them. Mix the cards and spread them out in front of your child.

Put them in order. Start by having your kid put the numbers in order from least to greatest. If she has trouble with this, flip to another page in the calendar and have her match the number cards to the numbers on the calendar. Sort the cards and play with the numbers. Help your child arrange the cards in the following ways:

  • single-digit numbers (1-9) and two-digit numbers (10-30)
  • numbers with ones, (such as 1, 11, 21); number with twos, etc.
  • numbers with a one in the tens place (10-19), numbers with a two in the tens place (20-29), and numbers with a three in the tens place (30)

This is a great activity to play again and again, and don’t be surprised if your first grade teacher uses “calendar math” regularly in class. Keep the calendar pieces in the envelope for further practice any time.