Any Kindergarten teacher knows that developing one to one correspondence is one of the most critical maths skills at the beginning of the year. This skill is key in helping them with counting and developing number sense. In this blog post, we will discuss five easy number warm-ups that you can do with your pre-k and kindergarten aged children to help them practice one to one correspondence. These exercises are fun and engaging, and best of all, they are a great way to check if your child understands these essential concepts!
Want to learn how I teach my students through purposeful and engaging maths games that hooks them into their learning? Read more in my FREE How to Guide so you can start using quick and easy maths games productively in your classroom today.
Warm Up #1 – Subitizing cards
Using Subitizing Cards are one of my favorite tools to use when working on one to one correspondence with my students. I like to start with small numbers, such as 0-10, and then move up to larger numbers. First, download your FREE subitizing cards, then print onto coloured paper, laminate, cut between and you are ready to go! With students sitting together on a math, flick through them quickly, asking them to shout out how many dots they can see. If you do this everyday, you will notice a massive improvement. Then you can move to higher numbers, different arrangement of dots and different counting strategies to count them. Don’t just count all the dots, know how many there are by looking at them!
Warm Up #2 – Counting with Tens Frames
Tens frames are another one of my favorite tools to use when working on one to one correspondence and counting. There are so many ways to use tens frames, but one way is to sit students in a circle with a tens frame and counters in front of them. Roll a dice and students grab that number of counters and place it on their tens frame. Discuss the different arrangements and how the tens frames can look different but are still the same number of counters. When able, have students working with a partner to complete this task independently while you work with an intensive group on the floor. To extend some children, give them two 10-sided dice and two tens-frames to complete numbers to 20.
Warm Up #3 – Actions
This one is always a favorite with the kids! With one child in the middle of the circle, get them to choose an action (jumping, clapping, skipping etc). The rest of the students follow their lead. Then choose a number between one and ten (or roll a dice/pull out a number card). All the students then do that action that number of times. Switch the child in the middle after each go and choose a new action.
Warm Up #4 – Matching Pictures and Number Cards
Add magnets to the back of picture and number cards. Ask students to come up to the whiteboard and correct match one pair of picture and number card. Discuss with the students the best way to go about counting the pictures, do you need to count, or can you use your subitizing skills to know how many are there.
Warm Up #5 – Icypole Sticks
Give each student a bundle of 10 icypole sticks. Students will also need a mini whiteboard and a whiteboard marker. Pull out a number card and students write that number on their whiteboard. Using the icypole sticks, they then create a model of that number. Lastly, they draw a picture of that number on their mini whiteboards. Easy to differentiate by giving those students who are ready a teen number and a second bundle of icypole sticks.
One to one correspondence is such an important concept for young students to understand and these five warm-ups are a great way to practice this skill.
Looking for more great ways to develop one to one correspondence, visit my blogpost 21 Easy Ideas for Teaching One to One Correspondence. Here I take you through my One to One Correspondence MEGA pack of resources, where you won’t have to look any further to find engaging, hands on resources. Now including a Google Slide presentation with 63 slides of counting activities.
Download your FREE subitizing cards and get started on using these resources in your classroom straight away!
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