Math Center Materials Related to the Math Standards

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Materials to Support the Numbers and Operations Standard

Mathematicians consider the numbers and operations standard to be the most important of the standards for the early years (Clements, 2004). Operations include not only addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication but also “counting, comparing, grouping, dividing, uniting, partitioning, and composing” (Clements, 2004, p. 17).

Counting

Children typically begin counting by memorizing the number words. Depending upon the environment, this may begin as early as the age of 2 (Clements, 2004). However, number words are more difficult than other words for children to learn due to their function as a grouping rather than an individual item. Numbers are also a concept rather than a noun (Mix, Huttenlocher, & Levine, 2002).

To count items successfully children must understand one-to-one correspondence or that there is one number word for each item they are counting. They must learn to keep track of items as they count them and to tag or count each item only once. It is often easier to do this if children touch each item they are counting. Finally, they must understand that the final number that they count represents the number of items in the collection. This concept forms the basis for all future work with numbers and operations (Clements, 2004). When you assess children’s understanding of numbers, it is important to look at each of these steps. By doing so, you can determine what skills the child will need to work on to progress to the next level. For example, Sabrina could count by rote to 10. She recognized small sets (up to four) without counting them. However, if the set was larger, she seemed unable to determine how many items there were. While observing Sabrina counting money in the dramatic play area, the teacher noted that Sabrina did not tag each coin as she counted it and therefore recounted several of the coins. The teacher demonstrated how to organize and tag the coins to count them.

One-to-One Correspondence

It is easier for children to use materials that are less abstract for one-to-one correspondence. Therefore, teachers should first provide real objects, then cutouts, then pictures, and finally symbols and patterns (Charlesworth, 2005). Following are several materials that you could place in the math center to assist in developing one-to-one correspondence.

• Outline game—Outline interesting items and place the outline and the items in a box. Children can match each item to the correct outline.
• Match groups of items—For more advanced one-to-one correspondence, create matching games of items that go together (fork and spoon, nut and bolt, and mitten and hand).
• Pegs and pegboards—These come in a variety of sizes, so they can be chosen based upon the fine motor development of the children in the group.
• Jars and lids—Collect a variety of different types of jars with matching lids that children can put together.
• Cars and garages (as in the opening scenario)—Initially children might drive a car into each garage. As children become more proficient with one-to-one correspondence, this task can become more difficult by adding a different number of dots to each car and the corresponding garage allowing children to match the dots. Finally, numerals can be added to the cars, which are then matched to the dots on the garages. To make the task self-correcting, add matching colored dots to the bottom of the car and the top of the garage.

Recognizing Numerals

Following are materials that you can add to the math center to help children recognize numerals.