Wrangling the Common Core

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5 (More) Fun Math Activities--Thanks Pinterest!

We love finding great educational stuff for youngsters on Pinterest, and we've already highlighted some on our blog before (Pinterest Finds: Top 5 Counting Games). We look for fun activities that should be pretty easy to recreate at home, and of course, they must help kindergarten-aged children address the common core standards!

Without further ado, here are just a few of the activities on our Pinterest board that we hope you will agree are great for engaging children with math. Clicking on any of the images will take you the relevant Pin. 

1. In & Out-- Take some cubes and drop a handful onto the In and Out board. Have your child record the number of cubes in the circle, then do the same for the number outside of the circle. To make it a bit tougher, you can gradually add in more blocks.

2. Count, Match, Enjoy-- Now this is one activity sure to get any kid excited about math. Who can resist gummy bears?? Count them up, practice making patterns with their colors, and of course, you can eat them when you're done.

3. Building Blocks-- Building with Legos is a childhood staple, but they are also great to visually compare the "size" of numbers. 

4. Make Your Own Math-- This is a straight forward way to make a math template for simple equations for your kindergartner using nothing but clothespins, a popsicle and a marker.

5. Everyday Math-- Taking time out specifically to practice math is a definitely a good idea, but with so much kids have to learn, there's a lot they can gain from what they see everyday too. This poster has some great ideas for bringing math into children's everyday life.

Thanks for reading, and check back with us again soon. Garden Goodies is just around the corner--we'll be sharing some fun children's books on the theme and great outdoor educational activities. 

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MOUSE-O-RAMA STRIKES: MATH WITH MICE

Hello Wranglers. Not many people know this, but mice are actually quite fond of counting. Well...it's probably more that they are fond of not getting eaten by a snake, but sometimes it turns out that counting can help with that.

In Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh, a hungry snake catches some mice in a field and counts them out to appreciate just how satisfying his dinner is going to be! The mice are a clever lot though, and manage to escape from the snake's jar. They count themselves at the end, just to make sure everyone made it out.

Mouse Count is a great book to help children visually practice counting up to ten, and down from ten. Counting forwards and backwards is equivalent to adding or subtracting by one repeatedly, an important step towards conceptualizing addition and subtraction of larger numbers--and highly relevant to several math standards for kindergarten.

Below are links to some great activities we've found that can build off of the book but can also be done independently.

First Grade A La Carte --Educator Kathy Law shares some printable learning activities based on the book, including a numbers song, counting activity, and number word search.

The Educator's Spin On It -- Amanda and Kim have a fun mouse-making crafts activity. Help your child with the scissors, punch a few holes, glue down some googly eyes and you too can have a cute paper plate mouse! 

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Introducing Story Starters

Adorable animals + literacy = THE BEST. 

We've started a new board on the Wrangling the CCSS Pinterest page called "Story Starters." It's a place to find funny, interesting, or just plain weird pictures that make for a great beginning to a story that you and your child can invent together.

As ever, our focus is on helping to prepare kindergarten- and first grade-aged children to excel in light of the new common core standards. Making up narratives for the pictures is not only a lot of fun, but it also encourages your child to create stories, and approach literacy in an engaging and exciting way. Having practice talking with the elements that go into a story (like setting, characters, plot, etc.) will put them on good footing for many of the ELA standards. (And as we've said before, reading is only one tenet of literacy development - speaking and listening are equally important).

So poke around the Pinterest page, and if you're looking for a fun, educational activity to fill the summer hours, give a Story Starter a try--someone's got to tell me why the little guy above is wrapped in a towel with his tongue sticking out... 

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MOUSE-O-RAMA STRIKES: MEET MARVY

After introducing some of our favorite mice stories in previous posts, it's time for you and your child to make your own fun story on the theme. So let's meet a new friend, Marvy. 

This is Marvy:

He has a pink nose, big round ears, and a little blue car...also, he is a mouse. But that's really all we know about Marvy so far. That's where your child's imagination comes in.

Where is he going in his car (or did he just get back from somewhere)? Is he happy? Is he sad? Why?

Are there going to be other characters in your story? Marvy could probably use some friends. 

This creative, playtime exercise can be something fun to share with your child that also preps them for school later down the line. You don't have to worry about writing out the story--it's also important for kindergarten standards that children practice speaking ideas out and verbally explaining them. 

And if you do come up with any especially good ones you want to share with us, you can send them to [email protected]. We'd love to read 'em!

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MOUSE-O-RAMA STRIKES: MICE AND BEANS

Today we're taking a look at Pam Muñoz Ryan's story about a forgetful grandmother and the helpful mice that live in her casita. 

To prepare for her youngest grandchild's birthday, Rosa Maria is very busy making a cake, ironing her linens, and getting a piñata. So busy in fact, that she almost forgets one of the most important steps of all--good thing somebody else has been preparing for the party too. 

This will likely be a challenging book for most kindergarten aged readers. There are some Spanish phrases that might be completely new for your youngster, so they may need some help. But if you're not a Spanish speaker and you come across some italicized words that throw you off, don't worry: there's a handy glossary with translations and a pronunciation guide in the back.

Reading for fun is always encouraged, but this post just wouldn't be complete without a few CCSS-inspired questions to flex your child's academic muscles in the off-season:

Who is the main character in the story?

Why do things keep disappearing in Rosa Maria's house?

Why do you think that Rosa Maria will never set another mousetrap?

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Special Summer Series #2: MOUSE-O-RAMA

Greetings to all of the Wranglers out there! It's high time we introduced our second summer theme to follow in the muddy hoof prints of Pigmania. As you probably figured out from the title of this post, this week we're all about mice.

We rounded up a few choice reads for the little ones and will set out some pointers and reading questions to get them thinking in ways that will help in the classroom come this Fall.

And why mice you ask? Well aside from being small and fuzzy, which is an automatic draw for just about any child, they're some of the most loved characters of all time. From Mighty Mouse to Mickey Mouse to the Three Blind Mice, generations of children owe these shy little rodents for hours upon hours of fun and learning. 

CHRYSANTHEMUM

This book by Kevin Henkes features a young mouse excited for her first time at school, who happens to have an unusual name. 

Excitement quickly turns to despair when other children in the class point out her oddity. Her parents try to console her with soothing words and special dinners, but Chrysanthemum finds much more comfort from her music teacher.

You can get even more out of sharing this great story with your child by asking a few key questions to prompt some critical thinking: 

Why does everyone in her class giggle when they hear Chrysanthemum's name?

Why is she sad that Victoria and Rita and Jo say they want to pick and smell her?

What does Mrs. Twinkle say that makes Chrysanthemum like her name again?

Questions like these encourage children to think about important connections in a text. The Common Core State Standards focus heavily on critical analysis--even at young ages. That means more than just being able to recall or understand the story, but also being able to explain why that progression makes sense.

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PIGMANIA STRIKES: THE THREE PIGS

Wrap up Pigmania Week with this audaciously silly riff on the classic tale. In this beautifully illustrated picture book by David Wiesner, the pigs escape the wolf by simply leaving the story. They wander into a classic nursery rhyme and end up rescuing a dragon.

The Three Pigs has a powerful theme: the characters take control of their own story, and find a way to live happily ever after. You might consider these questions to spur discussion with your child:

How did the pigs get away from the wolf in the beginning of the story?

Why did the pigs rescue the dragon? What would have happened to the dragon?

What do you think happens to the pigs after the story ends? Can you draw a picture of the pigs in their house?

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PIGMANIA STRIKES: PIGSTY

In this book by Mark Teague, you and your little cowpoke get to read about pigs and learn a valuable lesson about keeping your room clean.

No wonder Wendell’s mom calls his room a pigsty—yee-haw!—there really are pigs in there. All is fine until the pigs’ mess gets out of control.

As you and your youngster are sharing Pigsty, you might use these questions to prompt a little critical thinking about Wendell and his predicament:

Why does Wendell’s mom call his room a “pigsty”? Can you find any pictures in the story that show the mess in Wendell’s room?

What happens to make Wendell clean his room? 

Why do the pigs leave?

Questions like these encourage children to think about key details in a text, an important focus for the ELA portion of the Common Core State Standards.

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PIGMANIA STRIKES: THE THREE LITTLE PIGS

Nothing like a classic story to kick off Pigmania Week. There are many ways to learn the story of The Three Little Pigs (including hearing it from mom, dad, or a caregiver in their own words), but we’re partial to this more traditional version by Paul Galdone because the illustrations remind us of books from our own childhoods.

The Three Little Pigs has some great social/emotional themes that should not be overlooked: what to do when your mom warns you about something (this happens in some retellings of the story), how the pigs feel when the wolf approaches, and how to stand up to a bully.

In addition, you might consider using these questions to start a discussion with your child:

1. What happened when the wolf came to the third pig’s house? Why can’t the wolf blow down the house made of bricks?

2. Can you think of any words that rhyme with pig?

3. If you were a pig in the story, what sort of house would you build? Why? Can you draw a picture of your house?

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Special Summer Series #1: PIGMANIA!

Summer is officially here! In honor of the long, hot days ahead, we're introducing a new summer series here on Wrangling the Common Core - weekly themes! Each week, we'll pick a theme, and devote our attention to finding you all sorts of CCSS-infused, summer goodness to go with it. First up, PIGMANIA!

When your little cowpoke needs some downtime after a swim or an intense play session in the backyard or the park, grab a book.  It’s the perfect way to shift your youngster from a gallop to a trot, and it’s a great opportunity to keep school skills fresh.

We always devote some of our summer reading time to pigs.  Pigs are cute, smart, and smelly—what could be more fun?  Over the next few days we'll be rustling up a few helpful guides to our favorite pig books and associated activities.

We recommend getting ready with the following Pigmania prep:

Pig Draw. Break out the pink and brown crayons and get to work on drawing the biggest pig you can imagine.  The pig face is a great combo of circles and triangles - great for shape recognition and repetition. Check out this free Ed Emberly pig-drawing printable. Draw 10 little pigs. Draw one GIANT pig. Draw a tower made of pigs! 

Pig Splash.  Fill small round balloons (pink is always popular) with water, draw a snout and eyes with a marker (one big circle and four little circles), and give each participant three balloons.  Each person drops a balloon (a sidewalk or driveway is ideal) and the person with the biggest splash wins the round!

Pigs in Blankets. Yum! While not at the top of our list of healthy snack foods, Pigmania Week requires a special treat.  In your grocer’s freezer section, or make your own (recipe here). Have your little helper count out the piggies as you make them, and count down the cooking time for some integrated math practice.

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Pinterest Finds: Top 5 Counting Games

We've learned that poking around on Pinterest is a great way to find all sorts of creative activities that help educate children--and many of them come from parents just like you. 

Of course, we've already done some poking around for you, so you can skip that step and get straight to it with these 5 counting gems.

1. Sort & Count Bottles-- Use some materials around the house to make a fun and colorful counting and sorting game. Sometimes simple is the way to go.

2. Counting Cookies-- A tasty way to get your little one associating numbers with quantities. Yummy. 

3. Lady Bug Number Match-- Preschoolers and kindergartners love hands on activities. Painting up rocks is a simple way to practice math while doing crafts.

4. Counting Sea Shells-- Just in time for summer. This activity is perfect if you find yourself on the beach with your child--just one of several summer-themed ideas you'll find after the link.

5. Math Magic App-- A Ipad is a must for this one. This app has several activities making it suitable for a wide range of abilities and help your child progress. It costs $0.99 but that seems well worth its versatility.

These counting activities are great ways to help your child develop a mathematics foundation for Kindergarten and beyond. While not specifically designed to coincide with the CCSS, they match up with several of the math oriented standards.

So give them a try and remember that you can find all of these activities and way more resources, activities, and lessons on our Pinterest page.

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Want to Hear it from the Horse's Mouth?

Want to take a look at the new common core standards, see how they're organized, or read a little bit about the philosophy behind them? Go to the CCSS website at http://www.corestandards.org and poke around a bit.

At Wrangling the CommonCore we want to make kindergarten prep as easy as possible on parents, so we're providing links to the sites we think are the most useful. You can find these links and more on our resources page.

For example...

Find out when the CCSS is officially coming to town:

http://www.corestandards.org/in-the-states 

Also this FAQ is on the long side, but it addresses some key issues such as how students with disabilities and English language learners will be affected by the new standards:

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CoreFAQ.pdf

And finally, what government initiative would be complete without its fair share of controversy?  Everyone is entitled to their own opinions about the standards, but you may want to take a look at how they respond to some of the most frequent critiques:

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CoreFacts.pdf

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'Guess How Much I Love You' - A Great Way to Help Your Child Practice With Informational Text

You don't have to read nonfiction to practice making connections in a text. Your child's favorite stories can also be used to help practice for kindergarten if you give them a few questions along with them. 

We chose one of our favorite stories, Guess How Much I Love You, as an example to work with, to practice the Common Core standard (RI.K.3), which is all about helping your child understand the connections among the elements of a story. 

Here are some discussions you can have with your child as you are reading:

- When we look at pictures of Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare, what is the same about them? What is different?

- Do you think Little Nutbrown Hare wants to go to bed? What does he do in the story so he doesn’t have to go to sleep?

 You can find more ideas for great children’s books in our posts Our top 5 Silly Books for Learning How to Count and Ready to Count to 100? 5 Books Make It Fun!

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Ready To Count to 100? 5 Books To Make It Fun!

It's as plain as the ears on a mule: thanks to the new Common Core State Standards, kindergartners will be expected to count to 100--by ones and by tens.

If your child has mastered counting from 1 to 10, have fun getting to 100 with these five books.

1. Emily’s First 100 Days of School, by Rosemary Wells

2. Chicka Chicka 123, by Bill Martin Jr, Michael Sampson, and Lois Ehlert

3. 365 Penguins, by Jean-Luc Fromenthal

4. Let’s Count to 100, by Masayuki Sebe

5. Curious George Learns to Count from 1 to 100, by H.A. Rey

Don't forget to practice in the real world. Let your child create stacks of ten pennies or groups of ten Cheerios to visualize the idea of counting by tens.

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Will new standards take all the fun out of Kindergarten?

One concern we hear again and again from parents of kindergartners-to-be is that the Common Core State Standards will turn the classroom into a monotonous boot camp where children are drilled continuously to prep for tests, tests, and more tests. Kindergartners, they point out, need physical activity to help develop their motor skills, and and they also need loosely structured time to foster their social development. Those things are nowhere in the standards. Are they going to disappear from Kindergarten altogether?

Listen, pardner, the CCSS standards are guidelines for what students are expected to learn in school, not how they should learn them. It is up to individual school districts and teachers to determine how much of school is "play" versus memorization and drill.

At Wrangling the Common Core, we believe that Kindergarten and pre-K children learn best when they are having fun and relating new lessons to the physical world around them. Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Pinterest to get ideas for fun activities for your child that will also help her learn the skills required by the CCSS every week. You'll also get printable worksheets from RangerKidz, and links to tons of other helpful resources to boot.

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Getting Ready for Kindergarten: Our Top 5 Silly Books for Learning to Count

CCSS fact: kindergartens will be expected to count to 100 - by ones and by tens.

You can help your child develop basic counting skills (counting from 1-10) with these super-fun books. All of them offer opportunities for silliness in addition to 1, 2, 3.

1. Ten Black Dots, by Donald Crews

2. How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten? By Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

3. Best Counting Book Ever, by Richard Scarry 

4. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle

5. Ten Apples Up Top, by Theo LeSieg (aka Dr. Seuss!) 

Literacy is a key foundational pillar of early childhood education. Most people think of reading when they think literacy, but it is much more than just reading, and also lays the groundwork for numeracy as well. Read more

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Books are great, but...

Literacy is about more than being able to read the words on a page. It's about recognizing all sorts of shared symbols and their meanings, a key foundation for young minds. Luckily, literacy-building behaviors are everywhere, and easy to integrate into everyday activities - like pointing out road signs during a drive to take advantage of the environmental print all around us.

Reading isn't explicitly outlined as a kindergarten standard - that comes in first grade. Kindergarten is all about building the framework that leads to becoming literate. For example, there are a number of print and literacy conventions that we take for granted that are novel ideas to pre-readers - that English is typically read from left to right, where the front and back covers are, the difference between fiction and nonfiction. Recognizing these conventions will lay the foundation for children to understand how more complex things are presented to them in the future - from Shakespearean poetry, to music theory, to algebra problems.

It can be easy to become fixated on reading, with many parents pushing their children to learn to read earlier and earlier. It's important to remember that reading is only one component of literacy, and that writing, speaking and listening are all equal components. Here on Wrangling the Common Core, we'll be posting a number of great books and activities that build all of your child's core literacy skills, with a breakdown of the specific standards they cover.

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